1975 Topps Mini vs regular - what's going on?

[Great Winfield]

As others have noted, the 1975 Topps Minis used to sell at considerable premiums to the regular cards. This made sense due to relative scarcity, but it was said that a trove of unopened packs tilted the relative pricing balance in favor of the regular cards.

Yet, the Minis still seem to be much scarcer with 101K total cards graded by PSA versus 284K for the regulars. The most desirable cards in the sets are also much rarer in Mini form - e.g. George Brett has 2749 PSA 8, 306 9's and 10 10's in regular form versus 897 8's, 157 9's and 8 10's in Mini form. But Mini Brett can be had much cheaper than regular-sized Brett.

So why does the Mini discount remain? Might Minis ever command a premium to the regular 1975 cards again?

[UKCardGuy]

As I'm working on the 75T mini set, I'm kind of happy about the available bargains.

I'm not sure it make sense other than the market can be a fickle place. I hadn't heard about the trove of unopened packs. If that really is the case shouldn't we have seen a spike in PSA 9 and 10s for the minis?

[ALR-bishop]

Lot of ardent Mini collectors involved in this thread over the years


https://forums.collectors.com/discus...ps-mini-thread

[Harliduck]

I've mentioned this before, but growing up in Western Washington all we had were the mini's...so much so that when I was in my late teens, in the late 80's, I saw my first regular sized 75 at a show and I didn't even know they made them that size! Fast forward to now and I prefer the regular size as they seem like the novelty to me. My set is regular, and I have a few mini's along side them, but have no desire to compete that set. As a kid we hated the 75s, they just didn't conform to our other cards.

Being in the north of WA, near Canada, we also had OpeeChee cards mixed into our youth collections. We all HATED Opeechee and the mini's when it came time to trade...I even threw any OP's in the garbage...lol. Still not a fan...

After all that, no idea why the mini's are now cheaper other than someone who grew up with them would rather have the regulars...

[Kutcher55]

I'm a huge fan of the minis. They are cool and I would much prefer a mini set over a regular '75 topps set, although I think in either form the set is a major boondoggle with a host of challenges, from corner/edge issues more pronounced due to the color, to diamond cuts, to the terrible surface integrity, with bubbles and veins and you name it.

I suspect this has already been discussed because everything vintage has pretty much been covered on net54 over the years, but the other day I was looking at my minis and I believe based on the dimensions they are slightly more squat than regular topps cards.

Regular cards at 2.5" x 3.5" which means the width is approximately 71.4% of the length whereas minis are 2.25" x 3.125", which puts the width at 72% of the length. Apologies in advance if I have this wrong...

[JollyElm]

We never laid eyes on any minis in New York, but out here in Cali the shows are rife with them. It was cool because they were new to me.

As the saying goes, every thread needs a card(s)...

1975minibrett228psa9oc.jpg1975minicarter620psa9oc.jpg

[UKCardGuy]

On a slightly different note, are there smaller penny sleeves for minis? I'd kind of like to have a set of minis in mini-sleeves and mini-toploaders. (it just appeals to my sense of proportion. )

[Vegas Cards]

I think part of the problem is that not everyone knows what a mini is.

I just sold a Brett mini on ebay (had it listed here but no/low offers).

First sale got canceled. Guys says he didn't know he was bidding on a mini. I relisted, capitalized MINI in the title, it sold again, I messaged the new buyer letting him know he had offered on a MINI. He says, Oh, didn't realize that but I'll take it anyway.

Here's the listing. Point is not everyone knows about this set.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-Topps-...MAAOSwnEJgCgmy

[thecomebacker]

Love the 75 Mini’s.
Low POP makes them a excellent buy compared to the regular version.

[ricktopps]

Maybe other collectors have a journey similar to mine.

When I became an adult collector, I began by trying to recapture and collect the Topps cards that I had collected as a child. I didn't have any interest in "minis", O-Pee-Chee, Topps variations, Venezuelans and more obscure sets like Post and Jell-o. As time passed and I completed my collections, and I looked for new things to collect. It was at this point, years later, that I went back and sought the less traditional variations. I suddenly wanted the 75 mini's but also variations of my favorite players. With a 1968 Rod Carew as one of my favorite players, I gradually realized there were similar but uniquely different cards from O-Pee-Chee, Milton Bradley, Venezuelan and even blank backs and uncut panels.

I too have noticed a trend that the big movement in prices is with the main stream (traditional Topps) cards of the Superstars with names even novice collectors recognize. The Aaron's, Rose, Mays cards have moved disproportionately quicker than cards of lesser known names like McCovey, Killebrew and Brooks and Frank Robinson.

I also think the new collectors in the hobby are not looking for sets as much as simply stars. That means that things like high numbers from 1952, 1966 and 1967 haven't seen as much of a rise in value as the superstars.

I put the 75 Minis in the same category with the, O=Pee-Chee, "high numbers", variations etc that don't get the eye of the new collector that wants "the real thing". Maybe in 10 years as these collectors watch their collections they too will branch out and look for things like the mini's. It might be a slow process. I suspect that unless the numbers of collectors grows and their collections expand that the more rare alternative sets will lag in value, despite their relative scarcity.

That is my 2 cents on the topic and I recognize it is probably overvalued at 2 cents.

Rick Johnson
Duluth, Minnesota

[deweyinthehall]

Not really related, but I when I used to buy from Renata Galasso back in the day, I remember one of her catalogs in 1986 when Topps released their first Mini League Leaders Sets - the catalog warned us not to miss our opportunity with these because "you remember what the 1975 minis are worth now!!"

[ALR-bishop]

Does that mean I should hold onto all my Mini League Leader sets....and those mini Topps American Baseball sets ?

[deweyinthehall]

Yep - you're sitting on a gold mine!

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

As I'm working on the 75T mini set, I'm kind of happy about the available bargains.

I'm not sure it make sense other than the market can be a fickle place. I hadn't heard about the trove of unopened packs. If that really is the case shouldn't we have seen a spike in PSA 9 and 10s for the minis?

That find of unopened Mini packs has to be 25+ years ago now. For years the standard asking price for those packs was 50 bucks each, and certainly less if you bulk bought from the dealers lucky enough to get their hands on them.

Full boxes could probably be had for around a grand or so.

Mini's certainly sold for more then the regulars back in the day, before the find..............but yeah, slowly swung in the other direction afterwards. I would think by now, that find would be irrelevant, as they've been long ago absorbed into the market.

I loved them. Never saw singles when I was a kid in CT. Thought it was strange it was the only full set that Topps attempted that with.

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Does that mean I should hold onto all my Mini League Leader sets....and those mini Topps American Baseball sets ?

Absolutely! Even better - you should cut your other cards down to mini size.

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by ricktopps

I also think the new collectors in the hobby are not looking for sets as much as simply stars. That means that things like high numbers from 1952, 1966 and 1967 haven't seen as much of a rise in value as the superstars.

Rick...I agree with your comments except for this paragraph. I can't speak for the 52 highs but I built the 66 and 67 in 2014/15 and kept really good records. I am building them again (almost done with 67, 66 done) and there has been a significant increase in cost AND interest in the high numbers, both raw & graded...and the lower end raw has even increased dramatically. I'm talking the "commons", not just the HOF rookies and such which is obvious. I would kill to pay 2014 prices, I'd build extra sets...lol. BIG increase in 6th series for both years as well...

I also disagree that new collectors aren't interested in sets as well. As a set collector, I feel I am competing with 4 to 5 times as many bidders on random cards than say 2 years ago. It's freakin' crazy out there! I've put up some 66 highs on our B/S/T and they were gone in literally seconds...

Ok, back to 75 mini's...sorry about that...I still don't like em....haha

[steve B]

I had some I got in packs in 75. I lived in western Mass, a place they weren't known to be issued. One of the local places probably had a NY state supplier, or something.

I didn't know what they were until I moved to a place with a card store in 77.

I think they're one of the cooler sets from the 70's,

[rats60]

We didn't get them where I lived in California at the time (Ventura). I don't know if they just were in the Bay Area or our wholesaler chose to buy the regular cards and not the minis. I bought a set from Card Collectors Co. I always liked them.

[RCMcKenzie]

1975 Topps minis were something I heard about and saw in the early 80's at card shows. We only had the regular sized ones at the Stop n Go. It's fun to see
these still looking pack fresh even today. Here's a regular-sized issue Fahey, his rookie I think, in high grade for $22.50. Platinum Night, here I come.