Seaver RC vs Ryan RC

[brian1961]

I'd like to chime in on this matter. I was a 13-year-old collector in 1967, trying with all my might to complete the big Topps set. Based upon what I did in 1966, I knew what I would have to do.

Late in the summer of '66, every outlet seemed to have turned to football cards. My Chicago suburb only had one convenience shop carry the 7th series, and by the time I discovered it, there was just one wax pack left! At this time, I was ordering cards from The Trading Card Company, located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. I ordered the 1966 7th series from them, for a very nominal price. Beautiful condition. This purchase completed my '66 Topps.

So here it was 1967. Football was getting a lot more popular after the first SUPER BOWL, and the card-selling outlets seemed to stock them even earlier. I did not bother even looking for the 1967 7th Series baseball; I once again ordered them from The Trading Card Company. Same result---gorgeous cards---completed my 1967 set. Nestled among the last series was Tom Seaver! I had wanted him for several months. Early in May, Tom's picture appeared on the front of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE sports section, just as he was about to deliver a flaming fastball. I thought to myself, "wow, that guy looks good!" Of course, Topps was doing their lousy-looking duo-player rookie cards; ugh, I hated how they looked. Be that as it may, that duo card was Tom Seaver's Topps rookie card. I was half a century away from discovering the New York Mets made a small postcard set of their team, including a drop-jaw gorgeous beauty of Tom Terrific! I finally got that baby this year; it's the proverbial 100 times better-looking than his sardine Topps.

Back to the OP. None of my friends got the 1967 Topps 7th Series baseball but me. Compared to the plethora of 1968 Topps 2nd Series with Nolan Ryan, offered early in the season by the millions, the 1967 Topps 7th Series is a rarity. I remember well getting at least doubles of the Ryan rookie back in '68. Not that I noticed much, since he was a nobody at that time.

That's what I remember as a teen collector back in the day. Take it for what it is.

--- Brian Powell