Is "modern" still "modern"?

[nolemmings]

1981 is a good demarcation. I stopped collecting new stuff in 1994 and frankly don't recall when the move first went to inserts/chase cards as in fancy holograms/foils/refractors, then inserts such as autographs, then game used inserts then retro (old cards included in new card packs). Are more than one of these worthy of their own distinction and demarcation?

'73 is a nice debate, but it wasn't exclusively a single series release for everyone, as that appears to have been a test to see what they would do going forward. So I'd be more inclined to look at '74 as the first decidedly single release year..

That's fine David, everyone has an opinion and after this I'll stop beating my dead horse. IMO, 1973 was key for three reasons: production, set composition and distribution. Production: It was the first time that the cards were all printed and ready to go by late December early January; i.e. before any Spring player moves. Prior to that, you could still count on some of the high number cards to reflect late moves. Not so as of 1973.

Set Composition: 1973 was the first set to reduce the set size by a significant number of cards and settle on what would become a standard set size of 660 cards for five years. Also the 1973 composition was the first to dedicate a significant number of the player's standard/main cards to action photos, taking a road that would never lead back.

And yes, distribution. It was the first set to be issued all at once, rendering series meaningless. You say it was a test. I propose that leaving the cards in series one last year was the test, and/or that this was done to hedge against distribution problems with jobbers at the regional and local levels. OPC was distributed all at once in 1973. So was Topps football. Clearly the decision had been made and there was no reason to await "test" results. The article shared by Howie in another thread concerning the then upcoming 1973 baseball card set contained a statement by a Topps exec that the majority of the country would be receiving the cards all at once, which of course sounds much different than a test. It may in fact have been distributed in this fashion to much of the nation--the evidence is unclear. There was no reason to issue the cards in series, given that there were no upgrades or differences from those who got them all at once. A good portion of the country had entire sets assembled while others waited for so-called high numbers. In sum, the commitment by Topps to go all at once started in 1973 and for this and the other reasons turned a page in card collecting history IMO. Maybe not as noticeable a demarcation as to what happened later, but noteworthy nonetheless.

[ALR-bishop]

Richard--you are not old. You are just from a vintage year

[glynparson]

all as one series in baseball as you are arguing, why is the series wax so much easier to find than the all in one series wax? I know many people who collected in 1973 I have yet to meet one that tells me it was easier to find the all in one series cards. I also feel the supposed sp status of the high number checklist, it certainly appears to be a much tougher card than anything else in the set. Helps the argument that the 1973 topps set needs to remain a vintage issue. I would demarcate at 1974-1988 as some sort of pre-modern or whatever moniker you like, and 1989 on as modern.

[ALR-bishop]

There is a great discussion of this in an earlier thread. In it quite a few people recalled being able to buy all the cards at one time in various locations. I will try to run it down and post a link.

[JollyElm]

The only 'proof' I have ever seen that 1973 was released all at once is the last series wax packs from that year that advertised that the cards came from all series. But that was only the last series packs. Every other series had been released the normal way throughout the spring and summer, then Topps but some of the lower series cards in the high series packs. This is a very far cry from the ridiculous claim that Topps released the full set from the beginning of the year. There is absolutely no proof that that was the case. And Topps themselves has always said that 1974 was the first year they issued the entire set all at once. So I believe them.

Yet this same guy comes on here constantly saying how he got all the Topps cards from day 1 in 1973. He is either mistaken or purposely BSing everybody.

[ALR-bishop]

I do not think I am the silly guy...at least this time

And Todd is actually a very experienced collector. There is an honest debate on that point and I do not think it helps to insult folks about their views on it.

I started buying whole sets in 1972 and so do not have any experience on pack issues from 1973

Here is one of the prior threads. There is another I have not found

http://net54baseball.com/showthread....ght=topps+1973