Toughest "regular" issued set from the 1970s??

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by David W

Were there any OPC fronts or pictures that were different than Topps in 71, other than this one?

Here are a few other 71 OPC with different fronts that come to mind...Staub (#289 is shown, replacing the WS team) is also on card 560 in the OPC set with the same front as it's Topps version. The 77 OPC set has numerous poses that are different from it's Topps counterpart.

[horzverti]

Lots of love here for the 71 OPCs. Count me in for more love for that great set.

Given the thread title, toughest 70s set, and all of the posts about 1971 OPCs; I am really surprised that no one has written about the 1974 OPCs. Although the 74s do not have the tough to find in higher grade factor like the 71s do, I feel that 74s are more scarce. The 74s just seem harder to find. I know that the 74 Topps set doesn't usually make many collectors' top ten lists, but I feel that the OPC version should be more sought after. Similar to the 71s, the 74 OPCs have a bright yellow back that is very attractive. I also like the different layout Hank Aaron special cards in the OPC version. I think it is a great set.

Getting back to 70s OPCs in general, I actually like the rough cuts on the softer OPC card stock. In hand, you can really see and feel the difference vs. regular issue Topps card stock. To me, it reminds me of the softer, whiter stock used in some series of 1959 Topps...and lots of rough cuts. The soft card stock on 70s OPCs cards is my main factor why high grade OPCs should be more valuable. Soft card stock means that the card is more easily damaged. I understand that demand sets the price, but average found condition should be factored in. For example, Begsu's 71 OPC Ryan posted above - that would be a super condition card for a Topps version, but being OPC, that card is outstanding. That OPC Bench which was shared is also ridiculously nice. Any one have a centered #100 OPC Pete Rose to share? Does one exist?

I also like the color of the OPC cards. The white(r) stock really makes the colors on the fronts of the cards pop. Regular issue Topps cards sometimes look hue muted or dull next to the bright OPCs. Love the color.

I am happy to read of 1970s OPC getting some good attention here.

[Harliduck]

It's funny...OPC must be a regional thing when it comes to popularity. Growing up 45 minutes south of the Canada border here north of Seattle, OPC cards in the 70's were fairly common with my school buddies. The difference? We HATED OPC cards. I can't really say why, there wasn't any dislike for anything Canadian, but we routinely threw them away or tried in vain to trade for something else. I remember having a 71 OPC Hank Aaron card when I was around 9 or 10, so 1979 or 80ish, back when owning an Aaron was a BIG deal...and my buddies wouldn't let me count it as actually having an Aaron card because it was OPC.

I still have a little of that in me. When I put together my 68 Topps set a couple years ago, my first lot came with a dozen or so OPCs. I immediately replaced them...the kid inside me said they didn't count...haha...

[cardsfan73]

74 OPC is very very tough! From what I understand a strike by the factory workers lead to a very limited production run that year.
Putting together my OPC Cardinals team sets 1974 has def. been the most difficult. While you do have the condition issues with the 1971 OPC I found them much easier to find than the 74s.

Thanks,
Scott

[jb67]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

It's funny...OPC must be a regional thing when it comes to popularity. Growing up 45 minutes south of the Canada border here north of Seattle, OPC cards in the 70's were fairly common with my school buddies. The difference? We HATED OPC cards. I can't really say why, there wasn't any dislike for anything Canadian, but we routinely threw them away or tried in vain to trade for something else. I remember having a 71 OPC Hank Aaron card when I was around 9 or 10, so 1979 or 80ish, back when owning an Aaron was a BIG deal...and my buddies wouldn't let me count it as actually having an Aaron card because it was OPC.

I still have a little of that in me. When I put together my 68 Topps set a couple years ago, my first lot came with a dozen or so OPCs. I immediately replaced them...the kid inside me said they didn't count...haha...

That is a great story! Thanks for posting.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by Harliduck

It's funny...OPC must be a regional thing when it comes to popularity. Growing up 45 minutes south of the Canada border here north of Seattle, OPC cards in the 70's were fairly common with my school buddies. The difference? We HATED OPC cards. I can't really say why, there wasn't any dislike for anything Canadian, but we routinely threw them away or tried in vain to trade for something else. I remember having a 71 OPC Hank Aaron card when I was around 9 or 10, so 1979 or 80ish, back when owning an Aaron was a BIG deal...and my buddies wouldn't let me count it as actually having an Aaron card because it was OPC.

I still have a little of that in me. When I put together my 68 Topps set a couple years ago, my first lot came with a dozen or so OPCs. I immediately replaced them...the kid inside me said they didn't count...haha...

There was always a little bleed through along the Northern border with Topps cards but I never realized it also went the other way. On Long Island, no OPC back then, that's for sure.

[MattyC]

It was the same growing up in NYC. We rarely saw an OPC card and when they did surface, they were discarded. We wanted Topps. That said, I can totally appreciate how tough they must be to find for those who love them.

In terms of toughest overall set in the 70's, my votes would be 71 and 75 minis. The centering and tilts on the minis are just brutal, not to mention full color corners.

[steve B]

OPCs were always interesting to me.

My parents took a trip to Nova Scotia in 78 and brought back a pack or two. Then we took a mostly camping trip across the country with a couple diversions into Canada in 79.

I bought a whole box early in the trip, and managed to not wreck them on the way.

But in the Canadian part of Glacier national park the gift shop had cards! But......they were 78's. When I asked if they had the new ones they pointed at the box of 78's. When I told them those were from last year they got a confused look and said they had only gotten them the week before.

So distribution might have been a bit "unusual" for OPC.

Steve B

[Harliduck]

Originally Posted by toppcat

There was always a little bleed through along the Northern border with Topps cards but I never realized it also went the other way. On Long Island, no OPC back then, that's for sure.

Yes...we bought OPC cards in packs in the 70's in Arlington, WA...that is about 40 miles south of the border. We used to yell at our mom when she brought packs home from that convenience store and not from the "big" supermarket that carried Topps. As you went north it was more OPC than Topps, especially near Bellingham.

Steve B...that is super weird, as we had the SAME experience. That same mom and pop in Arlington store late in 1979 got a shipment of 1978 OPC cards. Mom came home with a pack, we were shocked. We did send her back to the store and she brought home two boxes, she said it was all they had. Getting 78's in 79 to us was cool, even if they were OPC. My childhood 78 set is still littered with OPC with the cards I couldn't trade out, haha. With two stories like this I bet they had a surplus on 78s and forced them out to retailers.


With all that said, I am with Matty...seeing some of the OPC cards are now pretty cool and the fact others are passionate about them is neat...especially considering they are more rare. Those 71's actually do POP with that yellow.

[Orioles1954]

1970s Topps Baseball cards are about as exciting to me as a pair of wet socks. I really, really like OPC for many reasons.

1.) The bright card stock is superior and the rough cut has that certain charm.
2.) Has interesting "traded" lines with different team/color designs.
3.) Printed at most at 10% of the mainstream Topps issue and priced comparably.....very undervalued.

The "sunburst" action/photo reverses of the 1971 OPC set absolutely blow away the American issue.

[Jim65]

Perhaps the most famous OPC card