75 Topps Minis - observations and a question

[Kutcher55]

Thanks for the tips Bob!

[ocjack]

I sold my complete set years ago, but recently stumbled across a handful of about 100 cards that had been tucked away. Out of that group, one card stands taller than those around it. I don't recall that being an issue with the set, but it supports your theory that a percentage of cards are cut larger than the rest of the set. Just my 2cents.

[JollyElm]

You don't live out here in California, do you? At card shows, these guy are everywhere. We never had them or even SAW them in New York, and our first realization that they existed came from pictures in one of those photocopied catalogues from a mail-away card collecting company, but they are ridiculously plentiful on this coast.

Every thread needs a card (and you're right about the centering issues)...

1975minicarter620brett228psa9oc.jpg

[steve B]

That's really interesting. I'd always heard that NY was one of the places they were released.
I was in western MA, near the NY border, and got one pack. I ha dno idea what they were until 77 when I asked the local card shop in my new town about them.

[JollyElm]

Hey Steve,
It's possible that other people had them in their neighborhoods, but with me and my family and friends amassing thousands of 1975 cards in Queens and Long Island, we never came across a single 'mini.'

[UKCardGuy]

I first came upon the 75 Minis at card shows when I started collecting in the late 70s.

I started actively working on the 75 Minis set in late 2020. I've tended to buy them in bulk lots where I take what I need and sell on the rest. I've bought a few lots on the BST forum too. I've at 414/660 but I've probably been through about 1,000 cards to get there.

I've not found the centering on the mini's to be worse than other sets. In my opinion, 1973 Topps is the worst for centering.

I've been able to pick up PSA 8 commons at pretty reasonable prices (between $5 - 12) with a bit of searching.

I've come across one or two cards that are a little taller. The numbers weren't excessive. I've just assumed it's par for the course.

Here's photos of a small sample of my 75T Minis.

As for storing them, I keep them in penny sleeves/top loaders in a BCW Graded Shoe Box.

[savedfrommyspokes]

15-20 years ago I had no problems putting together a raw decently centered NM-MT 75 mini set. I went through 5k+ cards to put this set together. At the time it seemed to me there were no shortage of these cards available in higher grade and centered. In recent years, I do not see to many of these 75 minis in higher grade or centered condition while the regular 75s are far more plentiful now.

I have always heard rumors that both Larry Frisch cards and Charlie Conlon both had significant accumulations of unopened 75 mini cases. My guess is many of these cards were released into the market 15 to 20 years ago creating a surplus at that time.

[Jim65]

We had Minis in NJ. I didn't even realize until I found my old stash in my parents basement in late 1980's, and had about 1000 cards and about half were Minis.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by savedfrommyspokes

15-20 years ago I had no problems putting together a raw decently centered NM-MT 75 mini set. I went through 5k+ cards to put this set together. At the time it seemed to me there were no shortage of these cards available in higher grade and centered. In recent years, I do not see to many of these 75 minis in higher grade or centered condition while the regular 75s are far more plentiful now.

I have always heard rumors that both Larry Frisch cards and Charlie Conlon both had significant accumulations of unopened 75 mini cases. My guess is many of these cards were released into the market 15 to 20 years ago creating a surplus at that time.

Conlon bought out his local Michigan jobber in 1975 and had almost 30 cases left when he died. I might have the SCD (Krause) article that got into the details of that and I'll post it if I find it. Here is some more info for the time being, with the case counts for wax and cello. Not sure about Raks, maybe they were Frtisch's originally?

https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/cards/pssst-wanna-buy-an-unopened-case-of-1975-topps-minis

[steve B]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Hey Steve,
It's possible that other people had them in their neighborhoods, but with me and my family and friends amassing thousands of 1975 cards in Queens and Long Island, we never came across a single 'mini.'

I'd always just thought that my local convenience store in Dalton, Ma. (A thriving metropolis of about 7500 at the time) was serviced by a supplier that also handled NY.

That makes me wonder if the wholesaler was more upstate somewhere like Albany. Pittsfield makes about as little sense as Dalton for a test or limited release.

Perhaps complicating it slightly is that the shop owner had some "connections" since he got busted by the FBI for selling football cards....So maybe the minis didn't come through a traditional wholesaler at all.