1974 Topps Baseball

Anyone who knows me knows that one of my passions in life is baseball cards. I first was introduced to the hobby by my father in 1979 and have been hooked ever since... From time to time, I get into a phase where I become infatuated with one particular set from one particular year. My obsession right now is the 1974 set. Most people in the hobby will tell you that the '74 is a nice set but by no means anything legendary and they are correct. On the surface it isn't one of Topps steller offerings. It probably isn't even in the top five card sets of the 1970s. So then what is is about this set that has caught my fancy. I have narrowed it down to three possibilities....

1. This was the first year that Topps issued its set all at once making it easier to complete
2. In one of the most interesting moves, Topps produced a handful of San Diego Padres cards as Washington Nat'l (more in a moment)
3. This would be the last set to feature the 1923-1973 Yankee Stadium in the background of many American League players photos.

The explanations.....
1. Going all the way back to Topps first mass market set in 1952, the company issued the cards in a number of series during the baseball season. This would vary from 2 or 3 series in the early 50s to 5 series by the 1970s. There is an obvious problem with doing this. The cards from the later series are much more scarce. By the time Topps got around to releasing series 3, 4 or even 5, the season had turned to fall and most baseball card fans were now collecting football cards. Packs of these cards would sit on shelves and go unsold. This creates a serious problem for those interested in set building. So-called "high-number cards," have much higher price tags to them, making them impossible to acquire. 1974 resolved that problem. Topps decided that year to issue all of its cards at once, therefore eliminating the high-number problem and making the set much easier to collect and complete.

2. After the 1973 season, it was rumored that the San Diego Padres were going to be sold to new owners and moved to Washington, DC to replace the recently departed Senators. In an effort be ahead of the ballgame, Topps issued some of the Padres cards for 1974 with the Washington "NAT'L" logo on the card. The above Willie McCovey is a great example. Fortunatley for the people of San Diego, Ray Kroc of McDonald's fame, stepped in and purchased the teacm and kept them in San Diego. Topps then had to replace the Washington cards with San Diego ones, thus creating one of the most interesting variations in the history of the hobby. The Washington cards do tend to bring in a bit of a higher price as compared to the San Diego versions......

3. Topps has its headquarters in New York City. This made Yankee Stadium a natural selection for the backdrop of many of its American League cards. The above Don Baylor is a great example. The 1923-1973 Yankee Stadium served as a backdrop for many cards from 1955 through 1974. I view this set not just as a nice card set, but also as a piece of baseball history...This would be the final time that the Cathedral of Baseball would appear on a baseball card in its original, pre-renovated form......