I stumbled across a batch of 1973-74 Topps a few months back in a quarter box at the local card show. It was the first time I'd really paid attention to these cards. There's a lot not to like: Aside from the color, the design is pretty bland. The photos, for the most part, are boring -- there are a whole lot of players, like Rogie Vachon here, posed up against a bland brick wall, presumably deep in the bowls of some poorly lit arena.
And yet....I really dig 'em. The colors are so obnoxious, so ill-matched that they actually work (kinda like the 71-72 set, in fact). And even boring brick wall photos can be interesting -- again, like this Vachon here, which offers a fantastic look at early '70s goalie gear and haircuts. I also get a kick out of how many players' shadows you see in this set -- it's a reminder of how old these cards are and how old the technology was that was used to make them. (And I also love the way Vachon is barely squeezing into the frame here, like he's some sort of giant bear).
Another handy aspect of this set is that there aren't any crazy expensive cards. The biggest rookies are probably Bill Barber and Billy Smith, both of which can be found for a few dollars on eBay. (The same can't be said of the O-Pee-Chee set, though, which includes Larry Robinson's rookie card and seems to command astronomical prices on eBay.) This is Marcel Dionne's third-year card, although it is just his second Topps card.
For as garish as the borders can sometimes be, they stumble into genuine beauty every once in awhile when they match up with the team colors. That's the case with both the Sittler and Delvecchio cards shown here (which, by the way, are also rocking awesome shadows).
Zistle tells me that I have 50 cards altogether from this set, which puts me about 25 percent of the way there. This is a set that will definitely move up the priority list next year.
I'm actually a lot further into the 1979-80 Topps set, at about 75 percent complete. But I don't own a Wayne Gretzky rookie, so I may as well be at 1 percent. I don't see myself shelling out for one anytime soon, so this set is sort of sinking down my want list. But I did grab a few of the bigger non-Gretzky singles I needed when I saw them discounted to decent prices.
I may not have the Gretzky rookie, but at least now I can say I have the Linesman rookie!
Another non-Gretzky rookie. This is probably the most famous hockey set ever, thanks to the Great One. But even if it that card didn't exist, it would still be a fantastic set. It's a legitimately elegant design.
Guy Lafleur and Brian Trottier had pretty good years, eh?
I'm sorta jumping around here chronologically, but the awards subset from 1974-75 Topps are some of my favorite cards of the decade, probably because of the same clashing color dynamic that draws me to '71-72 Topps and '73-74. Sure, this particular one is a bit off-center vertically and there's a printing blemish near the top. But it's Bobby freakin' Orr and it only cost a couple of bucks!
Finally, I'll wrap this post up with the oldest card I bought during Thanksgiving week. This is from 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee (the "spotlight" set). I believe it is the final card issued during Hall of Famer -- and Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters alum -- Andy Bathgate's career.
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