Saturday, May 14, 2011

1979 Topps, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?

In 1979, the cost of a wax box was $7.20

In 1979, Topps had record sales of nearly $74 million. [1]
Factoring in rack and cello boxes that would mean at least 8 million boxes sold.

In 1979, the brightest star in the MLB galaxy was Reggie Jackson. Playing in just 131 games was once again immensely productive posting an OPS+ of 150, that ranked 5th in the AL.

About The Card

Using a banner instead of a straight block text it’s a slight variation on the 1976 design.
The other difference is that for the first time Topps put their logo on the front left hand corner. I believe this was done because Fleer had been battling Topps in court since 1975 and perhaps by 1979 they were sensing the monopoly would be coming to an end.

The set is known primarily for housing Ozzie Smith’s rookie card but this Reggie Jackson card is timeless. Sun beating down on shiny helmet. Aviator sunglasses. Afro. Mustache. And card number 700.

I much preferred when they put the ALL*STAR banner on the card instead of when they made it a separate card.

This incredible slab is listed at $250 at Pristine Paper. That's not an outrageous sum in context but I would guess at auction it would fetch about $125

Note

1. Hammond, Keith (April 25, 1982) New York Times

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