The 1970s, known somewhat derivatively as the "malaise era" in the automotive world, saw a major shift in non-sports cards as all the fun topics of the past started to disappear, and the vast majority of sets were TV and Movie related. Of course, while I'm obviously not fond of that development, a certain movie (and card set) from 1977 would play a major role in the eventual formation of the Cardboard History collection...
1970
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| 1970-71 Topps |
1971
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| 1971 Fleer AHRA |
1972
 |
| 1972 Donruss Street Chopper / Hot Bike |
1973
 |
| 1973 Topps |
1974
 |
| 1974 Visual Panographics American Presidents |
1975
 |
| 1975-76 Topps |
1976
 |
| 1976 Craven Black Cat Vintage Cars |
1977
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| 1977 Topps Star Wars |
1978
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| 1978 Visual Panographics Change the Animal Picture Cards |
1979
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| 1979 Topps The Incredible Hulk |
What more can I say about the 1977 Topps Star Wars set? Although it was not the first set I ever had in my collection, I mistakenly thought it was from sometime unknown until around 2012, when my brother remembered that he didn't give me his duplicates until after I had some of the 1988 Bigfoot cards. For all those years, (he gave them to me in 1988) I believed that the Star Wars set was the keystone, the foundation of my collection. You may wonder why I chose such a poor condition example as the card of 1977? It's because that's one I remember having when I was a little kid- it's one of
the foundation cards, and it's one of the few that I am 100% sure was a foundation card. It's been chewed- probably by our dog, but possibly by me, I can't rule it out. I was either 3 or 4 years old when he gave them to me, after all (depending on what time of the year- lost to history). The 1978 Visual Panographics Change the Animal Picture Card is one that he gave me then too...it's the only one of the originals that I have not been able to hunt down a checklist for, nor find any other cards in the set. It's a small card, about half the height of a tobacco card, when turned on edge. 1971, 73 and 75 are represented in my collection solely by sports cards.
The 1977 Topps Star Wars cards might not have been the first set you ever had in your collect... but that's okay. It was the first cards I ever had. Well... they're the first memories of me collecting cards. I can still remember the store my parents would take me to buy them.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool. I have no idea where my brother got his. He probably does remember but I just haven't asked him!
DeleteI cannot NOT comment on a post about '70s cards, a few of which I've never seen. You know there's something memorable about a decade when you can see a card for the first time and know which decade it came from.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised I had some you'd never seen, you are the 70s expert on the blogosphere!
DeleteEither the dog or you chewed on the card!?!? ROFL at that comment. It shouldn't surprise me though; how many other one year old kids liked a spoonful of lemon juice as a snack?
ReplyDeleteMMM, lemon juice...yum!
DeleteThat Incredible Hulk card is great!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that's one of the "foundation cards" as well.
DeleteAlways appreciate a good "beginnings" story. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love the background of that 1971 Fleer AHRA card. It's just a wall of people crammed in there and waiting for the drag race to begin.
Hit my post archive up from January 2018...I wrote a three post series covering my entire history in the hobby. That was my 30th anniversary so I had to do a little celebrating. I'm pretty sure that AHRA card is one of the very, very few that my dad was the original owner on.
Delete