Another Box From Years Ago - My 1974 Topps Set

 Since I am stuck home sick I decided to check out another of my 1970s sets.  Now it is the 1974 set. 

I spent many years delivering papers in the morning.  I should have spent more time garbage picking but that never came to mind as we walked along in the dark.  Wait, only twice did I ever bring something home.  I found a Battleship game sitting atop a garbage can one day.  On top of the game was a plastic crayon/pencil case.  I opened it and found about 200 1974 Topps cards including card #1 - the highly-coveted Hank Aaron New All-Time Home Run King card.  

The card seemed difficult to get in packs because we were used to the cards being distributed in a series of 132 cards.  Now we were trying to find a card that was one of possibly 660 cards in the pack.  No matter how hard you tried, no one would trade this card.  

This Tigers team card is sitting atop the set in the box. At some point I must have figured out that it needed to be replaced since it was badly torn.  I think I can get that done in 2022.  I have no idea how long it has been waiting for me, probably at least since the 1990s.

The traded cards were inserted into packs.  Just like in 1976 that was not a blessing because the cards were ugly and too many of them were inserted into the packs.  

The Aaron cards were perfect for an eleven-year-old collector.  I had just started going to flea markets and finding out about old cards from the Wholesale Card Company catalog that a neighbor had.  Seeing every year from 1954 to 1973 was perfect.  Sorry for not putting them in proper order but my brain is working at about 75%. 

Why did the Cubs have pink?  This Kessinger has bad corner ding.   

The batting helmet is his thing.  

The cartoons added to a nicely-designed card back.

A few horizontal cards were nice.  

I like the uniform but what I really like is the view of the left field seats and the picnic area underneath them where I'd hang out at the fence.

My favorite player's card is off-center and titled.  Did I care in 1974?  I guess not.  Luckily, I have another one to switch with this one.

I don't remember needing the A's Mgr card but I do remember trading a bunch of 1974 Cubs to get a 1971 Billy Martin to complete that set.

We wanted to be just like these guys.  One problem - none of our teams had a donut like Carlos had attached to his bat.  

I spent a lot of time memorizing these lists so I could learn who the best players were.  

Gum or wax stains?  Not a problem.  There are plenty of these in my set.

Ouch.  Yes, I knew he was traded, but do you have to show him in a Cub uniform?  I cant even show the Jerry Morales card because it looks so hideous with the Padres uniform and the Cub pink color scheme.

Fuentes and Willie Montanez got lots of air-time on This Week in Baseball for being entertaining.  

At our first (only?) Little League banquet they gave out MLB autograph books for us to use at games.  I think Billy Hunter was at the event because he's the only autograph that ever got in that book, which I still have.  I didn't get a regular card of Hunter for a few years.  

How are those all-star teams?  

We had fun with our cards in 1974.  Who was the 1973 All-Star Game MVP.   If you didn't know that you weren't collecting cards.  The first eight cards could be put together to honor Bobby Bonds, who wasn't a starter in the game.  

The all-star catchers didn't get in on the puzzle.  Instead, they have the box score on the back.

I was planning to just give my first thoughts on these cards, but I am intrigued by the all-star cards so I am going to check a few things out.  Nothing much to report. 

John Mayberry started in place of Dick Allen who was injured.  

 A nice shot of fans in the left field bleachers.

Willie Mays didn't have a regular card in the 1974 set, but since Topps had a card for each game of the World Series, here he is.  

The Indians were the AL equivalent of the Cubs.  At least the Cubs were able to hire some coaches to fill up the manager card.  What happened here?

What is he wearing?  My mom always knew when it was picture day at school to make sure we didn't do something like this.

This is exactly how I picture Ralph Garr - helmet flying as he races toward first base.  

What information did we get about rookies?  Here it is.  No minor league stats, no draft pick card, no minor league card, no Sportscenter breakdown, no prospect rankings, nothing.  

It was easier for us to keep track of the rookies we needed by card number since we didn't know who these guys were.  Does anyone have #600 was the question you'd ask instead of does anyone have the A's Manager card.