1974 Parker Brothers Pro Draft Unopened Game

BigRed7

I just acquired an unopened game, and I'm wondering if I should open it?
Curious, is it really unopened? The game box looks in immaculate shape, no corner damage or splitting.
What are the condition of the cards? Has it never been opened? What to do?

I have complete graded set, minus one card.

https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/football/company-sets/1974-topps-parker-brothers/alltimeset/285949

gregmo32

I wouldn't open it.

Did you have to pay up to get it?

ahopkins

Wow. Big congrats. 'Nuff said.

coinspacks

are the cards different than regular topps cards?
looks like he paid $150

Stone193

I'm a baseball board game collector.

My take?

If factory sealed - I would want it to stay that way and I would buy a "used" game to check out the mechanism of play and stuff.

I see a sealed game like unopened card material - the excitement and allure is in the mystery.

Here's the checklist: according to Game Geek - 50 Topps cards

1974 Topps Parker Brothers Checklist
All card numbers are identical to the regular Topps cards:
4 Ken Bowman
6 Jerry Smith
7 Ed Podolak
9 Pat Matson
11 Frank Pitts
15 Winston Hill
18 Rich Coady
19 Ken Willard
21 Ben Hawkins
23 Norm Snead (vertical)
24 Jim Yarborough
28 Bob Hayes HOF
32 Dan Dierdorf HOF
35 Essex Johnson
39 Mike Siani
42 Del Williams
43 Don McCauley
44 Randy Jackson
46 Gene Washington (49ers)
49 Bob Windsor (vertical)
50 John Hadl
52 Steve Owens
54 Rayfield Wright HOF
57 Milt Sunde
58 Bill Kilmer
61 Rufus Mayes
63 Gene Washington (Broncos)
65 Eugene Upshaw HOF
75 Fred Willis
77 Tom Neville
78 Ted Kwalik
80 John Niland
81 Ted Fritsch Jr.
83 Jack Snow
87 Mike Phipps
90 MacArthur Lane
95 Calvin Hill
96 Len Rohde
101 Gary Garrison
103 Len St. Jean
107 Jim Mitchell
109 Harry Schuh
110 Greg Pruitt
111 Ed Flanagan
113 Chuck Foreman
116 Charlie Johnson (vertical)
119 Roy Jefferson
124 Forrest Blue
(no All-Pro designation)
126 Tom Mack HOF
(no All-Pro designation)
127 Bob Tucker

BigRed7

Spent $150, I was thinking 50 cards, $3 a card, thinking I'd take the gamble. The cards I currently have graded are very nice not much room for improvement.

BigRed7

The one card that didn't make the grade from my sub came back N6.

JBrules

Agree with Mike on this one. I would leave it unopened. Awesome pickup.

BigRed7

@Stone193 said:
I'm a baseball board game collector.

My take?

If factory sealed - I would want it to stay that way and I would buy a "used" game to check out the mechanism of play and stuff.

I see a sealed game like unopened card material - the excitement and allure is in the mystery.

Here's the checklist: according to Game Geek - 50 Topps cards

1974 Topps Parker Brothers Checklist
All card numbers are identical to the regular Topps cards:
4 Ken Bowman
6 Jerry Smith
7 Ed Podolak
9 Pat Matson
11 Frank Pitts
15 Winston Hill
18 Rich Coady
19 Ken Willard
21 Ben Hawkins
23 Norm Snead (vertical)
24 Jim Yarborough
28 Bob Hayes HOF
32 Dan Dierdorf HOF
35 Essex Johnson
39 Mike Siani
42 Del Williams
43 Don McCauley
44 Randy Jackson
46 Gene Washington (49ers)
49 Bob Windsor (vertical)
50 John Hadl
52 Steve Owens
54 Rayfield Wright HOF
57 Milt Sunde
58 Bill Kilmer
61 Rufus Mayes
63 Gene Washington (Broncos)
65 Eugene Upshaw HOF
75 Fred Willis
77 Tom Neville
78 Ted Kwalik
80 John Niland
81 Ted Fritsch Jr.
83 Jack Snow
87 Mike Phipps
90 MacArthur Lane
95 Calvin Hill
96 Len Rohde
101 Gary Garrison
103 Len St. Jean
107 Jim Mitchell
109 Harry Schuh
110 Greg Pruitt
111 Ed Flanagan
113 Chuck Foreman
116 Charlie Johnson (vertical)
119 Roy Jefferson
124 Forrest Blue
(no All-Pro designation)
126 Tom Mack HOF
(no All-Pro designation)
127 Bob Tucker
(no All-Pro designation)

This 1974 set comes with cards having 1972 stats or 1973 stats. The cards with the '73 stats are identical except for the six cards. I have each variation graded but they don't make the designation in the set. I also have some nice cards that I'm sure are Parker Brothers but you can't distinguish from other 74's.

georgebailey2

Without anything in front of me:

IIRC, I believe the "sheet" designation on the cards are also different. I must have been nine when I got the game for Christmas. I remember incorporating the cards i needed into my existing 1973 cards. When I realized they were different, primarily due to the "All Pro" cards. I took them back out. I believe the game still sits in the ancestral homestead. If it does, I have no idea how many cards are still in the game nor the condition.

Memories, like the corners of my mind.....

AFLfan

@BigRed7 said:

This 1974 set comes with cards having 1972 stats or 1973 stats. The cards with the '73 stats are identical except for the six cards. I have each variation graded but they don't make the designation in the set. I also have some nice cards that I'm sure are Parker Brothers but you can't distinguish from other 74's.

I thought there was a slight difference in that the 1974 Topps cards have a single asterisk on the back while the Parker Brothers have two asterisks.

BigRed7

@AFLfan said:

@BigRed7 said:

I thought there was a slight difference in that the 1974 Topps cards have a single asterisk on the back while the Parker Brothers have two asterisks.

The Parker Brothers cards with two asterisks have 1972 stats. There are also Parker Brothers cards with one asterisk, these are the same as the 1974 Topps issue. They have 1973 stats on the back, you can only distinguish the six different cards, 3 vertical cards and the 3 All-Pros. The other 44 cards are identical, one asterisk as the Topps issue.

AFLfan

Oh Jeez... That complicates things a bit. Thanks for the info, though.

Nathaniel1960

Many of those sets don't have the complete run of the variations, but just the pose variations. So you might not be getting as much bang for your buck. I would recommend that you keep it sealed and try to get the set separately on ebay. There is not much of a premium for raw ones, and you often find lumped in with larger lots of 74s.

Kep13

boy, they sure didn't stick too many of the stars in the lot of 50 cards that goes into those games, did they? I remember having that game back in the day....

DavidPuddy

I remember buying this game at a garage sale back in the mid 80's. I was just starting to collect, and thought it was super cool to get some older football cards. The game it turned out had a mix of 1970's football cards. In the lot was a Largent rookie and other random star cards. I still have the Largent.
After seeing this thread, I grabbed my box of football cards and checked the cards. I still have 47 of the 50 cards from the game! The game itself is in my parents attic in NE Ohio, but the cards are with me in SC.