I have some questions regarding the 1974 Topps factory set

Estil · April 30, 2007 9:20AM

As far as I know, this set was only available in the JCPenney catalog and apparently Topps didn't sell very many, and thus did not offer factory sets again until 1985. So my questions are (assuming this factory set even exists anymore; I only remember seeing one or two these past five years on Ebay):

1. Was the set factory sealed? If so, in what way?

2. Did the cards come in numerical order or random order like Topps always did since 1985?

3. Are these 1974 factory sets typically better quality cards than those found in packs or vending boxes?

And yes, I do want very much to get this set (raw NRMT/MT set, not slabbed) at some point.

jimtb · April 30, 2007 9:26AM

I got this set as a 9 year old. I believe they were from Sears, not Pennys. I can't recall if they were sealed or collated - sorry!

tsalem · April 30, 2007 10:08AM

I have also seen a 1982 topps factory set.

Estil · April 30, 2007 10:23AM

<< <i>I have also seen a 1982 topps factory set. >>

Yes, that brown boxed one from BBCE? I do wonder where that came from; was that too a Sears or JCPenney catalog exclusive? Or perhaps given to Topps employees only?

CDsNuts · April 30, 2007 10:38AM

A 1974 factory set in its original box will run you at least $1000, and maybe $1500-$2000. I don't know if they were sealed or not.

Lee

yankeeno7 · April 30, 2007 10:53AM

They were sealed. I don't know how they were coallated though. If I took my best guess with the way Topps worked in the 70s and early 80s, they would not be in numerical order and probably grouped by the sheets (A, B, C, D, E sheets). They will cost you huge. I'd rather buy 5 "nm to nm/mt" sets, put together my set from those 5 then resell the other 4.

Estil · April 30, 2007 7:27PM

And since my intention is to have the set in binder/pages, I can basically just forget the factory set and settle for a hand collated one, correct?

yankeeno7 · April 30, 2007 7:30PM

I think that is your best bet...unless of course you want to spend the 1200-1300 on a factory set and take your best guess on how the centering will be. But, they will be razor sharp as long as the box has been handled correctly and never dropped.

Stingray · April 30, 2007 8:32PM

I have seen a 1974 Factory set that someone had at a Gilbraltar show here in Michigan, it basically had pictures of differented cards from the set on the box and I believe had the date on it.

neenish · May 1, 2007 1:19AM

Is this from Penny's or Sears?
1974 Topps Factory Set

Stingray · May 1, 2007 1:22AM

74 LINK

Downtown1974 · May 1, 2007 1:28AM

<< <i>And since my intention is to have the set in binder/pages, I can basically just forget the factory set and settle for a hand collated one, correct? >>

I think that is your best bet Estil.

Estil · May 1, 2007 4:53AM

Indeed, apparently the factory set goes for a lot more than the $600 Beckett Value. I can probably pick up a nice NRMT or better set for somewhere in the $300's still (or close to $400 to get it upgraded right)?

Cokin75 · May 1, 2007 12:07PM

The factory set box says "Over 700 cards". Correct me if I'm wrong, but there were only 660 cards in the complete set. Even adding 24 unnumbered team checklists, you get 684. Were there freebees of some sort or is this false advertising?

EDIT: Just answered my own question by thinking of the 'Traded' cards.

Estil · May 1, 2007 1:25PM

I think the Traded set is included. That would make over 700. '

BTW, I wouldn't mind seeing a factory set bust from someone here someday.

gemint · May 1, 2007 2:29PM

My main concern with factory sets is the risk the box was dropped or the cards were packed too tight. I've purchased already opened 1974 factory sets but the cards were already heavily handled. I've never seen one freshly opened to find out the quality of the cards. My guess is it would be the same roll of the dice as purchasing a vending box except you'd be getting the entire set instead of a 500 ct partial set with duplicates.

basestealer · May 1, 2007 5:25PM

The set in question is not sealed. If it were sealed, it would be wise to leave it sealed. The card quality is no better than vending, horribly off-center, and if you really wanted a mint set it would be less expensive to purchase 5 sets and piece a good one together. The brown box factory sets were sold in JC Penny catalogues--I've got several from '83 and '84. Cards are not in numerical order, nor do they appear any better than what comes out of a rack, wax, or cello pack.

edited to add--if the '74 set isn't sealed, then you're paying $300 for the cards and $1100 for the box. Bad deal.

fmclaug11 · May 3, 2007 1:35AM

I've been reading these boards for a few years now, but haven't posted until now. I felt compelled by this topic to share some details of my 1974 Topps Factory set break from a couple years ago (sorry, no pictures). I started collecting cards in late 72' when I was 7 and collected into 1975. Not sure why I stopped, perhaps the 75 mini's turned me off (I'm from Michigan) as they wouldn't collate well with the other cards

or I just got interested in other things? In 1974 though, my parents took me and my brother to Sears to buy each of us a complete 74' Topps as a reward for raking leaves one weekend. Boy, did I treasure that set...My parents were not wealthy by any means, so getting those sets was a rare treat. I didn't even take them out of the box to look at them as I wanted to keep them pristine. A short time after getting the sets however, I came home one day to find my 2 year old brother sitting in the middle of our bedroom with both set boxes dumped out in a big pile and he was throwing them around like a...well, like a 2 year old. Boy was I pissed! Both sets were mixed and all dinged up (not that I knew that was going to be a big deal back then)...Did I mention how pissed I was? Anyhow, from there they just got mixed in with the rest of our group collection of cards which were stored loose in a big storage trunk (with lots of dings and bends I'm sure). I'm not sure what happened to all those cards from our trunk...I figure my brother took them when he moved away....but my memory is foggy on their fate. Fast forward to 1988...I start getting the card bug again (likely due to the late 80's card explosion) so I start purchasing the Topps factory set each year and packing them away. During that same timeframe, I came to learn that my best friend had also purchased the 74' Sears set and was successful in keeping it intact. He knew that I had started collecting cards again, so at one point when he was short on cash, he offered it to me for $20. I purchased it (not really even knowing the full potential of the purchase at that time) and stored it away with my other sets from the late 80's. Fast forward again to 2001 or so (can't recall exactly) and I get the REAL card bug after seeing some things on Ebay etc. and then start purchasing all kinds of cards (vintage HOF's, 70's/80's sets, vintage lots etc. etc.). After a couple years of this and getting a little feel for what graded cards and PSA are all about, I decide to pull out that 74' set and see what might be gradable (with selling in mind). So I sit down one afternoon and start carefully pulling each card out of the set box one by one and putting them into penny sleeves and toploaders. I then pulled out nearly all of the stars and minor stars and sent them to PSA during one of their $5 specials. I think in all I sent in over 100 cards to be graded. These all returned as PSA 8's and 9's (no 10's ;( though) and a PSA 5 (missed a wrinkle on the McCovey). One thing I forgot to mention, sometime during the 90's I had read that the first and last cards in a set box will sustain the most damage (made sense to me)...so I pulled out the set at that time and moved the Hank Aaron All Time HR card from the front of the box to about 10-15 cards in to protect it. This is what makes me believe the set was in numerical order, but I cannot confirm that as I don't really remember about the rest. The Aaron #1 ended up getting an 8 (which I just recently sold). I sold many of the 9's along with quite a few raw cards (commons etc.) that I thought would get a 9 or better to Wayne (can't recall last name) who I believe is currently 4th on the 74' set registry. I just recently sold off the remaining PSA cards, but I still have the box, along with 500 or so of the remaining cards still in toploaders etc. stored away in my ever growing collection. Most of these were pretty well centered from what I recall also. Anyhow, still wish I had my original 74' set, but was glad to be able to get one later on to replace it...Forrest.

EchoCanyon · August 22, 2011 4:40AM

Don't know how/why, but I stumbled across this. A very interesting read.

CollectorAtWork · August 22, 2011 7:43AM

Definitely an interesting read. I have a 2 yr old and newborn myself, so reminds me to keep my cards away from them for a few years!

dilfer · August 23, 2011 10:54AM

It was an interesting read, considering this auction.

fmclaug11 · August 24, 2011 4:33AM

fmclaug11 · August 24, 2011 4:36AM

Nice clean looking box...wonder why he didn't slide back the top so we could at least see the cards. As I recall, they had a distinctive look kind of like a vending box. If cards were removed and put back, you would probably be able to tell.

miconelegacy · August 24, 2011 4:39AM

Feedback is concerning....

Morgoth · August 25, 2011 12:58AM

<< <i>It's a scam, read his reply:

Hi,
As I stated in the auction, I am not positive that the cards have ever been out of the box/the tray with the cards removed from the box. I do not want to possibly damage the old, fragile cardboard or disturb the cards with less than 2 days left in the auction just to get an inside picture. I can tell you that there is no damage on the outside of the box, so if you're worrying about dinged corners all I can tell you is that I highly doubt the corners are damaged.
Sorry. Thanks for your interest.
Dan >>

Translation: These cards are not the original cards from the set or they are harmed and I don't want you to see that damage.

Johnsteph10 · August 25, 2011 1:08AM

Agreed.

All Topps factory sets are sealed -- and he has said that the box is NOT sealed....and no pictures of what is inside.

For all we know, it could be some classic 1991 Topps commons.

Now, if it were sealed....I would be all over that like a monkey on a banana.

footlong · August 25, 2011 1:58AM

i don't know about the '74 set sold in dept. stores, i saw some of these at a show in detroit in the summer of '74 and i don't think they were sealed. early 80's topps traded sets weren't sealed. perhaps if someone has one of these sets they can enlighten us. thanks in advance for the help.

hammered · August 25, 2011 2:08AM

These sets were never sealed by Topps, and the price tags were stamped on the cardboard box, not on a layer of cellophane.

Cokin75 · August 25, 2011 2:20AM

This guy sold one of these last year and got good feedback on the transaction. That said, I'd never spend a thousand or so, even if the set was legit.

Johnsteph10 · August 25, 2011 2:54AM

I could have sworn they were sealed with some factory tape but definitely not celephaned. It is like how the 1983 to 1984 factory sets were sealed with just tape and then they changed in 1985 once the demand for factory sets started to increase (actually good demand in 1984 but took them a year to catch up).

1982 was through JC Penney and I am not sure about 1983, though 1984 was somewhat more widely available.

ahkmedbinladen · August 25, 2011 2:55AM

They were never sealed

waxman2745 · August 25, 2011 2:59AM

Were these factory sets wrapped in cellophane in 1974 before they were sold? Just curious, because if they were not sealed (meaning that there was no tape on the 2 ends of the box), and they weren't wrapped, then what would prevent the inside tray from sliding out of the cover when you pick the box up?

fmclaug11 · August 25, 2011 4:59AM

Only one of the ends of the outer sleeve is open...nothing to prevent it from sliding out though if held vertically other than a relatively snug fit.

fmclaug11 · August 25, 2011 5:37AM

I see now that there were (at least) 2 versions of the factory set...The one I had was 660 cards (without the traded set) and had a sleeve that slid longways into the top with one open end. This was purchased at Sears. The other version (as in the auction) has 704 cards (with traded set) and looks to have a top and bottom to the box...(maybe the JC Penney version?) Anyone know more?

Johnsteph10 · August 25, 2011 10:25PM

I also sent him a request for inside pics...his response:

Hi,
As I stated in the auction, I am not positive that the cards have ever been out of the box/the tray with the cards removed from the box. I do not want to possibly damage the old, fragile cardboard or disturb the cards with less than 2 days left in the auction just to get an inside picture. I can tell you that there is no damage on the outside of the box, so if you're worrying about dinged corners all I can tell you is that I highly doubt the corners are damaged.
Sorry. Thanks for your interest.
Dan

....exactly the same from BBG's request. ???

fmclaug11 · August 26, 2011 3:59AM

I double checked and found my box was also marked 'over 700' cards...but it looks like it's still a different box end than the one in the auction. Mine has one open end which the bottom box slides into. I'm now thinking mine may simply be missing the flaps on one end...

ShootyBabitt · August 31, 2011 12:31AM

Another auction is now going: 1974 Topps Factory Set

Buyer beware: Looking at this seller's feedback, he has tried to pass off reprints as originals in the past.

pato1516 · August 31, 2011 1:55AM

<< <i>Another auction is now going: 1974 Topps Factory Set

Buyer beware: Looking at this seller's feedback, he has tried to pass off reprints as originals in the past. >>

Either that's the same seller or the 2nd seller completely cribbed the description from the 1st.

timmysgal · February 24, 2014 2:18AM

I have that complete set (my husband's) that we are selling.

Complete, 700+ set, in box, 1974. This doesn't look like it was ever sealed. The box has some scuffs and wear on the ends, from age, but the cards appear to be never handled (or rarely, at worst). The edges seem perfect.

How does 700 sound? (Better than 1000+ I would think) Let me know.

Kristi

BriYo79 · December 13, 2019 5:02PM

Does anyone know if the red checklists cards were included in the factory sets?

I have some questions regarding the 1974 Topps factory set

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