Baseball Card's First Parallel - 1975 Topps Mini

1975 Topps Mini Wax Pack

Starting in 1951 Topps began making baseball cards for the mainstream collectors, and almost every year till 1975 they also experimented with many odd-ball or insert type sets.  In 1992, Leaf baseball cards began making black parallels of their base cards, which many see as the first true parallel card.

Since 1992, it has become a custom thing that card companies make limited parallel sets to their base cards.  Some newer collectors may not know this, but it was Topps in 1975 that experimented with this new thought of parallels.  Though there is a big difference between now and then, today parallels are inserted in random packs with the base cards.  For example, Topps would put a Gold numbered card inserted 1:8 packs.  In the 1992 Leaf issue, there was one black parallel per pack.  In 1975 you wouldn't find the parallel mini cards within a 1975 Topps pack, instead they created mini packs.  The mini cards were a bit smaller than the originals but they had the same photos and colors.

The 1975 Topps Mini set is a very popular set for many vintage collectors because it is a little more affordable than the 1975 Topps set.  Plus, it gives another key rookie card for two Hall of Fame players, Robin Yount, and George Brett.  Topps for the first time printed in equal 132 card sheets, so these sets had no short print or double print cards.  Baseball card vending machines were also popular in the 1970s, and the 1975 Topps Mini cards were sometimes found in them.  Regular sized Topps cards measured 2 1/2 x 3 1/2, while the Topps Mini's measured 2 1/4 " x 3 1/8.  

This set is a perfect affordable set for those collectors just starting out trying to build a vintage set.  Typically you could find key player cards about 25-50% below what the same card is full sized.  If you are looking for an affordable Yount or Brett rookie, this is your set!  

I only have 16 total 1975 Topps Mini cards, so if anyone has some doubles think of me in any trades!