1971 Topps Harmon Killebrew

Today I'll show another vintage card in my collection, but will move away from it featuring a Baltimore Oriole. When I got back into collecting, I decided I wanted to build the 71' Topps set. I have a weakness for the well designed black bordered cards in the set. I started out by purchasing cheap lots on eBay and picking up singles at card shows. As of this post I have about one third of the set, but these cards are mostly low series commons. I am lacking all the high dollar stars and of course the short printed high numbers.



At the last show I attended I was able to find some semi stars and high numbers in the vintage quarter box, including this Harmon Killebrew. Likely taken during the Twins Spring Training, Harmon was coming off his 41 home run and 113 RBI campaign in 1970. The back of the card states he has hit 40 or more home runs eight times in his career and at the time the card was issued, he ranked eleventh on the all-time home run list.

The 1971 issue was the first regular set to incorporate photos on the backs of it's cards. It has been recently noted by Chris Stufflestreet at the Vintage Sportscards Blog (if you have not checked out his blog, it is well worth the time) that the use of photos on the backs of cards was first used by Topps in a small supplemental set that was issued in 1964 called Topps Giants. I don't have any of these cards in my collection but the backs featured black and white photos with biographical information presented in a newspaper format.

This card is obviously not in mint condition, but besides the severe corner wear and some chipping on the edges, is not in too bad a shape. And since it only cost a quarter, I can afford to upgrade if I find a copy in better condition. For now this card fills a space in my set and I can happily scratch at least one high number off my want list.