Outside of 1975 Topps, 1977 Topps is the set that elicits the most memories for me, underlines what a different time it was and makes me want to go back to sixth grade. The '77 set doesn't get a lot of love in the hobby but that's because not enough collectors had a sixth grade like mine . The 1977 Topps was at the center of just about everything we did that year and because of that set, I still remember Mario, David, Jeff, Nancy, Gina and Tanya. They all collected along with me, most of them right there in class. This is why I've looked forward to Heritage covering the sets of the mid-to-late 1970s for so long. Those are the sets I grew up with and kicked off my devotion to collecting. But it's also exactly the time when Heritage pulled away from what it has been since it's beginning in 2002, a set-collector's set, and the last surviving one besides flagship. Still I pressed forward because of how much I love those '70s sets and designs. I was...
I went out to get some groceries for making dinner yesterday and popped over to Target for a couple of extras, so let's zip down to the card aisle, too. It was filled with baseball product. Just about everything really, in multiple forms. Too bad I can't get into much of it. But for old-time's sake, I picked up a rack pack of two sets that I used to love. Man, I really did love Stadium Club. And I really, really loved Heritage. But the falling out with Stadium Club has been a slow departure over the years. Heritage is more of an abrupt break. Topps/Fanatics is blatantly trying to turn Heritage into something else -- something I don't want to collect. I think both deserve their own post to explain the falling apart. But quickly I wanted to mention the price for each of these. They were both $6.99. That means the Stadium Club cards -- the cards that for more than 15 years were always among the most expensive to buy as far as retail product -- are now a r...