Until I received the checklist I'm using to collect my Colts project cards I had no idea that Topps had issued a parallel football card set in Mexico in 1977. Or if I did know at some point I had forgotten about it completely.
The cards are more expensive than the standard Topps English language cards. I picked up a near complete U.S. issued 1977 Colts team set for $5. That's a dollar less than I paid for this one Howard Stevens card from the Mexican set. Because I'm trying to keep my project costs down I've decided for now that I am not going to pursue these beyond this one example. At some point in the future I may go after this and some of the other insert and minor sets that were issued for the Colts during their time in Charm City.
Based on the Stevens cards there are just a couple of differences in the two issues beyond the obvious language change. The Mexican cards are printed on much thinner stock than the U.S. set. I'd call it 'business card' stock. And the Mexican cards were printed in sheets but cut in a different way than we are used to seeing. They have the little 'perforation' marks or bumps along all four sides. You can see them a bit better on this blow-up of the top edge of the card. I don't know for sure but I'd suppose the cards printed aorund the edges of the sheet would not have these.
The back of the Mexican card is a direct parallel version of the U.S. card:
As is the front. Here they are side by side:
And the two backs are here look to be different color stock but that's because I don't have the U.S. version of the Stevens scanned and this is an internet image on the right. The Mexican card actually shows the exact same colors as the regular ones I have in hand.
Take a look at the wrappers. These are eBay pix. The cards apparently came two to a pack.
And for you Star Wars geeks there is this:
Wow had never heard of these, very cool (both the football and Star Wars).
ReplyDeleteI have a similar card in my Steelers collection... Roy Gerela of the "Acereros". I'm going to leave my Steeler collection at just the one card, but I would like to go back and get some of the more colorful team name translations... Gigantes, Petroleros, Jefes...
ReplyDeleteWhich leads me to one thing that bothers me about the Colts in this set: Why are they listed as "Colts"? It's not like there's not a Spanish word for "Colt". It's "Potro"! Heck, they even use it on the back of the card: "Ingreso con los Potros en 1976..."
The other thing that bothers me is why I knew that "potro" is the Spanish word for "colt". I shouldn't complain, it's probably one of the few Spanish words I know that's suitable for polite company.
One last thing: This is a actually the second time I've commented on this post. Blogger ate the first attempt. I only mention this in case Blogger decides to spit the first one out.
The Steve Largent is the white whale I'll never even bother to chase. Glad to see you've added at least one to your collection.
ReplyDeleteCost of that baby is nuts. Saw one for minimum bid of $300, BIN of $400 and they go up (way up) from there. Keep buying those powerball tix.
DeleteAnd to think that I just dropped a little under that in Vegas last week. I was talking to my brother and we realized for that kind of money, I could have put a nice deposit down on a PS4. Now I realize I could have put a nice deposit down on one of my white whales. I'm starting to think that slot machines are evil ;)
DeleteNice find. I will have to search one out for my collection
ReplyDelete