pmills1210's Full Review: Topps NBA Larry Bird Magic Johnson Dr.J 1980-81 Ro...
In the 1980-81 season, Topps tried a unique approach with its basketball cards. Instead of putting one player on one standard size card (2-1/2 X 3-1/2"), Topps decided to put three players on a card of that size. In addition, Topps perforated these cards for those who wished to separate the individual strips. The set contained a total of 264 different strips. However, most people don't look for the strips - they look for the intact card panels. Topps made 176 different panels that season (177 for those who also want the the panel with Roger Phegley, James Silas, and Terry Tyler where Silas' first name is misspelled "Jams"). The right combination of 88 panels will yield all 264 strips. Every strip is combined with one or two other strips, thus making each card strip available on two separate panels.
In order to keep track of all of the panels, various sports publishers, including Beckett and Krause, list numbers for each panel. The numerical order is based on the strip on the left hand side of the front of the card, as well as the other strips necessary to complete one set of 88 panels. For example, panel #1 contains the strips of Dan Roundfield (#3), Julius (Dr.J) Erving (#181), and Ron Brewer (#258). Panel # 89 also begins with Roundfield, but the two strips to the right of Roundfield on this panel are Lloyd (World B.) Free (#218) and David Greenwood (#42). The presence of a star of the time, such as Erving, will add value to the panel.
Panel #6 has the biggest assembly of talent, though. In the middle is the scoring leader card of Erving (#174). On either side of this card were the most famous rookies of the 1979-80 season, both of whom were making their rookie card appearances. One would help lead his team to a title as a rookie. The other would be a key to his team's title the following year. Their famous, but friendly, rivalry on the hardwood would provide some of the best moments in the NBA during the eighties. Their teams would meet in the NBA Finals four times in a span of six years, with each team taking two titles. From 1980-88, one of their teams would win every NBA title every year except for the 1982-83 season, when Dr. J would help make the Philadelphia 76ers champs. The careers of all three men have been rewarded with enshrinement in the Basketball Hall Of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. By now, you may have guessed that the players who share a panel with Erving are Larry Bird (#34) and Earvin (Magic) Johnson (#139).
The opinions on the Topps approach that season will always be mixed. On one hand, the company created a panel featuring three of the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team players. On the other hand, Topps denied Bird, Johnson, and every other player a full-sized card of their own. This panel, currently valued at $300 by Beckett, is a mixed blessing for me. Had each of these cards been full-sized, I don't believe they would carry a collective value equal to the panel. While I believe that there is a place for inclusion of more than one player on one card, I don't think it's appropriate for players such as Bird, Johnson, and Erving. Even as rookies, Bird and Johnson proved themselves in a big way. Johnson played every position on the court as he averaged 18 points per game. In his final game that year, Magic filled in for an ailing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center and helped seal an NBA title for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird averaged over 24 points per contest, and the Boston Celtics forward won Rookie Of The Year honors over Johnson.
Part of the reason Topps tried a different approach was an attempt to bolster sagging card sales. Sales, though, continued to sag, for after Topps made a set filled with standard-sized photos the following year, they didn't make another basketball set for eleven years. There was never a problem with the look of the Topps cards - they were always simply and handsomely designed, with white borders. Even though the player photos are only about two square inches, each athlete can be clearly identified. However, the dark lighting and small photo size makes dark hair blend into the background. Each portion of the card has some sort of stats on the back. The previous season's stats, personal information, and a cartoon grace the backs of the Bird and Johnson cards. The back of Erving's card includes a list of the top 10 scorers in 76ers history (At the time, Erving was ranked in tenth place).
While these cards were not very popular at their initial release, card collectors have come to appreciate the value and novelty of the Bird/Erving/Johnson panel, and the good fortune that these Hall Of Famers were included on one panel. My good fortune with this card is that I was able to make a deal with a fellow collector to get mine (He got a lot of fine cards in return). The three-card panels have become a part of cardmaking history that has achieved a cult status among companies and some collectors. Several years ago, Upper Deck created a series of basketball cards patterned after the 1980-81 Topps release, and even included perforations. During the 2002-03 season, Fleer's Tradition set included thirty three-player cards, featuring a number of rookies who made NBA rosters. The Bird/Erving/Johnson panel was made before the present era of mass production, and so its success will never be duplicated. While this card may not be the same as other basketball cards, it is one of the more valuable cards of NBA history. It's a collectible of three men who made an era of basketball special. Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson were true champions of their sport, and this card is a fine memento of that time.
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This ToppsŪ Basketball card features replica Rookie Cards of 3 basketball greats: Larry Bird #34 in the 1980-81 set, Magic Johnson #174 in the 1980-8...More at Amazon Marketplace
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