The 1977 O-Pee-Chee baseball card set was issued during a time of transition in the world of baseball cards. For years, the Topps company had dominated the baseball card market in both the United States and Canada. In 1977 their competitor O-Pee-Chee was able to gain more prominence.
Some key things to know about the 1977 O-Pee-Chee set include:
Design – The 1977 O-Pee-Chee cards had a very similar design to Topps cards from that same year. The photos were in color on a white background. There was a yellow banner at the bottom with the player’s name, team, and position. Stats were listed on the back.
Size – The cards were standard 2.5 x 3.5 inches, which was the size that had been consistently used by Topps since 1957. This allowed them to better compete on store shelves with Topps products.
Photo Variations – In some cases, O-Pee-Chee was able to use different action photos of players than what was on the Topps cards. This added some uniqueness to their set compared to the dominant Topps brand.
Numbers – The set included 792 cards in the base issue. Card numbers ranged from 1 to 792. The design included a large number printed low and right-justified on the front of each card, helping with organization.
Rookies – Notable rookie cards included Andre Dawson, Phil Niekro, Bob Horner, Tim Raines, and Dave Stieb. These players would go on to have excellent careers in MLB. Raines in particular holds strong value today as one of the top base rookies from the set.
Superstar Photographs – Players like Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Rod Carew, and Nolan Ryan all appeared in their team uniforms on cards with great action photography that highlighted them as the superstars they were. Brett’s card shows him swinging and connecting with a pitch.
As for the history behind O-Pee-Chee’s 1977 issue, it came at an important transitional time for the company. After years of basically repackaging the Topps design and photographs for the Canadian market, they were making a bigger push for more of their own distinctive features:
Earlier Issues – Prior O-Pee-Chee sets in the 1960s and 1970s largely just reproduced the same photos Topps used, with only a logo change. Card designs, numbering, and even back copy were near carbon copies of Topps.
Gaining Independence – In the mid-1970s, O-Pee-Chee started asserting more independence from Topps through selective photo changes and their own unique numbering schemes. 1977 saw them take even more strides as their own independent brand.
Competition – The increased differentiation from Topps was a maneuver to better compete on sporting goods store shelves, which had historically been Topps stronghold even in Canada. More distinctiveness could draw collectors to O-Pee-Chee over Topps.
Rights Issues – There were ongoing negotiations between the two companies regarding photo and design rights. O-Pee-Chee wanted more flexibility to use photos not featured in the Topps sets without legal issues.
Success of the Model – By making their 1977 set visually competitive with Topps through similarities in size, photo style, and production quality, while also adding unique photos, O-Pee-Chee was able to invest collectors and slow Topps’ market dominance in their home country.
Some other notable aspects of the well-produced 1977 O-Pee-Chee baseball card set:
Glossy, high-quality stock was used similar to Topps, resulting in cards that have held up very well over the past 45+ years since issuance.
There were no true “errors” or variations in the base set, unlike some quirks that show up in Topps issues. There are print runs with slight photo differences.
The O-Pee-Chee logo is prominently featured on the colorful graphical banners below each photo, solidifying the brand identity.
Overtime, the set has become highly regarded by both Canadian and American collectors. Prices have risen in recent decades for key rookie and star player cards from the design-driven 1977 offering.
The 1977 O-Pee-Chee baseball card set was a landmark effort by the Canadian company to greatly distinquish itself from Topps after years of derivative repackaging. Through a competitive modern design, plus some unique action photos, O-Pee-Chee was able to solidify its presence and independence in the baseball card market. The high production standards also ensured the plastic-coated cardboard cards would withstand the test of time for collectors. The set remains revered over 45 years later for its memorable rookie player debuts and sharp, colorful photography of the 1970s MLB stars.
