The 1981 Topps baseball card set featured an unconventional card size of approximately 5×7 inches, much larger than the standard 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch size Topps cards were known for at the time. The larger size was meant to capitalize on the popularity of baseball memorabilia collecting and attract new collectors, especially young fans. The experiment proved unpopular with collectors accustomed to the traditional size and failed to catch on long term.
Topps released their usual 792 card standard size set as well but took a risk by also producing the 5×7 sized set. The larger cards allowed for more visual elements compared to the traditional smaller size. Each featured a full body photo of the player along with more biographical stats and highlighted career moments. Specific design elements also incorporated team logos and colors more prominently throughout the borders and backs.
While the photos and additional statistical information were appreciated by some, collectors were put off by the unusual non-standard size which did not fit in traditional card sheets, boxes, or albums along with the rest of their collections. The larger size also made the cards more prone to damage compared to the thinner and more durable traditional size. Many felt it detracted from the nostalgic appeal of collecting familiar sized cards from their childhood.
At the time, the larger experimental cards retailed for $1 per pack compared to 75 cents for the standard size packs. They did not sell as well as Topps had hoped and the experiment was not repeated in subsequent years. While produced in smaller numbers and more scarce given their one year run compared to the standard size issue, the 1981 Topps large size cards never achieved the same level of interest or value as other notable oddball sized issues over the years. They remain among the least desirable Topps sets for completionists.
Some key details about the 1981 Topps 5×7 baseball card set include:
The set included all 28 Major League teams from 1980 with player photos, stats and career highlights on the front and full color team logo and fun fact on the back.
The photo size was approximately 3 1/4 x 5 inches allowing for larger headshots compared to compact images on small standard cards.
Design elements like borders, fonts and logos all prominently featured team colors specific to each player’s club.
Roster included all notable players of the era like Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, and George Brett along with rookie cards.
Produced in much lower quantities compared to the standard sized issue, estimates range between 2-5 million sets issued.
Failed to catch on due to discomfort with non-standard size that did not integrate with existing collections at the time.
Preferred by some for the increased statistical details and photographic elements but larger dimensions made them more delicate.
Original packs sold for $1 each compared to 75 cent packs for standard sized cards.
Scarcer due to one year only production but interest and collecting demand has never matched desirability of contemporary standard sized sets.
Raw commons in circulated/played condition can be acquired for 25 cents to $1 but there is little premium over standard sized issue even for stars in the same condition.
Top graded Near Mint examples of star rookies or commons fetch $5-15 while raw ungraded copies sell for $1-5 depending on player/team popularity.
Complete sets are very difficult to assemble and grade due to the low production numbers. Scarce GEM MT-MT 10 examples have reached $500-1000 at auction.
While an ambitious attempt, the 5×7 sized 1981 Topps baseball cards ultimately failed to catch on with the collecting community and remain one of the lesser desirable oddball issues produced over the years. Their large non-standard size, lower print runs compared to the concurrent standard issue, and lack of nostalgic charm integrating with existing vintage collections all worked against them finding a long term following among card collectors. They remain best known as a noteworthy oddity produced in Topps’ history.
The 1982 Topps set reverted back to the familiar standard size of cards and dimensions collectors had come to prefer. While innovative variations like the 1981 large cards are part of what has made the Topps brand iconic over the decades, this experiment demonstrated the appetite among core collectors remains for the tried and true original specifications they fell in love with as children rather than continual drastic modifications. The 1981 large size Topps cards stand out as an outlier within the venerable brands long and storied baseball card history spanning generations of fans.
