no. 619 - 6th series checklist

Who is the man: This is the final checklist, and I still don't know who the man with the bat is, but he's been waiting an awful long time for that pitch.

Can ya dig it: Welcome to the highest of high numbers. These are the cards that collectors were ignoring because they were bored with baseball and watching football.

Right on: One more time, we're 25 cards away from reaching the first card on this checklist, which was the pattern with this set.

You see this checklist is a bad mother: Well, it features cards that are a bad mother to collect, some of the costliest cards you'll find among high numbers (outside of the '72 set and some brutal '60s sets).

Shut your mouth: As you can see by card No. 650, this was the transition phase for Dick Allen as Topps moved from calling him "Richie" to "Dick". He was referred to as "Rich" for the 1970-72 sets.

No one understands him but his woman: There are players listed on this checklist that I couldn't tell you a thing about -- not even what their card looks like. Thank goodness I'm running this blog.

(A word about the back): There you go, the final cards in the set.

no. 499 - 5th series checklist

Who is the man: Since these cards were issued in 1971, we can assume that the batter on the checklist card, whoever he is, is a Cardinal, Red, Phillie or Senator. They wore the red helmets at that time. (The White Sox switched to red caps for the 1971 season, but since '71 cards are based on the 1970 season, we can leave them out).

Can ya dig it: Once again, the checklist gives collectors a jump on the 5th series by appearing 25 cards before the 5th series even begins.

Right on: Hey, collectors! Ernie Banks, Carl Yastrzemski, Vida Blue and Harmon Killebrew are coming in the 5th series!

You this checklist is a bad mother: This checklist features the famed Lowell Palmer. That's pretty rockin'.

Shut your mouth: "N.L. Rookie Inf." The checklist is forced to Infer "Infielders."

No one understands him but his woman: I'm assuming I have that card of John Matias since I've completed the set. But I can't tell you what it looks like at all. Guess I"ll have to wait for it to turn up on the 1971 Topps blog!

(A word about the back): The card number has appeared at the top center for the third straight checklist.

no. 369 - 4th series checklist

Who is the man: I am going to assume the black mark on the cheek of the batter in this illustration is supposed to be eye black. It's pretty far from the eye though.

Can ya dig it: We've still got 25 cards left in the 3rd series, but get ready because the 4th series is coming!

Right on: Again, it had to be pretty exciting to look at this checklist and find out that players like Hank Aaron would be in the next series.

You see this checklist is a bad mother: Well, the edges are scuffed up, but otherwise there's not much bad-ass about this checklist.

Shut your mouth: Poor R. Rodriquez is the only player on the front of the checklist whose first name isn't spelled out. Poor, poor Roberto.

No one understands him but his woman: If I was a kid collecting this set, I'd be more excited by the Wes Parker card than the Hank Aaron card.

(A word about the back): The check mark for the word "check" has been consistent with every checklist so far.

no. 206 - 3rd series checklist

Who is the man: The generic guy (who I've referenced on each of the previous two checklists) reminds me of the weirdly airbrushed batter on the 1976 Topps Tom Seaver record-breaker card.

Can ya dig it: Topps is getting the collector all geared up for the third series even though we're a good 58 cards away from getting there.

Right on: Collectors still pulling second-series doubles of Gerry Moses had some pretty cool players to look forward to -- Fergie Jenkins, Tony Oliva, Bobby Bonds, Brooks Robinson. These checklists must have been a thrill. Makes me want to see six-series sets again.

You see this checklist is a bad mother: It leads off with Joe Morgan and doesn't care what you think.

Shut your mouth: Card number #317 is "Athlet." Rookies. I guess "ics" was just too much to write.

No one understands him but his woman: This checklist is diamond-cut, which was commonplace with '70s cards, but I don't know if some collectors of modern-day cards even know what it means now.

(A word about the back): The card number for each of the series checklists has bounced around. The number for the first series was in the top right corner and the number for the second series was in the bottom right. Now we have top center.

no. 161 - baseball coins checklist

Who is the man: Hmmm, another mystery man at the top of a checklist. I'm going to say it's Carl Yastrzemski. It looks only vaguely like Yastrzemski, but he's got a coin right there at No. 58, so that's good enough for me.

Can ya dig it: This is one of the most interesting cards in the set to me, and it's been that way for a long time. This is a card checklist for a coin set. It's a cross-promotional checklist! I don't know if there have been other examples of this, but this fascinated me when I first saw it.

Right on: Clarence Gaston is the first coin the set. No Rose. No Robinson. Clarence Gaston. Tremendous.

You see this checklist is a bad mother: This set seems like a mother to complete. From what I've read, one coin was included in 10-card packs. I don't know if this was for all the series in the set or just later series. But with 153 coins to collect, that's asking you to buy a lot of packs.

Shut your mouth: I've never seen one of these coins live. I own 1964 Topps coins and 1987 coins, but nothing from '71. (Here's a look at bunch of them together).

No one understands him but his woman: Maybe my opinion would be different if I was a kid collecting in 1971, but I really don't care for collector coins.

(A word about the back): Coins of Duane Josephson, Joe Hague and Jerry McNertney. That's quite an inclusive coin set.

no. 123 - 2nd series checklist

Who is the man: Again, I don't know who the man in the red helmet is. I've wondered though whether the artist based it on any particular player. Pete Rose perhaps?

Can ya dig it: The checklists in this set are different than they were beginning in the mid-1970s. Topps put two checklist cards within the first series. As you can see, the second series doesn't start until card No. 133. I referred to this in the last checklist post. And there is an explanation in the comments.

Right on: This must have been fascinating to collectors back then. Since only the first series was out, they all got a look at which players would be on cards 133-263 before the second series arrived.

You see this checklist is a bad mother: Well, there's something called "Base. Coin check list" at the top of the second column. That's rather intriguing. I don't know when the coins were released during the course of the 1971 set. It's possible the coins were already out when the first series was out, or maybe this was a complete mystery when it popped up on the checklist. Perhaps somebody who collected cards then can enlighten.

Shut your mouth: This was the last checklist that I needed for the set. You'd think it would've been the one from the short-printed portion of the set. But I did manage to get a nice pristine version.

No one understands him but his woman: Well I'm not too thrilled that the secret's out on all the cards that will be coming up next on the blog. I'd like it to be somewhat of a surprise. But you probably don't care.

(A word about the back): There you go, a whole mess more upcoming cards are out of the bag.

no. 54 - 1st series checklist

Who is the man: I don't know who the man in the red hat is, but at least you know where I got my blog header.

Can ya dig it: The checklist post is always good for getting a sneak peek at what players are coming up next. Some pretty good ones on the horizon.

Right on: The 1971 checklists are some of the greatest checklists Topps ever made. Some years the checklists are terribly ugly -- full of clashing colors and shapes. But not '71. It's too cool.

You see this checklist is a bad mother: It starts off with "World Champions." Seems pretty bad to me.

Shut your mouth: Did Topps really need to abbreviate "series" to "ser."?

No one understands him but his woman: The rookie cards on the checklist omit the "rookie stars" label that is found on each of the rookie cards. The checklist must not be impressed.

(A word about the back): It seems odd to me that the second series checklist (card No. 123) is listed in the FIRST series. But maybe Topps was giving collectors an advance look at what was coming in the second series.