(03-25-2018, 11:55 AM)zeprock Wrote: But that wouldn't explain why the cards say "Houston" instead of "Astros" on them. All the other cards have the team name. even the 1967 cards say Astros.<IMG SRC="https://www.beckett.com/forums/images/smilies/huh.gif">
Found this explanation online:
In 1968 Topps stopped using the name "Astros", instead using the team name of "Houston", and did not show the Astros hats or uniforms. The cards used headshots with blacked out or missing hats. In 1969 they followed the same pattern until the fifth series, when the uniforms were suddenly shown again. In 1970, things were finally corrected, and the name "Astros" was back.
The unconfirmed story is that the Astros and Monsanto (the maker of AstroTurf) had a dispute over the use of the name, and Topps either chose or was compelled to stay out of it. The Astros had very attractive uniforms in those days, but they were largely unseen by the kids of 1968 and 1969.
https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com...6-conflict
That's a very good explanation! A small company like Topps didn't want to get into a copyright lawsuit against the giant Monsanto corporation. Perfectly logical and understandable.
![[Image: Ch4Mt.png]](http://i.imgur.com/Ch4Mt.png)
I guess if I saved used tinfoil and used tea bags instead of old comic books and old baseball cards, the difference between a crazed hoarder and a savvy collector is in that inherent value.