1969-70 Topps Rulers Basketball Cards

Product Details

1969-70 Topps Rulers Basketball are some of the quirkiest cards you'll likely ever encounter.

Size, color and cartoon images make it unique. And the paper stock used to make them has made them relatively tough to find.

1969-70 Topps Rulers Basketball Insert Set Details

The Rulers were an insert 1969-70 Topps Basketball, landing one per pack. Due to their size, they were folded three times to fit them into the packs. Fully expanded, they measure 2 1/2 by 9 7/8".

Although the 1969-70 Topps Rulers Basketball checklist goes up to number 24, there are only 23 cards in the set. Top players include Lew Alcindor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. Card #5 was slated to be Bill Russell. However, he retired and the card was canceled.

What's instantly noticeable about the inserts is the caricatures of the featured players. They're very different from the usual photos usually used on cards. If you go back to when images were painted, those took a more lifelike approach. If the NBA wanted to make a cartoon back in the day, these are the sorts of designs you might expect. They're both bright and fun, something that's backed up with the background colors.

The player's name and team are noted in an oval that overlaps the image. The ruler also marks the height. 1969-70 Topps Rulers are blank on the back. Because the inserts are printed on thin paper, they can be increasingly brittle.

1969-70 Topps Rulers are somewhat overlooked today. Their non-traditional size may be a turnoff to some. And while not readily available, they can be tracked down with a little work and at reasonable prices given their age.