Lot # 1963: 1975 to 1979 Hostess and Hostess Twinkies Complete and Near-Complete Set Collection (9 Sets, 1,077 Cards)

Presented is a substantial collection of seven complete and one two near-complete Hostess and Hostess Twinkies sets (plus duplicates and extras) consisting of 1,165 cards in total. From 1975 to 1979, Hostess issued these landmark sets of 150 cards on the bottom of boxes of Hostess snack-cake products. The set was sensationally successful, and collectors all over the country were seen stocking up on Hostess products. This collection consists of the following: 1) 1975 Hostess Complete Set (150): Condition is 30% Nr/Mt or better, 35% Ex to Ex-Mt (including some Ex due to box indentations near bottom edge), 26% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 9% lesser. Keys: #29 Rose (Nr/Mt), 58 Ryan (Vg), 80 Yount (Vg/Vg-Ex), 83 Bench (Nr/Mt), 130 Aaron (Ex), and 133 Schmidt (Ex). 2) 1975 Hostess Twinkies Complete Set (60): All cards are cut generously outside the dotted lines on three sides, with no dotted lines visible on the left edges. The condition of the set ranges from Gd to Vg overall (including a few Vg-Ex), with varying levels of product staining visible on each card. Keys: #29 Rose (Vg), 58 Ryan (Vg), 80 Yount (Vg-Ex), and 130 Aaron (Vg). 3) 1975 Hostess Twinkies Near-Complete Set (59/60): Missing only #33 Lum for completion. This near set consists of a mix of cards issued with product (these have the high levels of staining normal for those issued with Twinkies, and have been downgraded according to the severity) and unused cards cut generously outside the dotted lines. Condition is 34% ranging from Ex-Mt to Nr/Mt-Mt (averaging Nr/Mt), 6% ranging from Vg to Ex, and 60% lesser (mostly due to heavy staining). Keys: #29 Rose (Fr due to heavy staining), 58 Ryan (Fr due to heavy staining), 80 Yount (Pr), and 130 Aaron (Gd due to staining). 4) 1976 Hostess Complete Set (150) Plus Four Back Variations: Condition is 14% Nr/Mt or better, 34% Ex to Ex-Mt, 40% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 12% lesser (including a few due to very small pencil marks on the reverse). Keys: #11 Yount (Vg), 22 Bench (Vg), 66 Rose (Vg-Ex), 79 Ryan (Vg-Ex), 84 Schmidt (Gd+), 94 Aaron (Vg), 114 Brett (Vg-Ex+), and 137 Eckersley (Vg). A 1976 Hostess Twinkies example of #54 George Scott stands in replacement of the regular Hostess version. Included are four back variations of #148 Dave May and 150 Cesar Geronimo: Two with backs showing product designs normally found on the outside of a box, and two with both product designs and player statistics. 5) 1976 Hostess Twinkies Complete Set (60) Plus 37 Duplicates: The set consists of cards cut well outside the dotted lines. The duplicates consist of cards cut near the dotted lines. The condition of the set ranges from Gd to Vg-Ex (averaging Vg), with a couple lesser. Most condition issues lie outside the dotted lines of the cards and the cards display varying levels of product staining. Keys: #11 Yount (Vg), 22 Bench (Vg+), and 35 Seaver (Vg). The condition of the duplicates (highlighted by Bench, Yount, Brock, Carew, B. Robinson, and Palmer) is Gd to Vg overall, with a couple lesser. 6) 1977 Hostess Complete Set (150): Condition is 15% Nr/Mt or better, 34% Ex to Ex-Mt, 39% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 12% lesser (including a few due to very small pencil marks on the reverse). Keys: #6 Bench (Ex+), 8 Rose (Vg-Ex), 34 Yount (Ex+), 36 Brett (Gd due to staining), 46 Fidrych (Ex-Mt), 81 Ryan (Ex+), and 106 Eckersley (Ex-Mt). 7) 1977 Hostess Twinkies Complete Set (150) Plus 47 Duplicates: The 1977 series is the largest, most complex, and most difficult to complete of the three Hostess Twinkies sets issued from 1975 to 1977. Some of these single-panel cards (#31-135) were actually issued with Hostess Cupcakes and are easily identifiable by smaller print on the reverse. Condition ranges from Gd to Vg-Ex overall (averaging Vg), with a few lesser. Keys: #8 Rose (Vg), 34 Yount (Ex), 36 Brett (Vg-Ex), 46 Fidrych (Vg), 81 Ryan (Vg), and 106 Eckersley (100/0 L/R, otherwise Vg-Ex)). The duplicates (which include two Brocks, Carew, Carter, Jackson, Munson, Schmidt, Seaver, Winfield, Yaz, and Yount) consist of a mix of the various types mentioned above, with some identifiable as Twinkies versions only by product staining. Condition of the duplicates is 45% Vg or slightly better and 55% lesser (mostly Fr to Gd). 8) 1978 Hostess Near-Complete Set (148/150): Missing the following two cards for completion: #29 and 149 Seaver. Condition is 20% Ex-Mt to Nr/Mt, 64% ranging from Vg to Ex (averaging Vg-Ex), and 16% lesser (mostly due to very small pencil marks on the reverse). Keys: #27 Brett (Pr-Fr due to pinhole), 31 Murray (Vg-Ex), 44 Bench (Ex-Mt), 83 Ryan (Ex-Mt), and 128 Rose (Pr due to back damage). 9) 1979 Hostess Complete Set (150): Condition is 20% Ex-Mt to Nr/Mt, 70% ranging from Vg to Ex (averaging Vg-Ex), and 10% lesser. Keys: #68 Brett (Ex), 101 Ryan (Vg-Ex), 102 Smith (Ex), 115 Murray (Vg+), and 144 Rose (Ex-Mt). This is an extremely attractive and sizable collection of these unusual, scarce, and underrated Hostess package-design cards. Total: 1,165 cards. The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot.