1971 Bazooka Bench/Carty/Harper Uncut Panel

Updated September 8, 2026

1971 Bazooka No Number Johnny Bench/Rico Carty/Tommy Harper Hand Cut - Panel MLB Baseball Trading Cards (Uncut). A wonderfully preserved piece of vintage baseball card history featuring three accomplished Major League stars together in their original connected format. Produced as part of Bazooka bubble gum packaging, these cards were never distributed in conventional wax packs like their Topps counterparts, but instead appeared directly on Bazooka boxes with dotted guidelines inviting young collectors to cut the individual cards from the packaging by hand. Surviving examples are therefore frequently encountered as individually hand cut cards, while intact multi card panels such as this offer collectors the opportunity to experience the issue much closer to the way it originally appeared more than half a century ago. Headlining the trio is Johnny Bench, the legendary Cincinnati Reds catcher and cornerstone of the Big Red Machine who had just captured the 1970 National League MVP Award and would ultimately become a two time MVP, 14 time All Star, two time World Series champion and first ballot Baseball Hall of Famer. He is joined by Rico Carty, the Atlanta Braves standout who captured the 1970 National League batting championship with a remarkable .366 average, and Tommy Harper, the speedy Milwaukee Brewers star who led the American League with 37 stolen bases in 1969 and became the first player in Brewers history to record a 30 home run, 30 stolen base season in 1970. The panel retains its wonderfully distinctive vintage Bazooka presentation, including the dotted cutting lines surrounding each player and the colorful photography and red nameplates characteristic of the issue. As visible in the accompanying photographs, the outer packaging edges exhibit substantial irregularity, wear and evidence of its original removal, all of which remain plainly presented as part of the piece's surviving condition and history. Combining an unconventional food issue format, three notable Major League players, an intact connected presentation and the unmistakable centerpiece presence of Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, this 1971 Bazooka panel is a terrific display piece and an appealing addition to any advanced vintage baseball card, Cincinnati Reds, Bazooka or Johnny Bench collection.

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