The 1970 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic issues in the hobby’s history. Following Major League Baseball’s decision to allow players to have their names and likenesses appear on commercial products in the late 1960s, the 1970 Topps set was the first to feature contemporary team photos on the fronts of cards as well as Topps’ iconic “headshots” on the backs. Combined with the immense popularity of the sport at the time, these factors helped propel the 1970 Topps set to legendary status among collectors.

Nearly 50 years later, high grade 1970 Topps cards authenticated and graded by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) command substantial premiums in the marketplace. Let’s take a deeper look at PSA’s price guide data for key 1970 Topps rookie and star player cards to better understand today’s valuations.

Perhaps the most coveted card in the set is the rookie of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver of the New York Mets. Seaver went on to win 311 career games and claim three Cy Young Awards, cementing his status as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. In PSA Gem Mint 10 condition, Seaver’s formidable rookie fetches an average price of $19,000 according to PSA’s database, with recent auction results even exceeding $30,000. High grades of other key rookies like Johnny Bench, Billy Williams, Nolan Ryan, and Thurman Munson also routinely sell for five figures.

Star players with lengthy careers like Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson also boast expensive PSA 10 prices. Aaron’s 1970 tops out around $6,000 while Jackson’s lifts the average to $4,500. Even well-known players with relatively brief careers such as Dodger pitcher Andy Messersmith command four-figure values in top grades.

Two particularly noteworthy subsets within the 1970 set are the Brooklyn Dodger greats and milestone cards. PSA 10 examples of Dodgers like Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and Gil Hodges range from $2,000 to $4,000 each given their historic significance in Dodgers franchise lore. Milestone cards celebrating career achievements also hold substantial appeal – Carl Yastrzemski’s 300th home run and Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit cards average around $3,000 in pristine condition.

While rookie cards and star players dominate top price points, there is value spread throughout the entire 1970 Topps set in high grades. Commons including backups, bench players, and middle relievers routinely sell for hundreds of dollars in PSA 10. Even relatively unknown rookies fetch upwards of $500 if they received an exemplary mint grade from PSA.

Of course, condition is absolutely vital when considering values of 1970 Topps cards. As grades slip from Mint to lower Near Mint levels, prices tend to plummet dramatically. For example, a PSA 8 Seaver or Bench rookie would be worth barely 20% of a PSA 10 copy.

There is no question 1970 Topps cards have solidified their place among the most prized issues in the entire sport collecting landscape. Their historical significance being the first to feature players’ headshots combined with the unprecedented popularity of baseball at the time laid the groundwork for the popularity we continue to see in the collecting market decades later. Whether pursuing rookie stars, franchise greats, or simply high-grade examples across the set, 1970 Topps remains a cornerstone of the modern card collecting hobby – supported at the highest levels by consistent PSA prices.