The 1970 Topps Super baseball card set was one of the most innovative issues of its time and represented Topps taking design and quality to an entirely new level for the brand. With its thick, glossy stock and focus on action photography, the 1970 set helped launch the baseball card collecting craze of the 1970s.
Topps had been the dominant baseball card manufacturer since the 1950s, producing fairly standard size and stock issues each year. In the late 1960s they saw competitors like Fleer emerging and gaining market share with more modern looking designs. For 1970, Topps wanted to raise the bar significantly and create a true “super” set that would wow collectors.
The 1970 Topps cards featured larger dimensions than previous issues, checking in at 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. It was the card stock that was most noticeable – each card had incredibly thick, high gloss stock that gave them a true premium feel in the hands. The stock was roughly twice as thick as a normal baseball card of the time. This superb quality helped the cards withstand handling far better than thinner stock issues.
On the design front, Topps focused heavily on action photography. Nearly every card showed a player in the midst of some key baseball moment like swinging, throwing or fielding. Creative crop angles and closeups were used to make the action really pop. Bright, vivid colors were also utilized to make the images stand out boldly against the dark gray borders.
Player names ran vertically down one side of the image rather than across the bottom. The team name was placed atop the image in a stylized banner shape. Statistics were kept to a bare minimum – only the uniform number and batting or pitching stats were listed on the reverse. This minimalist approach let the photographs take center stage on each card as the true showcase.
Some other notable inclusions on the 1970 Topps design were the addition of gold colored team logo patches below the team name banner. These helped tie each player stylistically to their club. Serial numbers were also now printed directly on the image rather than along one edge as in prior years.
When the 1970 Topps Super baseball cards hit the hobby world, they were an instant sensation. Collectors were awestruck by the immense upgrades in size, stock, photography and design. The cards had a true premium luxury feel that collectors had never experienced before from a mainstream baseball card manufacturer. Almost overnight, the 1970 Topps issue became the most desirable modern set on the market at the time.
Though only 660 cards were produced versus the usual 669 player count due to roster shortages late in the season, demand was ferocious. The cards sold out within months at stores and had to be rationed strictly to prevent hoarding by distributors. In the ensuing years, 1970 Topps became one of the iconic sets that helped jumpstart the robust collecting boom of the 1970s.
Today, 1970 Topps Super holds legendary status as one of the most important and innovative baseball card sets ever made. Raw common cards still command higher prices than comparable condition issues of other modern vintage years due to the upgraded design, photography and premium feel. High grade rookie and star cards from the set regularly break auction records and are among the most sought additions to elite collections.
While supplies are limited compared to prior decades’ output, the 1970 Topps cards still provide insight into one of the true golden eras of the sport through its incredible snapshots of legendary players like Aaron, Clemente, Mays, Killebrew and more. Their supersized format, vivid hues and high-gloss finishes helped usher American sports card manufacturing into the modern photographic era of the 1970s. Half a century later, the 1970 Topps Super set remains a true visual landmark revered by all cardboard cognoscenti.
The 1970 Topps Super baseball card set represented a quantum leap forward in design, quality and collector demand at the time of its release. By showcasing action photography on thick, premium card stock, it helped popularize the collecting hobby through its dynamic visual presentation of legendary players from the era. Topps’ innovation with the 1970 issue cemented it as the sports card manufacturer of record and the supersized cards have since become one of the most cherished releases in the entire hobby.
