1978 was a transitional year for Topps baseball cards as the company shifted from their classic design of the previous decade to a slightly more modernized look. The 1978 set featured players and managers from both the American and National League. Some of the biggest stars featured included Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, and Steve Garvey.
The standard base cards for the 1978 Topps set featured a zoomed in headshot photo of the player on the left with their name and team name appearing above in blue text. The team logo was displayed on the right side above statistics from the previous season. No foil was used on the borders or lettering like in some previous years. The cards had a classic circular design on the front with Topps logo appearing at the bottom center.
On the backs, stats from the previous few seasons were provided along with a brief career recap. The design featured a blue and white border with team colors used as accent colors. Topps copyright information was displayed at the bottom along with the standard “See Important Information Below” callout. Condition is always a key factor when determining the price of vintage cards. Here are the average prices for various grades of 1978 Topps cards:
Near Mint (NM) to Mint condition (MT) – $1 to $5 range for most common base cards. Stars can reach $10-20.
Excellent (EX) – $0.50 to $3 range. Better known stars may attain $5-10.
Very Good (VG) – $0.25 to $2. Commons around $0.50. Stars up to $5.
Good (G) – $0.10 to $1. Commons around $0.25. Stars $2-4.
Poor (PR) – Most common cards $0.05 to $0.50. Occasionally stars reach $1-2.
Rookies and stars from the 1978 set that command higher prices across all conditions include Don Mattingly (556), Eddie Murray (602), Rickey Henderson (595), Mike Schmidt (620), Nolan Ryan (701), Carlton Fisk (669), and Ron Guidry (711). The flagship stars like Reggie Jackson, Steve Garvey, and Pete Rose also hold strong secondary market value.
In top-graded Gem Mint (GM) 10 condition, select 1978 Topps rookie cards have reached over $1,000 at auction in recent years. Don Mattingly’s rookie has consistently topped $1,000+ in true PSA/BGS 10. Eddie Murray and Mike Schmidt rookie gems often sell in the $800-1,000 range as well. Even stars George Brett and Bert Blyleven, who had been established big leaguers by 1978, command $300-500+ in pristine GM 10 condition.
Error cards, variations, and unique serial number cards stand out as higher value options beyond base issue. A 1976 Topps Traded error card of Yankee catcher Thurman Munson with an oversized logo on his jersey sold for over $6,000 in January 2022. Several oddball variations with color anomalies or missing elements exist that are highly sought after by advanced collectors as well.
The 1978 Topps design is considered one of the more aesthetically pleasing vintage issues. They are not quite as valuable or collectible overall compared to the late 1960s/early 1970s golden era issues which pre-dated the shift into more modern photography standards. Still, it remains an affordable and readily available set for collectors pursuing mid-20th century baseball cards or following the careers of all-time great players. With patience, a complete 1978 Topps base set can be acquired for a reasonable cost such as $100-200 across mixed condition.
While 1978 Topps cards lack the lofty heritage appeal of the true vintage 1960s baseball cards, they remain an iconic set representing a transition period before the exploding memorabilia market of the 1980s took off. With affordable prices across most of the 600+ base cards even in high grades, they provide a fun and accessible collecting experience for fans of 1970s baseball history. Key rookies and stars will always bring strong additional value when available in pristine Near Mint to Mint editions as the vintage baseball card market maintains long-term stability.
