The 1970s was a transformative era for baseball cards. Throughout the 1970s, baseball card manufacturers moved away from predominantly selling their packs at gum counters and candy stores and began direct marketing to collectors. This created a boom in interest and helped popularize collecting as a hobby. As collecting grew in popularity, so too did the demand for the rarest and most iconic cards from the era. Here are some of the most valuable and sought-after 1970s baseball cards that still enthral collectors to this day.
1972 Topps Roberto Clemente (#107) – Roberto Clemente was an icon both on and off the field. His tragic death in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua only added to his legend. His final issued baseball card from 1972 Topps has become one of the most valuable cards of not only the 1970s, but all-time. PSA 10 Gem Mint examples of this card have sold for over $100,000, making it by far the most valuable common card released in the 1970s. Any high graded Clemente is a prized possession in any collection.
1974 Topps Mike Schmidt (#130) – Mike Schmidt went on to have a Hall of Fame career and is considered one of the greatest third basemen of all-time. His rookie card values are elevated not just due to his eventual accomplishments, but because 1974 Topps had one of the smallest print runs for a modern era set due to the ongoing players strike. High graded examples command big prices, with a PSA 10 recently selling for just under $30,000, showcasing its rarity and demand over 45 years later.
1975 Topps Nolan Ryan (#480) – Nolan Ryan was already well on his way to rewriting the record books by the mid-1970s. But his 1975 Topps card stands out not just due to his achievements, but due to a fortuitous error made during production. A small subset of his cards were accidentally printed without statistics on the back, making them the lone statistics-less error in the entire 1975 set and one of the true oddball errors collectors love to hunt. PSA 10 examples have sold for over $20,000, a huge premium for what would otherwise be a common card of a superstar.
1977 Topps Ozzie Smith (#94) – Widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive shortstops of all-time, Ozzie Smith’s rookie card has maintained incredible value. Even after a record setting sale of over $110,000 for a PSA 10 Gem Mint example in 2021, high graded versions still easily command over $10,000. This is due to Smith’s Hall of Fame career, the flashy aesthetics and action photo on his rookie, and overall limited collector population for 1970s issued cards at the time of Smith’s cup of coffee season in 1977.
1978 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky RC (#136) – While not a baseball card per se, Wayne Gretzky’s legendary rookie card issued by O-Pee-Chee in Canada in 1978 is notable for being one of the highest valued sports cards of all-time. A PSA 10 just sold for over $1 million, signaling steady increased demand for arguably the most iconic hockey card release. The relatively limited initial print run combined with Gretzky’s immense legacy as “The Great One” have cemented this as the premier rookie card for any sport in the late 20th century.
1979 O-Pee-Chee Mookie Wilson (#413) – Mookie Wilson had an excellent 14 year MLB career, but is best known for hitting the ground ball through Bill Buckner’s legs in the 1986 World Series. This play highlights how even more “common” old rookie cards can become valuably collectible based on a singular famous moment later in a player’s career. High graded versions of Wilson’s 1979 O-Pee-Chee rookie have cracked the $3,000 sales mark, a huge return for a player not judged a true “star,” demonstrating the speculative potential still held in vintage cardboard.
While star power and future accomplishments play a role, another driver of value for 1970s cards is simply their age and rarity in high grades after over four decades of accumulation and handling. Sets like 1974 Topps and 1975 Topps in particular seem to gain in desirability every passing year as a true vintage release from the sport’s classic “Wax Pack Era.” Factors like memorable photos, oddball errors, and iconic players all contribute to the cachet of 1970s cardboard and why these select few examples continue to capture the imagination of collectors near a half century later.
