The 1970 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic issues from the 1970s. While it lacked some of the star power of previous years due to the recent decline of legends like Mickey Mantle, this 792-card set featured plenty of soon-to-be Hall of Famers and offered collectors several key rookie and short printed cards that remain highly coveted today. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most valuable and desirable 1970 Topps cards over 50 years later.
Perhaps the most well-known key card from the 1970 set is the Nolan Ryan rookie card (#306). Ryan would go on to have one of the greatest pitching careers in baseball history, retiring in 1993 with a record 7 no-hitters among his numerous accolades. Despite being quite common in the 1970 set with over 1 million copies printed, high-grade Ryan rookies in near-mint to mint condition regularly sell for thousands of dollars. Another pitching standout, Tom Seaver’s rookie card (#250) is also highly sought after. Seaver was already establishing himself as a star in 1970 with the New York Mets and his rookie is widely regarded as one of the finest from the late 1960s/early 1970s era.
Two other notable rookie cards found in the 1970 set were future Hall of Famers Joe Morgan (#344) and Johnny Bench (#72). Morgan’s rookie is quite scarce in high grades and frequently brings in over $1000 even in exhbibit/reader copy condition. Bench, already an established superstar catching for the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds, has a fairly common rookie but it remains a key piece for any complete 1970 Topps set. For infielders, Brooks Robinson’s final card (#719) with the Baltimore Orioles is a favorite of many collectors considering his legendary defensive skills and multiple Gold Gloves and World Series titles.
In terms of short prints and errors that make 1970 Topps cards valuable, the Bill Freehan photo variation is one of the most famous. The standard Freehan (#307) image was recalled and replaced with a new photo, making the original extremely rare. In top grade it can sell for over $10,000. Other scarce short prints or variations include the Roberto Clemente All-Star card (#592), Deron Johnson’s Cardinals card (#177), and Mike Shannon’s Cardinals card (#557). The uncorrected Ed Spiezio error card (#400), which incorrectly lists his first name as “Edd”, also draws collector interest.
Rookie cards are obviously the big draws, but stars of the era like Hank Aaron (#1), Willie Mays (#99), and Roberto Clemente (#28) will always be in high demand. The final cards for retiring legends like Mickey Mantle (#235), Willie McCovey (#344), and Bob Gibson (#484) remain collectible as well. The rarely seen uncut sheets from 1970 Topps are other highly coveted items that can sell for over $10,000. While the 1970 design is not considered the most visually appealing compared to later decades, it rewards collectors with several truly valuable vintage cardboard keys from one of baseball’s golden eras.
The 1970 Topps set is a great investment for both vintage baseball card collectors and investors. Numerous short prints, rookie cards of future stars, and final cards of all-time great players combine to make it one of the most collectible issues from the early 1970s. Even in low grades, cards like the Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench rookies hold value. But it is high-grade examples, especially for the key short prints and errors discussed, that can potentially appreciated greatly from today’s prices. For those seeking iconic cardboard from over a half-century ago featuring timeless names in baseball history, 1970 Topps deserves a serious look from both casual and serious collectors alike.
