Score was a major sports card company that produced cards throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Among their most popular sets were their Score Superstar cards released in 1972. These cards featured full color artwork of top baseball players from that era.
The Score Superstar cards were part of Score’s flagship set in 1972. Score was one of the largest and most prominent sports card companies of that time period, able to attract licensing deals with Major League Baseball and the players union. This allowed them to use player names and put current active players on cards at a time when Topps monopolized the baseball card market.
The 1972 Score Superstar cards featured 60 players overall, with artwork on the front and stats on the back. The set included many of the best and most famous players of that time such as Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, and many others. What set these cards apart from basic issue sets of the time was the large size and the vibrant color paintings used for each photo.
The cards measure approximately 3.5 inches by 5 inches, making them significantly larger than a standard baseball card of the time. This big size allowed for highly detailed paintings to be shown on the front of each card. It was a step above simple black and white or airbrushed photos. Artists were commissioned specifically for this set to hand paint each portrait in vibrant colors that made the players really pop off the card stock.
Some of the artists that worked on the 1972 Score Superstar cards included Dick Perez, Dick Brock, Bill Dow, Joe Skorczewski, and Marcos Cardenas. These seasoned sport illustrators were given player photos and stats to work from in creating one of a kind artwork for each card. The painted portraits managed to capture the likenesses of the players while also giving them a high artistic quality. Fans were drawn to these cards not just for the players, but also for the visually striking paintings themselves.
In terms of the players featured, it was really the cream of the crop from Major League Baseball in 1972. Future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, and Gaylord Perry were all included. But it also highlighted some of the biggest stars and best players from that season like Joe Morgan, Willie Mays, and Billy Williams among many others. Relievers like Rollie Fingers even received painted portraits, showing how Score aimed for true completeness with this set.
The statistical information on the backs of the 1972 Score Superstar cards was also quite comprehensive. It included each players career batting average, home runs, RBI, and other key career numbers. But it also listed their stats specifically from the 1972 season in great detail. Things like runs scored, doubles, triples, stolen bases were all neatly organized for quick reference. Papers ports writers of the time often praised Score for the high quality stats included with each card profile.
In terms of the card stock and production, Score used a thicker card stock than other brands. This helped the cards hold up better to the rigors of young collectors. The paper was also of nice high quality. The paintings were neatly cut and centered on the fronts. On the backs, the black and white printing was sharp and easy to read. Overall, Score put great care into the physical handling and presentation of these special large Superstar cards.
When they were originally released in 1972, the Score Superstar cards became a huge hit among both young collectors and adults alike. Their larger size and gorgeous painted portraits really made them stand out from other sets on the marketplace. While other brands focused more on basic player stats and photos, these Score cards felt almost like miniature works of art depicting the biggest baseball stars of the day. They captured the nostalgia and action of the national pastime in a very visually engaging way.
In the following decades after their original release, the 1972 Score Superstar cards took on greater significance as highly collectible items. With passage of time, players like Hank Aaron, Tom Seaver, and Johnny Bench would cement their legacies as all-time greats and be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Their artwork cards from the 1972 set gained more prestige as some of the earliest widely distributed representations of these player’s careers. The large format paintings also proved really pleasing for collectors to appreciate on display.
In the modern era, vintage 1972 Score Superstar cards remain highly sought after and valuable commodities on the hobby market. Top graded examples of big stars like Hank Aaron routinely sell for thousands of dollars each. But more common players can still hold valuations of hundreds as well due to their iconic painted artwork and place in card history. Online auction sites are full of collectors seeking to add these beauties to their vintage collections, keeping demand and prices robust even decades after their initial popularity.
For those wanting to collect the complete 1972 Score Superstar set today, it represents a major undertaking. With 60 total cards and several true key “trophy” pieces, most collectors piece the set together slowly over time. The cards still frequently appear individually for sale or in small broken runs, allowing gradual set building. Reproduction counterfeits also occasionally surface, so buying from reputable vintage sources is highly recommended when investing in these classic cardboard treasures from the golden age of baseball memorabilia collecting.
The 1972 Score Superstar cards truly captured lightning in a bottle by combining some of baseball’s biggest stars with high quality painted artwork. Their large commemorative format made them stand out among all other 1970s card releases. While produced in far fewer numbers than contemporary Topps flagship sets, these Score Superstars have since become among the most visually iconic and financially valuable vintage cards on the secondary market. They provide a great look at that era of MLB through legendary players frozen forever in colorful collectible cardboard.
