The year 1977 produced some of the most valuable baseball cards in the hobby’s history. Several stars of the late 1970s saw their rookie cards produced in 1977 sets issued by Topps, the dominant baseball card manufacturer at the time. Two of the most sought-after and expensive 1977 baseball cards belong to sluggers Reggie Jackson and George Brett.
Reggie Jackson’s 1977 Topps baseball card is one of the crown jewels of the entire hobby. As one of the most famous baseball players of the 1970s, Jackson’s powerful performance in postseason play like blasting three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series only added to his legend and the demand for his rookie card. In gem mint condition, a Reggie Jackson 1977 Topps rookie card in a PSA 10 grade recently sold at auction for an astronomical $2.88 million, setting a new record. Even well-worn copies in poorer condition can still fetch tens of thousands.
What makes Jackson’s rookie so valuable is the iconic image used by Topps of the slugger in his New York Yankees uniform coupled with its status as one of the last true rookie cards issued before the era of stars signing lucrative endorsement deals as prospects. Jackson was already an established star by 1977 after breakout seasons with the Oakland A’s. The scarcity of high-grade copies also pumps up prices due to natural deterioration over decades. Few were preserved perfectly straight from the pack in the 1970s.
Another transcendent hitter whose 1977 Topps rookie set record prices is Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett. Like Jackson, Brett went on to have a Hall of Fame career and was a driving force in leading the Royals to multiple pennants and a World Series title in the 1970s and 80s. Brett’s smooth left-handed swing and consistency made him a perennial All-Star and batting champion. In pristine mint condition graded PSA 10, a George Brett 1977 Topps rookie sold for $2.56 million in 2016. Even well-worn copies still attract bids in the five figures.
What gives Brett’s card such cache is his iconic siding stance captured in the Topps photo and his status as a true hometown hero for the Royals franchise. Brett spent his entire 21-year career in Kansas City, hitting .305 lifetime while racking up over 3,000 career hits. He was the face of the Royals organization for generations of Kansas City fans. Like Jackson, the Brett rookie was one of the last true prospects to not be involved in formal sports card endorsement deals before their debuts.
Aside from Jackson and Brett, several other promising rookies from the star-studded 1977 Topps set have reached six-figure prices depending on condition. Texas Rangers catcher/first baseman Jim Sundberg saw his defensive skills and ability to handle pitching staffs result in several All-Star nods and Gold Gloves. In PSA 10 condition, a Sundberg rookie has sold for over $120,000.
Pitchers Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees and Nolan Ryan of the California Angels also debuted that year. As Ryan went on to compile one of the most dominant and record-setting pitching careers in MLB history with 5,714 strikeouts, his ’77 Topps rookie has reached upwards of $100,000 in PSA 10 grade. Righetti made a name for himself as the first Yankees reliever ever to save 40 games in a season and throw a no-hitter in 1983, resulting in his own rookie drawing bids near $50,000 in top condition.
Even role players whose careers were more modest have gained value simply for being included in one of the most coveted sets from the 1970s. Yankee outfielder Randall Richardson, catcher Ed Ott of the Montreal Expos, and Oakland A’s reliever Dave Heaverlo have all sold for $5,000-$10,000 in pristine PSA 10 condition due to the set’s popularity, though they never achieved stardom like the headliners.
The 1977 Topps set endures as one of the most historically significant issues ever produced due to the number of future Hall of Famers, impact contributors, and all-time greats whose rookie cards debuted within its 792 total cards. Two new record prices have been set by the Jackson and Brett rookies in recent years, showing no signs of demand slowing for what is often crowned as the hobby’s single most expensive release from the high-water mark era of the 1970s. Even moderately played copies still attract bids in the thousands. With baseball’s rising new generation of stars, the legends from 1977 seem unlikely to lose value anytime soon.
