The 1970s was a transformative decade for the baseball card collecting hobby. Starting in the late 1960s, collectors began seeking out cards of their favorite players from the past which created a new secondary market. As many baby boomers grew up and started families of their own, their love of the sport was passed down along with their childhood card collections. This new surge of collectors in the 1970s led to record prices being paid for the rarest and most desirable cards from the decades prior.
One of the most iconic and valuable cards from the 1970s is the 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie card. Only a small number are known to exist in quality condition, making finding a graded PSA 5 or above an incredible achievement. In 2014, a PSA 8.5 of this card shattered records when it sold at auction for over $2.1 million. That record stood until 2016 when a near-mint PSA 8 copy sold for $2.88 million. For many collectors, owning one of the few known examples of this legendary card in existence is the ultimate dream.
Another tremendously rare and valuable card from the decade is the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner. Only around 60 are believed to have survived in any condition from the original printing of what is considered the first mass-produced baseball card set. A PSA Good 2.5 copy sold in 2007 for $2.8 million and a PSA 8 set a new record of $3.12 million in 2016. In 2021, an SGC 8.5 sold for $6.6 million, establishing the Wagner as officially the most valuable trading card of all-time.
While the Ruth and Wagner may be out of reach for all but the deepest of pocketed collectors, there were still plenty of highly coveted cards printed in the 1970s themselves. Topps released their iconic and hugely popular Designer sets in the mid-1970s which featured different border designs on the cards each year. From 1973-1977, collectors eagerly awaited the new Topps sets each spring to try and build complete runs of the Designers. Of these, the most valuable individual card today is the 1975 Nolan Ryan rookie card, which routinely sells for $15,000-$20,000 or more in PSA/BGS 9+ condition. The 1974 Hank Aaron and 1975 Fred Lynn rookies also command big prices when graded and pristine.
Two other 1970s sets that contained key rookie cards that drove collectors wild at the time were the 1969 Topps and 1971 Kellogg’s cards. The 1960s were truly the Golden Age of Rookies with so many all-time greats breaking into the Majors that decade. Of those players’ first cards issued, the two most valuable today are the 1969 Nolan Ryan ($25,000+) and 1970 Reggie Jackson ($8,000-$12,000) rookies from Topps. Both are exceptionally tough to find well-centered and in high-grade. From the 1971 Kellogg’s 3-D Baseball Card set, any example of the Thurman Munson rookie in pristine condition could bring $15,000 or more.
O-Pee-Chee was the Canadian version of Topps cards that were identical except for the French writing on the back. Their 1970 and 1971 sets featured rookie cards of future Hall of Famers that also remain quite valuable today. The George Brett ($6,000-$8,000) and Dave Winfield ($4,000-$6,000) rookies are both significantly rarer in high-grades than their Topps counterparts due to smaller print runs. For Canadian collectors especially, finding a pristine copy of these early stars’ cards is hugely desirable.
As the decade continued, the 1976 SSPC set is probably the single most valuable complete common era set from the 1970s. Featuring stars like George Foster and Phil Niekro in their rookie seasons, a full run with doubles can sell for over $10,000. Individually, the Foster rookie is one of the rarest from any 1970s set. High-grade examples have cracked the $3,000 mark at auction. And who could forget the famous 1977 Topps error cards? An uncut sheet sold for over $100,000 and individual corrected Reggie Jackson cards have exceeded $3,000 in the hollow market.
Of course, the true kings of any decade are the impossible to obtain prereservation cards from the early 1900s. But for dedicated collectors of 1970s issues only, these represented some of the most iconic and valuable cards produced during a pivotal time for the entire hobby. Whether its rookie stars, record holders or simply scarce short prints – finding high-quality examples from the 1970s remains a challenge and extremely rewarding for those lucky enough to add them to their collections.
