The Super Star Series was a premium baseball card set produced by Topps from 1970 to 1980. Unlike the company’s standard issue sets which featured relatively simple designs, the Super Star Series cards stood out with their large size, vivid color photography, creative borders and backgrounds, stats and bio information on the back, and sharp glossy finish. They spotlighted some of the top players in the majors at the height of their abilities and popularity. The Super Star Series helped elevate baseball cards to a higher collecting tier and remains a memorable and sought after vintage release to this day.
Issued annually, each Super Star Series set contained only 10 cards, one for each current position of pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, right fielder, and a designated hitter/extra spot. This exclusivity and limited print runs only heightened collectors’ desire to obtain a full rainbow spectrum of stars from their favorite team or era. The early 1970s produced some of the most iconic Super Star issues as the sport entered a new golden age of offense shortly after players’ pensions and free agency were secured.
1970: The inaugural Super Star Series offered a who’s who of superstars including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Johnny Bench, and Rod Carew. Tommy John earned the lone pitcher card. Stats on the backlist each player’s impressive 1969 numbers. Aaron’s card in particular with his bold smile and thick mustache remains a highly coveted early release from the set.
1971: Reggie Jackson’s explosive first season in the majors where he clubbed over 30 homers earned him the outfield slot. Also featured were Hall of Famers like Bob Gibson, Brooks Robinson, and Carl Yastrzemski among others continuing to cement the set’s star power. Backs provided a paragraph on each star’s career achievements in addition to their current stats.
1972: This year’s set reflected the dominant individual seasons being had throughout the sport. Four members of the ’72 Oakland A’s championship squad made the cut including Vida Blue, Sal Bando, Rollie Fingers, and Reggie Jackson. Mike Schmidt’s rookie season breakout garnered him the 3B card at age 23, a prediction of the future superstar he would become.
1973: More sluggers dominated withJohnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Eddie Mathews receiving the call. Nolan Ryan’s blistering 98 mph heat also earned him a well-deserved slot. Backs shifted to further analyzing each player’s offensive and pitching stats broken down by month which offered a unique comp to their full season stats.
1974:arguably the most iconic issue, ’74 featured six future Hall of Famers in Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton. New photos shot against colorful graphics added even more visual pop. Aaron’s card in particular showing him in mid swing remains the most highly graded PSA 10.
1975-1980: Later issues became more hit or misswith some cards featuring players past their primes or in declines. Still, stars like George Brett and Gary Carter had strong rookie year campaigns meriting inclusion. The 1976 set culminated the original run with 10 worthy all-stars like Jim Palmer, Mike Schmidt, and Rod Carew in his MVP season. After a multi-year hiatus, Topps revived the Super Star concept from 1981-1983 before ending the line for good. By then the superstar memorabilia card era was blossoming.
The Super Star Series of the 1970s beautifully encapsulated the larger than life players and epic seasons that defined baseball’s original steroid and expansion era. For collectors, each issue delivered a concentrated dose of the decade’s most prominent sluggers, hurlers, and heroes in dazzling visual format. Even with modest print runs, cards from these sets remain widely obtainable in circulated condition for any collector to enjoy. In gem mint state however, coveted stars from the early 1970s issues especially have grown quite scarce and valuable, a reflection of their imperishable status in the hobby. The Super Star Series rightfully stands amid the pantheon of most iconic and storied vintage releases from the golden age of vintage cardboard.
