One of the standout rookies from the 1972 Topps baseball card set that can be very valuable is #619 Rod Carew. Rod Carew was already establishing himself as one of the game’s best hitters and had just won the American League batting title with a .318 average in his first full season in 1971. His 1972 Topps rookie card shows him in a batting stance wearing a Twins uniform. In gem mint condition an ungraded Carew rookie can sell for over $4,000 and a professionally graded mint example could reach upwards of $6,000 or more depending on the exact grade. Any Carew card in high grade from his early career years with Minnesota has value for collectors.
Another highly sought after rookie from ’72 Topps is #593 Dave Kingman of the Mets. Kingman burst onto the scene in 1972 slugging 36 home runs and driving in 82 RBIs in his first full season in the big leagues. He quickly made a name for himself as one of baseball’s premier power hitters. The combination of his mammoth home runs and his iconic wind-up delivery made him a fan favorite. In mint condition an ungraded Kingman rookie could sell for $1,500-$2,000 while a PSA/BGS GEM Mint 10 graded card might command $3,500 or more. Any early Kingman card, but especially his rookie, maintains strong demand.
Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench was already a 2-time NL MVP in 1972 but his cards still retain premium pricing. As the biggest star on the dominant Cincinnati Reds teams of the era, Bench’s iconic #74 Topps card with his towering backside batting stance is one of the most iconic and recognizable in the entire set. High graded examples in PSA/BGS Gem Mint 10 condition recently surpassed $10,000 in value, while mint 9’s can sell for $3,000-$5,000 range depending on the population numbers for that particular year and grading company. Even raw nearer mint copies still demand $800-1500 due to Bench’s legendary status.
Two other likely Hall of Famers featured prominently in the ’72 set with valuable rookie cards are #630 Larry Doyle of the Dodgers and #600 George Foster of the Reds. Doyle had an excellent rookie campaign in 1972 hitting .283 with 33 stolen bases as LA’s centerfielder. His first Topps card is aesthetically pleasing and increasingly scarce in top grades. A PSA 10 recently sold for over $4,000 while raw mint copies sell between $800-1200. Foster was just starting to blossom in ’72 hitting .271 with 12 homers part-time for Cincinnati. He became a true superstar in the late 1970s. High end graded examples of his rookie have sold in excess of $2,000 while raw gems in the $500-750 range are more common. Both players have holding power as likely future HOFers.
The 1972 Topps set also features several other future Hall of Famers with cards that have retained or increased in value due to their playing accomplishments later in their careers. #135 gaylord Perry was already a 20 game winner for the Indians in 1972. His iconic underhand windup delivery made him one of the game’s most fascinating players. In top grades his ’72 Topps card has sold for over $1,500. #607 Steve Garvey was just starting his spectacular career with the Dodgers in 1972. Even now in his post playing days, Garvey cards fetch premiums. A high grade ’72 could sell for $800-1000 range. #640 Ferguson Jenkins was in the middle of his dominant career with the Cubs. His iconic windup and one of the game’s all-time great mustaches made for an icon card. Graded examples have topped $2,000.
In addition to valuable rookie cards and established stars, the 1972 Topps set also contains several key error varieties that command big premiums. Card #519 Billy Grabarkewitz of the Dodgers was printed with an upside-down image, making it one of the rarest reverse negative errors around. In high grades, examples have sold for over $10,000. Card #610 Mike Phillips of the Angels was accidentally printed with the Statistic box from the back of the card on the front. These esoteric error cards catch the attention of advanced collectors. Top grades can bring $3,000-5000. Lastly, some copies of #144 Willie Davis have a blank white box where the player’s statistic usually appears. This missing stat error on such an important Dodgers star from that era garners premiums, with better examples exceeding $1,500.
The 1972 Topps set remains as popular as ever with collectors and enthusiasts of the vintage baseball card era. It captured so many important rookie cards, career years and achieved players that have only added to its rich legacy. In addition to stars like Carew, Kingman, Bench, and others, it holds hidden gems like the Perry, Jenkins, and Garvey Hall of Famers. Error varieties like the Grabarkewitz reverse negative and Phillips statistic swap continue to captivate collectors. For the combination of its iconic photography, player selection and scarcity of high quality specimens remaining around 50 years later, 1972 Topps endures as one of the most historically significant issues that maintains strong marketplace valuations across the board.
