Appreciate that a ton. I work super hard on my content, and when I hear that people enjoy it, it really means a lot. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. :-)
Very Cool Video. I Love the Decade of Topps Cards in the 1970's. Well Actually that is a Awesome Decade to Collect anything Baseball**** Thanks and Take Care.
Appreciate that. To me, it's an overlooked decade for sure. So many great players and some really cool cards. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
I saw you Video yesterday morning before I was going to a card show in West Sacrament. I laughed when you said the Ryan in a PSA 5 was a card you like. I am building for over 30 years a PSA 8 71 a little over half way there but unlikely never will get there. I took that PSA 5 with me and left kids free from Willows to enjoy the card show. As I was there I was looking at a value box and starting talking to a gentleman and it was a great 30 minute conversative as we were looking thought the box. Near the end of the conservation he mentioned he had a son that has a UA-cam channel. I am a loyal watcher of your channel and new right away it was your dad. You talk often about your dad and the time you have spent with him over the year in the hobby. That really resonates with me. I just lost my father a few months ago and it was his love of collecting that has make me a life long collector. He collected mostly stamps but the last 20 plus years he worked with me on my collection. It was wonderful talking to your dad yesterday and it made me fell the present of my father. From one teacher to another thank you for your channel and sharing your dad with me for a short time.
That’s so awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. I was supposed to be there with my Dad, by much Father in Law died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday night. We left town to be with family, and it has been a really difficult past couple of days. I’m very fortunate to get to still collect and enjoy the hobby with my Dad. Thanks again for the message and Happy Easter.
Cool video...those are some sweet cards....I have the Garvey rookie from 71 set...I've had it for decades, and haven't looked at it in some time... might have to do that this weekend.🙂 👍⚾
@@MidLifeCards I finally got a look at my "proper" cards...lol I have 2 boxes of cards...regulars & signed cards. All the cards (maybe 20 or so) I've acquired over the last decade or so have been autos, so I haven't looked at the regulars in years. My Garvey looks like an off-center 7... pretty nice though. Also have an Aikman rookie that looks pretty pristine. Also a 52 Mantle reprint from the 1996 Topps Finest set that's really cool looking...🤷 👍⚾
@@tsiqueido That’s awesome. At the end of the day, the most important thing to to be collecting cards of players that we like and cards that we like. Sounds like you have a bunch of those!!
I love the 1972 Clemente card. A legend tossing the ball to himself framed by the psychedelic circus graphic package… It’s iconically whimsical and one of my favorite cards of the decade.
Love the video! These are some great cards. I would add the 72’ Clemente. That one is a classic. Also love that you did this list in collectors grade. Showing me a list of 5 and 6 figure PSA 10s with a pop count of 50 is almost meaningless. Only channel I can think of which does this.
Glad you liked it. Agree about the 72 Clemente. The 71 Nolan Ryan is a great card too. Appreciate the kind words and you taking the time to comment. Thanks so much.
Cards from the 70’s are very undervalued, your video proves that. I have every 70’s set but only a few are really worth grading. Unless they grade 8 or more. Grades 6 and 7 are great buys
I REALLY strongly agree!! I think if someone went through and bought up a bunch of the 6s and 7s of some of the key 70s cards, they'd be really happy with those purchases in a few years. The entire decade is severely overlooked. I have a complete 1979 set, and it's got some really great cards in it.
TONS of great rookies in those sets. 71 and 75 are so tough with those borders, and they demand a large cost to pick them up, only adding to their mystique.
@@MidLifeCards it really is, but as a collector who might occasionally sell a card to get a different card, I’m cool with it. I also think the time will come where they get some more recognition and value.
I think it's time to revisit this topic. Dig a little deeper into the controversy over multi-rookie cards and show us all the coolest 70's baseball card nostalgia...!
You hit a homerun with this video! I've always been amazed at these 70's prices because they are just sooooooo low. Great investments I think for sure. Keep up the kick butt videos.
Those are 4 great cards. 70s are just stuck between the golden age players and the junk wax collector explosion. But, I genuinely believe...all of the junk wax collectors returning to the hobby will start buying up 70s cards as they are "vintage" in their eyes. But, we shall see.
@@MidLifeCards thx, born in 1979 building 1972-79 Topps baseball sets. When I complete those maybe 1971 set would be fun to build. That could take me to my end of days lol
@@MidLifeCards To me pre 1980 is, vintage in my book, the cards in the 70's print runs were only a fraction of the rampant overproduction in the 1980s, the 70's also doesn't have several other companies making cards either. For example, there isn't a Donruss and Fleer George Brett RC, but Ripken has Topps, Donruss and Fleer, the Tops traded; however seems the most desirable.
@@MidLifeCards For what it's worth, I buy Beckett collectors monthly..they go up to 1980 for baseball, basketball, football and hockey. Most dealers probably use ebay for comps these days though, I just like, reading the different articles
I also love your pick of the 71 Ryan. It’s the first action image for a Ryan card, his last card as a Met, and the framing of his head in between the words “royal” and “crown” on the Shea billboard are so appropriate. The photog couldn’t have had ANY idea at the time that this man would become the all time strikeout king - but the royal crown certainly fits now!
Great video Graig! I agree, there are a lot of great cards from the 70's that are reasonably valued (compared to other eras). Love the 71 set (especially the Ryan, Blyleven, and Garvey). Seems like the 70's have a fairly wide range of prices (9's and 10's are very expensive), but 5/6/7 are all reasonable. Thanks for putting out another deeply researched video. You can tell that you spend a lot of time researching!
I pride myself on making all of my content worth your time. Putting in a lot of research is the least I can do if people are willing to spend their time watching my stuff. :-) It'll be interesting to see if 8s start to climb in value next, or if the higher population keep the prices a lot lower.
Excellent video! Thanks for the consistently thought out content! Gene Richards, who shares Dawson's RC, was the rookie stolen base record holder before Raines and Coleman.
Appreciate that. I always want to do a lot of research and spend lots of time on my content. If people are going to spend their time on it, I want to make sure it's worth it for people. :-)
Great vid! Love the detailed analysis. Right in my heyday of collecting - 73 - 78 with a few 70 - 72 scattered in. Surprised about Schmidt being #1, because after the Red Sox, the A's were my team in those days and Reggie was The Man! Guess I will have to upgrade my 73 Schmidt,. Haven't graded it because of off centering and a slight chipping. I was surprised 1970 Clemente didn't come up. One of my favorite cards! Proud to have a 73 Clemente (last card) in PSA 8 pulled out of a pack as a kid! Keep the great content coming!
@@MidLifeCards Schmidt and Brooks Robinson are 2 of the greatest at their position...Mike Schmidt sells well in Philly for obvious reasons, but I guess he's not as popular or resonates as much with other people across the states
And #2A is... from 1977 Topps Star Wars #1 Luke Skywalker which averages $300... in a PSA 8 will cost you $950 and a PSA 9 around $4000... and they printed them in 7 different countries... thanks for the vid(yes I know I'm late to this one)...
Possibly. But, I've personally talked with quite a few people that would like to pick up quite a few more cards from the 70s....especially as more of those players start making the Hall of Fame via the veterans committee.
I have a Fisk and Winfield rookie card. They are ungraded, I'm not sure what to do with them. For highest resale value, I assume getting them graded, with PSA would be the direction to go, but when it comes to grading, you never really know what will happen...I, also have the Munson RC and 1971 ungraded Munson too. Based on this list, the Eddie Murray, Gary Carter and Dennis Eckersley seem to have best value, it does get really expensive though, once you get to that 8-10 bracket though...
A few thoughts... 1. Ryan is so tough to choose. I love the '71 but his '74 is an awesome card as well that's relatively affordable. 2. The 1974 Tom Seaver card is really cool and easily his best photo at least to that time. 3. I truly believe time is on the 1970's cards side. I think values are rising and will continue to do so. As we pass the 50 year mark, these cards become more rare, especially in higher grade. You're already seeing the early 70's cards carry pretty good value in PSA 7s and 8's and later 70's in 9s and 10's. I think you'll see the late 70's values for PSA 7's and 8's rise at a steady pace, again as Father Time helps. I truly think the 70's stars provide some of the best value right now. They just aren't going to explode in a year or two, but they'll continue to grow. 4. The #s on the 1979 Ozzie RC looked off because you had the PSA values off by one #. You had 7 & 8 listed, while those are the values for 8 & 9. 5. I think I may be the only one that thinks this way, but I see 1980 Topps as a 70's set and undervalued. It's the final year Topps had the basic monopoly before Fleer and Donruss came in to water down the market. So to me, 1980 is much closer to the sets of the 70's than the following years in the 80's which spurred the junk wax era a few years later. 6. In putting my money where my "mouth" is, I have just recently purchased a PSA 7 1973 Seaver, PSA 8 1974's Schmidt and Seaver, a PSA 7 1976 Bench, a PSA 9 1978 and 1978 Seaver, a few early 80's Seaver and Jim Palmer PSA 10s, a 1978 PSA 9 Schmidt, a 1977 PSA 8 Winfield, raw 1972 Reggie, 1973 Gibson, Aaron, 1977 Nolan Ryan as well as my endless pursuit of raw and graded 1975s. 7. In general, very good subject. Personally, I'd rather see a # based on average sales rather than just one recent sale. But I get the generalization you were going for. You hit on the point of the topic. Enjoyed it, thanks!
Great comments and I appreciate you taking the time to comment with so much valuable information. My main responses would be: I like the 2nd year Seaver card the best....personally. You're the first person who caught my mistake on the Ozzie Smith. Nobody else has said anything yet, but yes....you're right. I have one slight typo on my video that posts today too. I hate it that after editing I notice one little mistake like that. Great comment. Appreciate you taking the time.
I share your opinion of the 1980 Topps set. That's why I have been buying up many 1980 stars and HOFers. I think the Rickey RC is literally the last great vintage rookie card for baseball
@@MidLifeCards The reason I don't like the 1968 Seaver as much is Topps used the same photo for 1968 and 1969 and damned near the same pic for 1970. I do like the photo, but the repetition kills it for me in terms of considering it at the top. I only caught the Ozzie error because like you said, it seemed odd so I looked it up. Simple mistake and one that can be forgiven without any kind of public flogging. But that could change in the future! :)
@@alltimesportscards Are you buying raw or graded 1980 cards? I have gone through (am going through actually) about 3500 cards and am putting together a best of the best set, a 2nd set and will have most of a 3rd when I'm done and still have lots of extras left over. Haven't focused on graded or stars specifically yet.
It's all about deciding if it's worth getting them in 8s or you just like having them in your collection. Everyone is different in that regards. That's why I listed prices from 5-9 so people could see the current going prices regardless of their desire in that regard.
I think 1970’s cards will always be affordable in most grades (with the exception of PSA 9 and 10). The 70’s was the first decade that kids kept their collections so they don’t have the scarcity of previous decades. My older cousins/uncles who grew up in the 50’s/60’s either gave away their cards or threw away their cards so those decades will always be low pop. Everyone in my neighborhood who collected in the 70’s and into the 80’s kept the cards or passed them down to their kids. My nephew is currently going through my brother’s collection from the 70’s he found in the attic. The other thing that about 70’s cards is a lot of them out there in someone’s attic are not graded. That would inflate the pop report even more. My co-worker just brought in her brother’s cards from the 70’s for me to look at. He had a ‘75 Brett in great condition. Well Centered, no corner damage, probably a PSA 8. How many of those 70’s collections are sitting in some GenX parents house ungraded?
Good point. It's definitely the decade when people started keeping and taking card of their cards, knowing they could have long term value. That said, the population reports are still fairly low on a lot of those cards. I wonder if that's going to change moving forward if/when the cards continue gaining value.
Great video! I love your list as I have 16 of the 20 cards in PSA 8 (except for the 71’s) If I was to chose 4 that I have that aren’t on your list, I would go with: 71 Topps Thurman Munson 73 Topps Roberto Clemente (final card and stats) 75 Topps Keith Hernandez RC 76 Topps Hank Aaron (Final Card)
Really good choices. The Thurman Munson was one of the last ones that didn't make my list. It's just such an expensive card in a high grade due to its popularity and those tough borders. I like all Clemente cards, so you don't have to work hard to convince me on the 73 as well.
Personally for me the 1971 Thurman Munson over his rookie card and being a Dodgers fan my whole life, my favorite player growing up, the 1971 Steve Garvey's rookie.
Personally, I like it more as well. The price is REALLY expensive in a high grade because of it's popularity and the tough black borders. That's the only reason it wasn't included.
The 77 set has some really great cards. The only complete baseball set I have is the 79 set, which has a few great cards in it as well. But 77 has some great rookies and 2nd year cards.
Yeah..1977 Topps has Bruce Sutter and Andre Dawson RC. I could see this set having, a slight uptick in value, should Dale Murphy get inducted to the baseball hall of fame. He does have 2 MVPS, but really fell off quickly, it's an interesting case, and honestly he's probably more popular than Dawson.
Another great video Graig. I have all these cards in sets. In some instances, I would be better off to buy a graded card rather than grade my own. Some of these are selling at or around graded fees.
The Baker Baylor card is a high number hence the high price. Plus many set collectors have started to build these 1971 sets. The Schmidt is also a high number series. Enjoyed the video. The only other cards that come to mind is the 1973 Goose Gossage and 1971 Steve Garvey.
I like Gossage a lot, but for some reason, that card is kind of bland looking to me. Those two cards were definitely on my "just missed the list." Good point on the Baker/Baylor card. I think Baker will get in the Hall at some point.
I'm mostly a pre 1965 card guy, but I've grown to have a love hate type of thing with the 1972 Topps. I used to think they were ugly, but its unique mod design has grown on me a bit. Some superstar players heading towards the end of their careers include Aaron, Mays, Yastrzemski etc. Most can be found at bargain prices.
I really think it's interesting how our opinions and preferences change. I've had a lot of sets like that as well. I almost bought a 75 Yaz this weekend at a card show....cool having all those stats on the back of their cards.
What I've never understood is why the 1975 Topps Mini Cards are much less valuable then the 1975 "Regular" size versions. PSA 9 Mini's of the Yount and Brett Rookie Cards go for like 1/3 of the value of the "regular" sized ones but were only distributed in Michigan and California so the manufacturing print run on the "Mini" Cards was FAR SMALLER! That makes no sense to me? Back in 1976 the following year I sent away( I live in New England) to a Michigan Card Retailer for a full set of the 1975 Mini's and have been sending some off to be graded at PSA! Waiting for the PSA return now but did not send in the Brett,Yount or Gary Carter Rookie Cards as I'm still holding onto them! Does it make sense to you that the version with the smaller print run of basically the same card are worth much less?
It's an interesting question. When I was growing up, the mini was usually MORE expensive, but that seems to have changed. The only thing I can think is there's just less demand for some reason, because like you said, the supply is much less for the mini.
@@MidLifeCards Part of it is less demand. The other is you can't really generalize with 1975's like Johnny did. 1975's have unique print issues in which some cards are tough to find centered or without fish eyes, etc. A PSA 8 on some cards is very expensive where a PSA 9 of another card may be 5x cheaper than that 8. So it really applies on a card x card basis. That extrapolates to Minis vs. Regular Sized cards. A difficult to find high grade may be easy to find in the Minis and vice versa. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. So some minis carry more value and some regular size. It just depends on the card. On a separate note: the recent sale of $765 for a Gary Carter RC PSA 9 was actually a Mini. Regular sized versions of that card sell consistently over $1k. Easy to overlook and for those of us that collect '75s, it's a pain to make sure sure you're keeping them straight in searches.
Is the trammel/molitor card the “greatest” rookie card of all time if you go by games played? All 4 had extensive major league careers…I wonder if it could be beat. Mickey klutts hung around forever and Washington was a starting shortstop for almost 10 years. That’s a lot of mlb talent
If you're looking specifically at games played, I think you may be right. Also, a lot of multi player rookie cards are 2 players, there really aren't a ton with 4.
I believe the fact that Topps in 1974 started releasing the entire set at once when they were previously in series (usually 6 or 7 of them) could be a reason for lower prices since most of the cards you mentioned are from 1974 on. You're right that 71 cards are very tough to find in near mint condition because of the black bordersalong with the 79 cards having centering issues. Even the cards you mentioned 1973 and before like the Fisk rookie were mostly low numbered cards except for the 71 Ryan and 71 Baker/Baylor rookie cards. I can think of a few early 70s Topps that were pricey like the 70 Bench(#660), 71 Mays(#600), and 71 Clemente (#630) because of the high numbers. Experience is telling me this after completing all of the 70s Topps set the past several years.
That's an EXTREMELY terrific point that I hadn't considered and NOBODY else has mentioned. But, I think you may have found the secret sauce. That may be the reason. Great pull.
I have all of them except Dawson, Schmidt, Munson, I would go by psa prices if I have to choose between e bay and psa guide. because e bay is a auction, and not a indication of what the card is worth but a indication of who was the highest bidder at that time. There might have been someone that would have bid higher, but maybe he spent his money on another card. A lot of people will pay a lot just for the grade regardless of the player. I have seen a sixty four Gordy Colman at a ten go for over a thousand dollars on e bay out side of a relative I can't see anybody spending that on a Gordy Coleman card. My price guide is a common ground price for what they are selling for at a card show.
I totally get that and it makes sense. That's why I put the ebay recent sale and the psa price guide, that way there were a couple of resources to choose from. Your points make sense.
The 1970s cards have some great value especially the first 4-5 years. Don’t know that you missed any on your list. There are a couple of cards I like. Clemente’s 71 and 72 are classics, Ryan’s 70 card. The 74 set also has the Parker RC and some really great action cards, my favorites are Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose.
No ‘74 Dave Parker? That’s it, I’m unsubbed😆I don’t have the Blyleven or Schmidt rookies, but I’m good on everything else. Really wish the ‘74 Schmidt was a gold cup like the ‘71 Munson (another great card), ‘76 Carter and ‘78 Dawson though. Also weird Murphy had a ‘78 rookie catchers card as well along with the ‘77
I believe Murphy was a catcher coming up, given his really strong arm. Agree on the gold cup for Schmidt. It's funny you say that about the Cobra Dave Parker. Growing up in the late 80s in Northern California, he was an integral part of those Oakland A's Championship teams.
Impact from 15+ years of no competition for Topps reducing innovation/design alongside with waning interest in Baseball beginning in 1970s and cost-conscious decision making reducing quality and increasing supply during the stagflationary 1970s are all factors that make these cards less desirable
Fair points. That said, still some really great rookie cards, 2nd year cards, and great cards of legendary players. Will be interesting to see what they do moving forward.
@@MidLifeCards agreed, another great card is the 1976 Topps Cleveland Indians team card with Frank Robinson Managerial debut which has huge historical significance as first black manager in MLB (reverse of his 1975 Topps makes mention of his player/manager role too)
@@MidLifeCards I was going to add this one as well. To me it goes right along with the Baker/Baylor/Paciorek (don't sleep on TP as a very good player on the card as well!) card. I did a recent comparison with a friend between Dwight Evans and Dave Parker in terms of who would be a better HOF candidate. Honestly, you could make legit arguments for both and a very strong argument that Evans was the better player and definitely better defensively, despite Parker's big arm. Al Bumbry on Evans card is a boost too as Al was a really solid player. Definitely an underrated 70's card.
So I disagree on your even debating rice and sale Murphy in HOF. There is no debate if you watched them play. They played clean and deserve more honors than the cheaters ahead of them.
I believe Dale Murphy should be in the Hall of Fame. To me, Rice is borderline if I were a voter, but totally respect his accomplishments and the fact that he was voted in means he's a Hall of Famer.
That's what makes it fun...being able to debate who does and doesn't deserve it. Just like the FIRST conversation after the NCAA bracket comes out, is who were the snubs that got left off the list.
Great video and content! Thank you
Appreciate that so much. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
This list is tough because I never collect floating head cards. However, I love the Ryan, Brett, Smith, and Murray cards! Great vid, keep them comin 👍
Appreciate that...and I totally understand the floating head thing. :-)
Thanks for the work putting this together, great video@@
Appreciate that a ton. I work super hard on my content, and when I hear that people enjoy it, it really means a lot. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. :-)
Very Cool Video. I Love the Decade of Topps Cards in the 1970's. Well Actually that is a Awesome Decade to Collect anything Baseball**** Thanks and Take Care.
Appreciate that. To me, it's an overlooked decade for sure. So many great players and some really cool cards. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
Phenomenal video!! These are the cards right in my wheelhouse . . . . completely agree on the 1971 Topps Baylor/Baker card!! Well done
Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment.
I saw you Video yesterday morning before I was going to a card show in West Sacrament. I laughed when you said the Ryan in a PSA 5 was a card you like. I am building for over 30 years a PSA 8 71 a little over half way there but unlikely never will get there. I took that PSA 5 with me and left kids free from Willows to enjoy the card show. As I was there I was looking at a value box and starting talking to a gentleman and it was a great 30 minute conversative as we were looking thought the box. Near the end of the conservation he mentioned he had a son that has a UA-cam channel. I am a loyal watcher of your channel and new right away it was your dad. You talk often about your dad and the time you have spent with him over the year in the hobby. That really resonates with me. I just lost my father a few months ago and it was his love of collecting that has make me a life long collector. He collected mostly stamps but the last 20 plus years he worked with me on my collection. It was wonderful talking to your dad yesterday and it made me fell the present of my father. From one teacher to another thank you for your channel and sharing your dad with me for a short time.
That’s so awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. I was supposed to be there with my Dad, by much Father in Law died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday night. We left town to be with family, and it has been a really difficult past couple of days. I’m very fortunate to get to still collect and enjoy the hobby with my Dad.
Thanks again for the message and Happy Easter.
Cool video...those are some sweet cards....I have the Garvey rookie from 71 set...I've had it for decades, and haven't looked at it in some time... might have to do that this weekend.🙂
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The 71 Garvey is a great card. It was one of about 5 that I considered for the list, but didn't quite make it.
@@MidLifeCards
I finally got a look at my "proper" cards...lol
I have 2 boxes of cards...regulars & signed cards. All the cards (maybe 20 or so) I've acquired over the last decade or so have been autos, so I haven't looked at the regulars in years.
My Garvey looks like an off-center 7... pretty nice though. Also have an Aikman rookie that looks pretty pristine. Also a 52 Mantle reprint from the 1996 Topps Finest set that's really cool looking...🤷
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@@tsiqueido That’s awesome. At the end of the day, the most important thing to to be collecting cards of players that we like and cards that we like. Sounds like you have a bunch of those!!
This was a good video. Enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Hope you'll do one for other sports. Or even some non-sports, too.
I’m definitely interested in that. Other decades even, too.
Great video
Thanks. I really appreciate it.
I love the 1972 Clemente card. A legend tossing the ball to himself framed by the psychedelic circus graphic package… It’s iconically whimsical and one of my favorite cards of the decade.
Agree, selling like crazy lately too.
To me, it's one of the most recognizable and memorable one of his cards. It's a great one.
Cemented into our minds as we "turned back the clock" in 1987... easily my all time favorite offering from Topps.
@@elighmacias707 you’re so right! Great call
Love the '71 Munson and '70 Bench . Two classics! Also the '75 Hank is a cool card. Overall I loved all your pics! Great video.
Awesome. Appreciate it a ton. Totally agree with you on those cards.
Love the video! These are some great cards. I would add the 72’ Clemente. That one is a classic.
Also love that you did this list in collectors grade. Showing me a list of 5 and 6 figure PSA 10s with a pop count of 50 is almost meaningless. Only channel I can think of which does this.
Glad you liked it. Agree about the 72 Clemente. The 71 Nolan Ryan is a great card too. Appreciate the kind words and you taking the time to comment. Thanks so much.
Great video bro!
Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Cards from the 70’s are very undervalued, your video proves that. I have every 70’s set but only a few are really worth grading. Unless they grade 8 or more. Grades 6 and 7 are great buys
I REALLY strongly agree!! I think if someone went through and bought up a bunch of the 6s and 7s of some of the key 70s cards, they'd be really happy with those purchases in a few years. The entire decade is severely overlooked. I have a complete 1979 set, and it's got some really great cards in it.
The 79 Ozzie is my all time favorite card. I picked up a PSA 8 back in April of 2020 for $120.
Wow. That's a steal. It's gotta be worth 3x that now. Nice one.
You make a great point about the $20-25 grading fees built in. Tons of Superstars of the 1970's can be bought for $10-20. Definitely NOT junk wax!!
Agreed. I bought a nice Eddie Murray RC a couple of weeks ago for $15 ungraded.
Awesome video as always! Love the 71 and 75 sets, so many good rookies!
TONS of great rookies in those sets. 71 and 75 are so tough with those borders, and they demand a large cost to pick them up, only adding to their mystique.
What amazing production quality of your video?
Thanks so much. That means a lot. I spend a lot of time on each one. Thank you n
Yeah man. Big time agree here for some affordable opportunities for some great cards. Nice video.
Appreciate that. It's interesting how this entire decade is so overlooked.
@@MidLifeCards it really is, but as a collector who might occasionally sell a card to get a different card, I’m cool with it. I also think the time will come where they get some more recognition and value.
The one card from the 70s every collector needs is the 1975 Herb Washington #407 Pinch Runner card.
Great list. I'm not sure which set is more brutal to get a really good card in, the 1971 or the 1975.
Good question. I'd lean towards the 71 being tougher, but it's close.
72 Carew, 72 Clemente, and 71 Garvey are my favs from the 70s. You should do a show on what happens when you have every card you ever wanted.
Impossible to have every card I ever wanted.
@@MidLifeCards Took me six years.
Nice vid...
I'm really glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks.
I think it's time to revisit this topic. Dig a little deeper into the controversy over multi-rookie cards and show us all the coolest 70's baseball card nostalgia...!
You might be right.
You hit a homerun with this video! I've always been amazed at these 70's prices because they are just sooooooo low. Great investments I think for sure. Keep up the kick butt videos.
Appreciate that so much. Glad you liked it. I spent a lot of time on this one, but wanted to make it worth everyone's time. :-)
The 1974 Hank Aaron #1 in the O-Pee-Chee version is virtually impossible to find in high grade and centered.
A lot of OPC cards are hard to find in high grade. I know quite a few are targeting them for long term holds.
Great job on the list. I have picked up mid grade yount, molitor, mays, and Brett. I agree the 70’s are vastly underrated.
Those are 4 great cards. 70s are just stuck between the golden age players and the junk wax collector explosion. But, I genuinely believe...all of the junk wax collectors returning to the hobby will start buying up 70s cards as they are "vintage" in their eyes. But, we shall see.
And don’t forget, Cooper brings some value to that Fisk rookie
Cooper was a VERY good player, no doubt about it.
I need 5 on your list. Of course 3 are in the top 4 lol
Sounds like you've got some great stuff.
@@MidLifeCards thx, born in 1979 building 1972-79 Topps baseball sets. When I complete those maybe 1971 set would be fun to build. That could take me to my end of days lol
Vintage is looking pretty good!!👍😎
Let me ask you this.... What is your definition of Vintage? Some say it starts in 79, others say 69....I'm open but not sure.
@@MidLifeCards To me pre 1980 is, vintage in my book, the cards in the 70's print runs were only a fraction of the rampant overproduction in the 1980s, the 70's also doesn't have several other companies making cards either. For example, there isn't a Donruss and Fleer George Brett RC, but Ripken has Topps, Donruss and Fleer, the Tops traded; however seems the most desirable.
@@ACD1994 I think I tend to agree with you.
@@MidLifeCards For what it's worth, I buy Beckett collectors monthly..they go up to 1980 for baseball, basketball, football and hockey. Most dealers probably use ebay for comps these days though, I just like, reading the different articles
I also love your pick of the 71 Ryan. It’s the first action image for a Ryan card, his last card as a Met, and the framing of his head in between the words “royal” and “crown” on the Shea billboard are so appropriate. The photog couldn’t have had ANY idea at the time that this man would become the all time strikeout king - but the royal crown certainly fits now!
Never noticed that, but great call.
Great video Graig! I agree, there are a lot of great cards from the 70's that are reasonably valued (compared to other eras). Love the 71 set (especially the Ryan, Blyleven, and Garvey). Seems like the 70's have a fairly wide range of prices (9's and 10's are very expensive), but 5/6/7 are all reasonable. Thanks for putting out another deeply researched video. You can tell that you spend a lot of time researching!
I pride myself on making all of my content worth your time. Putting in a lot of research is the least I can do if people are willing to spend their time watching my stuff. :-) It'll be interesting to see if 8s start to climb in value next, or if the higher population keep the prices a lot lower.
Excellent video! Thanks for the consistently thought out content! Gene Richards, who shares Dawson's RC, was the rookie stolen base record holder before Raines and Coleman.
Appreciate that. I always want to do a lot of research and spend lots of time on my content. If people are going to spend their time on it, I want to make sure it's worth it for people. :-)
Great vid! Love the detailed analysis. Right in my heyday of collecting - 73 - 78 with a few 70 - 72 scattered in. Surprised about Schmidt being #1, because after the Red Sox, the A's were my team in those days and Reggie was The Man! Guess I will have to upgrade my 73 Schmidt,. Haven't graded it because of off centering and a slight chipping. I was surprised 1970 Clemente didn't come up. One of my favorite cards! Proud to have a 73 Clemente (last card) in PSA 8 pulled out of a pack as a kid! Keep the great content coming!
Wow. The 72 Clemente out of a pack is incredible!!
Good list....Schmidt is on my list
Schmidt is a total stud. I sometimes wonder why he doesn't get more love.
@@MidLifeCards Schmidt and Brooks Robinson are 2 of the greatest at their position...Mike Schmidt sells well in Philly for obvious reasons, but I guess he's not as popular or resonates as much with other people across the states
Gil Hodges 1972 OPC
And #2A is... from 1977 Topps Star Wars #1 Luke Skywalker which averages $300... in a PSA 8 will cost you $950 and a PSA 9 around $4000... and they printed them in 7 different countries... thanks for the vid(yes I know I'm late to this one)...
The Skywalker rookie is a great card.
@@MidLifeCards And the error version of #207 would also be somewhere in the middle of your llst..
I think most of collectors from this era already have our 70’s cards.
Possibly. But, I've personally talked with quite a few people that would like to pick up quite a few more cards from the 70s....especially as more of those players start making the Hall of Fame via the veterans committee.
I have a Fisk and Winfield rookie card. They are ungraded, I'm not sure what to do with them. For highest resale value, I assume getting them graded, with PSA would be the direction to go, but when it comes to grading, you never really know what will happen...I, also have the Munson RC and 1971 ungraded Munson too. Based on this list, the Eddie Murray, Gary Carter and Dennis Eckersley seem to have best value, it does get really expensive though, once you get to that 8-10 bracket though...
Grading is a wild and bumpy ride right now.
Blyleven's curveball, and I think Barry Zito's are the best I've seen.
Barry Zito's was amazing as well. To lefty's it would start behind their back and break across the plate. Unreal.
A few thoughts...
1. Ryan is so tough to choose. I love the '71 but his '74 is an awesome card as well that's relatively affordable.
2. The 1974 Tom Seaver card is really cool and easily his best photo at least to that time.
3. I truly believe time is on the 1970's cards side. I think values are rising and will continue to do so. As we pass the 50 year mark, these cards become more rare, especially in higher grade. You're already seeing the early 70's cards carry pretty good value in PSA 7s and 8's and later 70's in 9s and 10's. I think you'll see the late 70's values for PSA 7's and 8's rise at a steady pace, again as Father Time helps. I truly think the 70's stars provide some of the best value right now. They just aren't going to explode in a year or two, but they'll continue to grow.
4. The #s on the 1979 Ozzie RC looked off because you had the PSA values off by one #. You had 7 & 8 listed, while those are the values for 8 & 9.
5. I think I may be the only one that thinks this way, but I see 1980 Topps as a 70's set and undervalued. It's the final year Topps had the basic monopoly before Fleer and Donruss came in to water down the market. So to me, 1980 is much closer to the sets of the 70's than the following years in the 80's which spurred the junk wax era a few years later.
6. In putting my money where my "mouth" is, I have just recently purchased a PSA 7 1973 Seaver, PSA 8 1974's Schmidt and Seaver, a PSA 7 1976 Bench, a PSA 9 1978 and 1978 Seaver, a few early 80's Seaver and Jim Palmer PSA 10s, a 1978 PSA 9 Schmidt, a 1977 PSA 8 Winfield, raw 1972 Reggie, 1973 Gibson, Aaron, 1977 Nolan Ryan as well as my endless pursuit of raw and graded 1975s.
7. In general, very good subject. Personally, I'd rather see a # based on average sales rather than just one recent sale. But I get the generalization you were going for. You hit on the point of the topic. Enjoyed it, thanks!
Great comments and I appreciate you taking the time to comment with so much valuable information.
My main responses would be: I like the 2nd year Seaver card the best....personally. You're the first person who caught my mistake on the Ozzie Smith. Nobody else has said anything yet, but yes....you're right. I have one slight typo on my video that posts today too. I hate it that after editing I notice one little mistake like that.
Great comment. Appreciate you taking the time.
I share your opinion of the 1980 Topps set. That's why I have been buying up many 1980 stars and HOFers. I think the Rickey RC is literally the last great vintage rookie card for baseball
@@MidLifeCards The reason I don't like the 1968 Seaver as much is Topps used the same photo for 1968 and 1969 and damned near the same pic for 1970. I do like the photo, but the repetition kills it for me in terms of considering it at the top.
I only caught the Ozzie error because like you said, it seemed odd so I looked it up. Simple mistake and one that can be forgiven without any kind of public flogging. But that could change in the future! :)
@@alltimesportscards Are you buying raw or graded 1980 cards? I have gone through (am going through actually) about 3500 cards and am putting together a best of the best set, a 2nd set and will have most of a 3rd when I'm done and still have lots of extras left over. Haven't focused on graded or stars specifically yet.
Try getting them all in 8s, not so cheap.
It's all about deciding if it's worth getting them in 8s or you just like having them in your collection. Everyone is different in that regards. That's why I listed prices from 5-9 so people could see the current going prices regardless of their desire in that regard.
I think 1970’s cards will always be affordable in most grades (with the exception of PSA 9 and 10). The 70’s was the first decade that kids kept their collections so they don’t have the scarcity of previous decades. My older cousins/uncles who grew up in the 50’s/60’s either gave away their cards or threw away their cards so those decades will always be low pop. Everyone in my neighborhood who collected in the 70’s and into the 80’s kept the cards or passed them down to their kids. My nephew is currently going through my brother’s collection from the 70’s he found in the attic. The other thing that about 70’s cards is a lot of them out there in someone’s attic are not graded. That would inflate the pop report even more. My co-worker just brought in her brother’s cards from the 70’s for me to look at. He had a ‘75 Brett in great condition. Well Centered, no corner damage, probably a PSA 8. How many of those 70’s collections are sitting in some GenX parents house ungraded?
Good point. It's definitely the decade when people started keeping and taking card of their cards, knowing they could have long term value. That said, the population reports are still fairly low on a lot of those cards. I wonder if that's going to change moving forward if/when the cards continue gaining value.
Great video!
I love your list as I have 16 of the 20 cards in PSA 8 (except for the 71’s)
If I was to chose 4 that I have that aren’t on your list, I would go with:
71 Topps Thurman Munson
73 Topps Roberto Clemente (final card and stats)
75 Topps Keith Hernandez RC
76 Topps Hank Aaron (Final Card)
Really good choices. The Thurman Munson was one of the last ones that didn't make my list. It's just such an expensive card in a high grade due to its popularity and those tough borders. I like all Clemente cards, so you don't have to work hard to convince me on the 73 as well.
Personally for me the 1971 Thurman Munson over his rookie card and being a Dodgers fan my whole life, my favorite player growing up, the 1971 Steve Garvey's rookie.
Personally, I like it more as well. The price is REALLY expensive in a high grade because of it's popularity and the tough black borders. That's the only reason it wasn't included.
Great idea for a fantastic list. I also believe most of the 1970's cards are undervalued. I especially think the 1977 set is under rated as well.
The 77 set has some really great cards. The only complete baseball set I have is the 79 set, which has a few great cards in it as well. But 77 has some great rookies and 2nd year cards.
Yeah..1977 Topps has Bruce Sutter and Andre Dawson RC. I could see this set having, a slight uptick in value, should Dale Murphy get inducted to the baseball hall of fame. He does have 2 MVPS, but really fell off quickly, it's an interesting case, and honestly he's probably more popular than Dawson.
Another great video Graig. I have all these cards in sets. In some instances, I would be better off to buy a graded card rather than grade my own. Some of these are selling at or around graded fees.
Isn't it interesting how the difference sometimes is so little or nothing? Kind of hard to believe in my opinion.
The Baker Baylor card is a high number hence the high price. Plus many set collectors have started to build these 1971 sets. The Schmidt is also a high number series. Enjoyed the video. The only other cards that come to mind is the 1973 Goose Gossage and 1971 Steve Garvey.
I like Gossage a lot, but for some reason, that card is kind of bland looking to me. Those two cards were definitely on my "just missed the list." Good point on the Baker/Baylor card. I think Baker will get in the Hall at some point.
I'm mostly a pre 1965 card guy, but I've grown to have a love hate type of thing with the 1972 Topps. I used to think they were ugly, but its unique mod design has grown on me a bit. Some superstar players heading towards the end of their careers include Aaron, Mays, Yastrzemski etc. Most can be found at bargain prices.
I really think it's interesting how our opinions and preferences change. I've had a lot of sets like that as well. I almost bought a 75 Yaz this weekend at a card show....cool having all those stats on the back of their cards.
What I've never understood is why the 1975 Topps Mini Cards are much less valuable then the 1975 "Regular" size versions. PSA 9 Mini's of the Yount and Brett Rookie Cards go for like 1/3 of the value of the "regular" sized ones but were only distributed in Michigan and California so the manufacturing print run on the "Mini" Cards was FAR SMALLER! That makes no sense to me? Back in 1976 the following year I sent away( I live in New England) to a Michigan Card Retailer for a full set of the 1975 Mini's and have been sending some off to be graded at PSA! Waiting for the PSA return now but did not send in the Brett,Yount or Gary Carter Rookie Cards as I'm still holding onto them! Does it make sense to you that the version with the smaller print run of basically the same card are worth much less?
It's an interesting question. When I was growing up, the mini was usually MORE expensive, but that seems to have changed. The only thing I can think is there's just less demand for some reason, because like you said, the supply is much less for the mini.
@@MidLifeCards Part of it is less demand. The other is you can't really generalize with 1975's like Johnny did. 1975's have unique print issues in which some cards are tough to find centered or without fish eyes, etc. A PSA 8 on some cards is very expensive where a PSA 9 of another card may be 5x cheaper than that 8. So it really applies on a card x card basis. That extrapolates to Minis vs. Regular Sized cards. A difficult to find high grade may be easy to find in the Minis and vice versa. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. So some minis carry more value and some regular size. It just depends on the card.
On a separate note: the recent sale of $765 for a Gary Carter RC PSA 9 was actually a Mini. Regular sized versions of that card sell consistently over $1k. Easy to overlook and for those of us that collect '75s, it's a pain to make sure sure you're keeping them straight in searches.
PSA 3 Yount cheapest on EBAY now is $43 with ship. 2 other people want $70 for a 3 grade.
For me, I try to buy via auctions, which is usually when I get the best prices. Card shows are even better because there's no shipping or sales tax.
@@MidLifeCards Yep. That's the way to go. I have 2 LCS that seem to Out to lunch and few card shows.
Is the trammel/molitor card the “greatest” rookie card of all time if you go by games played? All 4 had extensive major league careers…I wonder if it could be beat. Mickey klutts hung around forever and Washington was a starting shortstop for almost 10 years. That’s a lot of mlb talent
If you're looking specifically at games played, I think you may be right. Also, a lot of multi player rookie cards are 2 players, there really aren't a ton with 4.
I believe the fact that Topps in 1974 started releasing the entire set at once when they were previously in series (usually 6 or 7 of them) could be a reason for lower prices since most of the cards you mentioned are from 1974 on. You're right that 71 cards are very tough to find in near mint condition because of the black bordersalong with the 79 cards having centering issues. Even the cards you mentioned 1973 and before like the Fisk rookie were mostly low numbered cards except for the 71 Ryan and 71 Baker/Baylor rookie cards. I can think of a few early 70s Topps that were pricey like the 70 Bench(#660), 71 Mays(#600), and 71 Clemente (#630) because of the high numbers. Experience is telling me this after completing all of the 70s Topps set the past several years.
That's an EXTREMELY terrific point that I hadn't considered and NOBODY else has mentioned. But, I think you may have found the secret sauce. That may be the reason. Great pull.
I have all of them except Dawson, Schmidt, Munson, I would go by psa prices if I have to choose between e bay and psa guide. because e bay is a auction, and not a indication of what the card is worth but a indication of who was the highest bidder at that time. There might have been someone that would have bid higher, but maybe he spent his money on another card. A lot of people will pay a lot just for the grade regardless of the player. I have seen a sixty four Gordy Colman at a ten go for over a thousand dollars on e bay out side of a relative I can't see anybody spending that on a Gordy Coleman card. My price guide is a common ground price for what they are selling for at a card show.
I totally get that and it makes sense. That's why I put the ebay recent sale and the psa price guide, that way there were a couple of resources to choose from. Your points make sense.
Murphy hit 399 not over 400
*398
1971 Ted Simmons 😊
I could see that. Especially with recent news.
Graig,
I absolutely love the 1975 OPC set, me living here in Canada. OPC was easier to come by.
Peter
That's great, because in the states, the OPC cards are more valuable because they're so much rarer.
The 1970s cards have some great value especially the first 4-5 years. Don’t know that you missed any on your list. There are a couple of cards I like. Clemente’s 71 and 72 are classics, Ryan’s 70 card. The 74 set also has the Parker RC and some really great action cards, my favorites are Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose.
Totally agree on the 70 Ryan and 71/72 Clemente’s.
No ‘74 Dave Parker? That’s it, I’m unsubbed😆I don’t have the Blyleven or Schmidt rookies, but I’m good on everything else. Really wish the ‘74 Schmidt was a gold cup like the ‘71 Munson (another great card), ‘76 Carter and ‘78 Dawson though. Also weird Murphy had a ‘78 rookie catchers card as well along with the ‘77
I believe Murphy was a catcher coming up, given his really strong arm. Agree on the gold cup for Schmidt. It's funny you say that about the Cobra Dave Parker. Growing up in the late 80s in Northern California, he was an integral part of those Oakland A's Championship teams.
Impact from 15+ years of no competition for Topps reducing innovation/design alongside with waning interest in Baseball beginning in 1970s and cost-conscious decision making reducing quality and increasing supply during the stagflationary 1970s are all factors that make these cards less desirable
Fair points. That said, still some really great rookie cards, 2nd year cards, and great cards of legendary players. Will be interesting to see what they do moving forward.
@@MidLifeCards agreed, another great card is the 1976 Topps Cleveland Indians team card with Frank Robinson Managerial debut which has huge historical significance as first black manager in MLB (reverse of his 1975 Topps makes mention of his player/manager role too)
Dwight Evans rookie card
That’s a good choice. He was a really good player that is often overlooked for sure.
@@MidLifeCards I was going to add this one as well. To me it goes right along with the Baker/Baylor/Paciorek (don't sleep on TP as a very good player on the card as well!) card. I did a recent comparison with a friend between Dwight Evans and Dave Parker in terms of who would be a better HOF candidate. Honestly, you could make legit arguments for both and a very strong argument that Evans was the better player and definitely better defensively, despite Parker's big arm. Al Bumbry on Evans card is a boost too as Al was a really solid player. Definitely an underrated 70's card.
So I disagree on your even debating rice and sale Murphy in HOF. There is no debate if you watched them play. They played clean and deserve more honors than the cheaters ahead of them.
I believe Dale Murphy should be in the Hall of Fame. To me, Rice is borderline if I were a voter, but totally respect his accomplishments and the fact that he was voted in means he's a Hall of Famer.
Bert Blyleven, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson are not true Hall of Famers in my opinion. There ought to be a second hall for the non legends of the game.
That's what makes it fun...being able to debate who does and doesn't deserve it. Just like the FIRST conversation after the NCAA bracket comes out, is who were the snubs that got left off the list.
That's a pretty hot Andre Dawson take WOW🔥🔥