"Must have" 1970's cards

[Vintagevault13]

I started collecting in 1974 so the 70's cards are near and dear to my heart as they bring back many great memories. I was wondering what are your top ten "must have" or most iconic cards from the 70's.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Vintagevault13

I started collecting in 1974 so the 70's cards are near and dear to my heart as they bring back many great memories. I was wondering what are your top ten "must have" or most iconic cards from the 70's.

Hmmmm....
Immediately come to mind:
1973 Topps Mike Schmidt
1975 Topps/Mini George Brett
1975 Topps/Mini Robin Yount
1972 Topps Fisk/Cooper
1971 Topps Thurman Munson (not his rookie, but great shot and the All-Star Rookie Cup logo)
1978 Topps Eddie Murray
1974 Topps Dave Winfield
1978 Topps Trammell, Molitor

Others in my top 10:
1976 Topps Kurt Bevacqua (bubble gum blowing champ!)
1971 Topps Ernie Banks (love that smile!)

[brewing]

This would be my list
1970 Ryan or Bench
1971 Dick Allen (1st mustache on a Topps card)
1971 Thurman Munson
1972 Roberto Clemente (love the ball in the air, plus it was my first Clemente)
1973 Mike Schmidt
1974 Tom Seaver (great photo of the best pitcher)
1974 Hank Aaron
1975 Topps/Mini George Brett
1975 Topps/Mini Robin Yount
1978 Reggie Jackson (cool card)

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by brewing

1974 Tom Seaver (great photo of the best pitcher)

This card was the evidence in the CSI: Las Vegas episodes centering on Paul Milander.

I like some of yours, and would also have to add any Oscar Gamble card with that phenomenal 70s afro. The '72 sliding into 2nd or offset by the pink and yellow groovy 75 borders?

[39special]

'71 Nolan Ryan

[Vintagevault13]

Originally Posted by brewing

This would be my list
1970 Ryan or Bench
1971 Dick Allen (1st mustache on a Topps card)
1971 Thurman Munson
1972 Roberto Clemente (love the ball in the air, plus it was my first Clemente)
1973 Mike Schmidt
1974 Tom Seaver (great photo of the best pitcher)
1974 Hank Aaron
1975 Topps/Mini George Brett
1975 Topps/Mini Robin Yount
1978 Reggie Jackson (cool card)

Glad to see the 74 Seaver on your list. I think that is one of the best action cards ever made. I admit I am biased toward the 1974 set, but I don't think that set gets enough love. There are some great action shots in addition to the Seaver. The Ryan and Reggie cards come immediately to mind.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by swarmee

This card was the evidence in the CSI: Las Vegas episodes centering on Paul Milander.

I like some of yours, and would also have to add any Oscar Gamble card with that phenomenal 70s afro. The '72 sliding into 2nd or offset by the pink and yellow groovy 75 borders?

Actually, it's the '73 Oscar that shows him sliding into second. Cool card.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by Vintagevault13

Glad to see the 74 Seaver on your list. I think that is one of the best action cards ever made. I admit I am biased toward the 1974 set, but I don't think that set gets enough love. There are some great action shots in addition to the Seaver. The Ryan and Reggie cards come immediately to mind.

Absolutely agreed!! The '74 set has so many great shots in it -- action packed and others, like the Frank Robinson. A while back there was a thread that I believe was started by me(?) that lauded it (titled something along the lines of "Why no love for 1974's?"), but I can't for the life of me locate it and now it's driving me bananas!! Ugh. The group scans I still have on my HD date from July 2013. Don't wish to hijack this thread, but it should definitely be revisited. It probably doesn't receive it's proper due simply because the whole set was released at the same time and waaaay overproduced. Still an awesome set, though!!

[4reals]

I only collect Dodgers...off the top of my head my top10 in the 70's would be:

1970 Bill Russell RC
1971 Steve Garvey RC
1971 Baker/Paciorek/Baylor RC
1972 Traded Frank Robinson
1973 Schmidt/Cey RC
1973 Walt Alston (first Tom Lasorda appearance since '54)
1974 Steve Garvey
1976 Dodgers Team Checklist (last Walt Alston appearance)
1977 Dale Murphy/Kevin Pasley
1979 Pedro Guerrero RC

[KCRfan1]

My top 10 would be:

1970 Bench
1971 Munson, Ryan
1972 Rose
1973 Clemente, Mays, Schmidt
1974 Aaron
1975 Brett, Yount

I have always liked the 70 Bench, plus it's an MVP year for him. The 71's of Munson and Ryan are great action shots, and as we all know the 71's can be difficult to find in great condition due to the black borders. The 72 Rose is just a nice looking card imo. For the 73's, I like Mays and Clemente as those are the last cards for each player, and the Schmidt card is the rookie card to have from any set of the 70's. The 74 Aaron is the first card in the set, and a great tribute to the new home run champion. From the 75 set, and final two cards, Brett and Yount. HoF's from one of the most popular sets in the 70's, and after the Schmidt rookie, these are probably the next two rookie cards to have from the 70's.

Fun topic, and lots of opinions.

[quitcrab]

1973 Brooks Robinson. He is ready rob someone of a hit.

[MattyC]

1. 75 Brett
2. 73 Schmidt
3. 78 Murray
4. 74 Schmidt
5. 71 Ryan
6. 76 Brett
7. 75 Yount
8. 74 Aaron HR King
9. 72 Clemente
10. 78 Molitor Trammell

11. 74 Winfield
12. 72 Fisk
13. 71 Munson
14. 78 Brett
15. 75 Ryan HL #5

[rats60]

1970 Bench
1970 Mays
1971 Ryan
1972 Clemente
1973 Schmidt
1974 Aaron
1974 Seaver
1975 Brett
1975 Yount
1975 Rose

Just missed the cut
72 Fisk
74 Winfield
78 Murray
78 Molitor Trammell
79 Ozzie Smith

[Econteachert205]

I think you must have a few kelloggs and hostess cards of your choice as well a a disc or two. Gotta mix in the oddballs from the 70s.

[Exhibitman]

If you don't have these you don't have $hit:

[jb217676]

Here are my faves from that era...

[mrmopar]

That surprises me that it took 20 years for Topps to catch a moustache on a card (perhaps that was intentional), but it makes sense I suppose. By the 70s, it would be hard not to find someone without one.

I like that card as it is Allen's only Dodger card and a SP as well. I debated over this or the 65T when I sent a card to him to have signed several years back when he did a signing with MAB for $35 (i could only manage to convince myself to pay the fee for one card), but I needed the trophy card for my set and I still have not added the 71 with a signature.

Originally Posted by brewing

1971 Dick Allen (1st mustache on a Topps card)

[SMPEP]

1) 1973 Aaron
2) 1973 Aaron
3) 1973 Aaron
4) 1973 Aaron
5) 1973 Aaron
6) 1973 Aaron
7) 1973 Aaron
8) 1973 Aaron
9) 1973 Aaron
10) 1973 Aaron

As they say in poker ... that's the prettiest card in the deck.

And you have to go back to 1956 to find a card to compete (in my opinion). Boy were those sets from the 1960s ugly.

[Exhibitman]

[wake.up.the.echoes]

Originally Posted by 4reals

I only collect Dodgers...off the top of my head my top10 in the 70's would be:

1970 Bill Russell RC
1971 Steve Garvey RC
1971 Baker/Paciorek/Baylor RC
1972 Traded Frank Robinson
1973 Schmidt/Cey RC
1973 Walt Alston (first Tom Lasorda appearance since '54)
1974 Steve Garvey
1976 Dodgers Team Checklist (last Walt Alston appearance)
1977 Dale Murphy/Kevin Pasley
1979 Pedro Guerrero RC

Awesome list! I would add these two faves to any Dodgers-centric list:

1. 1972 Topps #761 Rookie Stars Oglivie/Cey/Williams
2. 1973 Topps/OPC #609 Rookie Second Basemen Blanks/Garcia/Lopes

[mrmopar]

Value aside, I am going strictly by which cards I find visually appealing (among the better players, of course). The various AS badges & rookie cups add to the appeal for me:

71 Munson
73 Stargell
74 Seaver
76 Lynn, Bench
77 Fisk, Garvey
78 Jackson
79 Carew, Rose

Limiting to just 10 is very tough. Most of these sets are favorites of mine, having grown up collecting many of them live. These 10 were some of the first I thought of, but so many more are missing.

[hcv123]

1971 Ryan
1971 Mays
1971 Clemente
1971 Munson
1972 Carew
1973 Reggie Jackson
1975 George Brett
1975 Hank Aaron #660
1978 Eddie Murray
1979 Ozzie Smith

[wake.up.the.echoes]

Top 11 (chronological order) Topps/OPC "rookies"

1972 Fisk
1973 Schmidt
1974 Winfield
1975 Brett
1975 Yount
1978 Murray
1978 Molitor/Trammell
1978 Burger King Trammell
1978 Burger King Morris
1978 Burger King Whitaker
1979 Ozzie

That is my list for today. It will likely change tomorrow. Haha.

[EldoEsq]

Come on...no picks of this card yet???

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by EldoEsq

Come on...no picks of this card yet???

he completely bald under the cap.


its interesting how commons psa 9 in 1975 sell for more on ebay than commons from the prior year 1974..... shows the popularity of 1975..plus a 1975 psa9-10 set sold recently for about 30 percent over SMR

[paulcarek]

In addition to all the great choices already mentioned, I've always had a soft spot for this one. The best looking card (IMO) of my all-time favorite player:

[brewing]

I missed the 1972 Carew on my list, that's a good one.

Great call on the Burger King Tigers, those are great.

[VoodooChild]

Here's my favorite iconic cards:

[JTysver]

Iconic and great cards are two different categories.

The most iconic (hobby hype) are...

1975 Topps George Brett
1973 Topps Mike Schmidt
1978 Topps Eddie Murray
1972 Topps Carlton Fisk
1974 Topps Hank Aaron
1975 Topps Robin Yount
1975 Topps Jim Rice
1975 Topps Gary Carter
1976 Topps Dennis Eckersley
1977 Topps Dale Murphy
1979 Topps Ozzie Smith

The tragedy is that the hobby wasn't too big until the mid 1980s. That has kept the value on some of these cards down. For example, until Beckett started coming out with monthly price guides, the hobby hype focused on Mike Schmidt more than it did Nolan Ryan. In fact, Ryan was not even the ace of his team.
The Brett card and the Schmidt card were more sought after by the early 1980s and the Ryan card became sought after later in the 1980s. In 1982 or 1983 it could be had for about $25. I remember trading it away for a 69 Mantle Game card- straight up book value around 1983.

Had the hobby taken off in 1980 for example, Brett's rookie cards would be higher.

When the glut of cards came along in the late 1980s, that was because there was also a glut of collectors. They are the ones who pushed Ryan's value up.

If I were to choose the best cards from the 1980s (star power, hype- either then or now, and or image), I'd choose. Let's not forget Hank Aaron- who essentially was the biggest name in the mid 1970s after surpassing Ruth, is on here because of his sought after cards in 1974 and 1975.

1973 Topps Bench- awesome action shot
1970 Kelloggs Clemente- really beautiful card
1977 Renata Galasso Joe DiMaggio- common but something different
1977 Burger King Lou Pinella- rare card
1976 Topps Traded Oscar Gamble
1973 Topps Aaron/Mays/Ruth
1973 Topps Aaron
1974 Topps Hank Aaron and Aaron record breakers
1975 Topps Hank Aaron
1975 Hostess Hank Aaron
1978 Topps Pete Rose- big hit streak
1975 Kelloggs Jim Hunter (A's or Yankees)- error card

[Gr8Beldini]

1970 Bench
1971 Clemente
1971 Munson
1972 Carew
1972 Rose
1972 Morgan Traded
1973 Mays
1975 Aaron (#660 - centered please.)
1977 Fidrych
1977 Reggie

[MattyC]

Good call on the 660 Aaron being centered-- talk about a card where it really might be as rare as 1 in every 250 is square and centered. The miscuts and off centering on that card are insane.

[swarmee]

Guess we also omitted the 1972 classic Billy Martin "you're number 1" card.

[Bigdaddy]

Wow, so many great cards; the cardboard of my childhood. I'll put it like this: If I could only keep 10 cards to show my grandson one day, these are those:

1971 Thurman Munson
1971 Willie Mays
1972 Rod Carew
1972 Joe Morgan - Traded
1973 Roberto Clemente
1973 Mike Schmidt
1976 Johnny Bench
1977 Pete Rose
1977 Steve Garvey
1978 Reggie Jackson

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. At least for tonight.

[sandmountainslim]

Why does the 1971 Munson card seem to be more desired than his 1970 Rookie? Do you think it will remain this way or will the rookie eventually surpass it in desirability.

[KendallCat]

Love the 70's cards and obvious answers are the 1973 Schmidt, 1975 Brett, and 75 Yount. I think those are the big 3. Next would be the 1978 Murray and 1979 Ozzie Smith.

Personally I like the 1970 Bench since it is his MVP year and a tough high number. After that the 1974 Ryan is an awesome card with his fastball looking like it is about to come right at you. I love the 74 set and the action photos. In 1971 the Clemente and Jackson are great looking cards, and my favorite is the 1976 Bench.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

My top 10 would be:

1970 Bench
1971 Munson, Ryan
1972 Rose
1973 Clemente, Mays, Schmidt
1974 Aaron
1975 Brett, Yount

I have always liked the 70 Bench, plus it's an MVP year for him. The 71's of Munson and Ryan are great action shots, and as we all know the 71's can be difficult to find in great condition due to the black borders. The 72 Rose is just a nice looking card imo. For the 73's, I like Mays and Clemente as those are the last cards for each player, and the Schmidt card is the rookie card to have from any set of the 70's. The 74 Aaron is the first card in the set, and a great tribute to the new home run champion. From the 75 set, and final two cards, Brett and Yount. HoF's from one of the most popular sets in the 70's, and after the Schmidt rookie, these are probably the next two rookie cards to have from the 70's.

Fun topic, and lots of opinions.

I'd agree with all of Lou's picks with one exception:

1976 Aaron (his last card & a great photo!)

instead of 1972 Rose

[CW]

Originally Posted by sandmountainslim

Why does the 1971 Munson card seem to be more desired than his 1970 Rookie? Do you think it will remain this way or will the rookie eventually surpass it in desirability.

I might look at two factors here... desirability and value.

The '71 might be more desired simply because of its visual appeal over the RC. It features one of the coolest action poses in the hobby. Many collectors just like solo cards rather than the multi-player RC used in the 60's and 70's.

The '68 Ryan RC is an iconic card, but it doesn't really have a wow factor when it comes to the visual aspect. It's basically two cropped portraits set against a burlap sack.

The reason the '71 Munson has more value, especially in higher grades like 8 and 9, is because the '71 set has those super-tough black borders.

In those higher grades, the '71 will always surpass the '70 in terms of value and desirability. The visual aspect just adds to the appeal.

[DBesse27]

Edited my list and made it 11:

1971 Topps Thurman Munson
1971 Topps Steve Garvey
1972 Topps Roberto Clemente
1973 Topps Yaz
1974 Topps Mike Schmidt (not the multi-player RC)
1974 Topps Dave Winfield
1975 Mini George Brett
1975 Mini Robin Yount
1976 Topps Jim Rice
1978 Topps Eddie Murray
1978 Topps Trammell, Molitor

Fisk has some great action shots in the decade, but can't include him in a top 10

[brett 75]

This would be a great one to add as a must for the 1970's ! Not mine but want to add to my collection some day. Also like the 1970 and 1971 Clemente Supers

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

I think you must have a few kelloggs and hostess cards of your choice as well a a disc or two. Gotta mix in the oddballs from the 70s.

How about a 1975 Hostess Twinkies Robin Yount without a stain? That is the key rookie in the set and extremely difficult to find without oil stains. In addition, the pictures are different than Topps sets - as Topps let Hostess parent borrow the pics Topps didn't use for the normal Topps production sets.

Z

[paul]

How about the 1971 Topps Greatest Moments Brooks Robinson, and the 1974 Topps Deckle Edge cards of Aaron and Munson. Not to mention the 1977 Reggie Jackson proof in an Orioles uniform.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I only own Schmidt and Brett RCs, but to me the best looking 70s card may be the 71 Clemente.

[bbcard1]

I'd throw in a centered 1979 Ozzie...

[Rich Klein]

I realize this is not a baseball card, but this is the coolest "afro" card of the 1970's


1976-77 Topps #86 - Darnell Hillman [Good to VG‑EX]
Courtesy of COMC.com

[Neal]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I only own Schmidt and Brett RCs, but to me the best looking 70s card may be the 71 Clemente.

71 Clemente is a great card, no doubt.

My nod for best looking 70s card would be the 1970 Ryan or Bench. The Jackson is up there as well. Very underrated set, and if you get the right colored uniform to go with the grey border you are looking at a beautiful card.

[mintonlyplz]

The best of the best...

1. 1970 Johnny Bench (like the red pinstripes)
2. 1971 Thurman Munson (classic card/photo)
3. 1971 Reggie Jackson (great looking colorful card w/Mr October holding some lumber)
4. 1971 Roberto Clemente (gorgeous color...and looking down the barrel of a bat)
5. 1973 Mike Schmidt Rookie (best all around 3rd basemen...fielding and power)
6. 1974 Mike Schmidt (1st solo card)
7. 1974 Nolan Ryan (great action shot...fastball coming at you)
8. 1975 George Brett (made one of heck of a run at .400)
9. 1976 Johnny Bench (patrolling the plate in a cloud of dust)
10. 1978 Reggie Jackson (Reggie's power is captured in this shot...down to one knee on the follow thru swing)

[Neal]

A twist .... here are the 10 best players of the 70s and their best card, imo

1) 1977 Topps Mike Schmidt
2) 1971 Topps Pete Rose
3) 1976 Topps Joe Morgan
4) 1978 Topps Reggie Jackson
5) 1970 Topps Johnny Bench
6) 1972 Topps Rod Carew
7) 1975 Topps George Brett
8) 1970 Topps Nolan Ryan
9) 1979 Topps Steve Carlton
10) 1976 Topps Yaz

[Neal]

A twist .... here are the 10 best players of the 70s and their best card, imo

1) 1977 Topps Mike Schmidt
2) 1971 Topps Pete Rose
3) 1976 Topps Joe Morgan
4) 1978 Topps Reggie Jackson
5) 1970 Topps Johnny Bench
6) 1972 Topps Rod Carew
7) 1975 Topps George Brett
8) 1970 Topps Nolan Ryan
9) 1979 Topps Steve Carlton
10) 1976 Topps Yaz

[Peter_Spaeth]

Seaver over Ryan. And Carlton for that matter.

[Duluth Eskimo]

Originally Posted by EldoEsq

Come on...no picks of this card yet???

I was just about to post this photo. My favorite of all time. I also like the 1973 Ruth / Aaron / Mays HR leaders card. As a kid, I couldn't think of a greater card than to have all three on the same card. This was my first "older" card and I thought it was the best thing ever.