The 1970s produced some great and timeless sports cards, spanning legends from baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer.
Here’s a look at the top 10 most valuable cards from the decade, in order of previous record sales.
The Most Expensive 1970s Sports Cards Based On Record Auction Sales
Only a card’s record sale is included, so it’ll only appear once in the list, even though it might have multiple separate sales that would make the top 10.
*The list is based on previous auction sales prices according to Market Movers*
10. 1977-78 Crack Futbol Campeonato Disc Diego Maradona #11
Diego Maradona is in the conversation of the greatest soccer player of all time, alongside the likes of Pele, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
This rare 1977 Crack Futbol Campeonato piece is an unusual disc-shaped card, which is very prone to wear and tear.
There are actually two copies graded higher by PSA (both 8) than the PSA 7 copy that set the highest sale.
Record Sale: $192,000 (graded PSA 7) – June 2022.
9. 1970-71 Topps Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) #75
This second-year card of the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the added significance of being one of the cards to feature his name as Lew Alcindor, before he officially changed it.
The tall-boy layout and bright design make it condition-sensitive, which is a theme with most cards on this list; It makes high grades hard to come by, adding to their value.
Record Sale: $198,000 (graded PSA 10) – February 2021.
8. 1971 Topps Thurman Munson #5
This second-year Thurman Munson card from 1971 Topps has steadily grown in popularity over the years; The iconic action shot helps make it so memorable and adds to its appeal.
Many agree that the 1971 set is one of Topps’ greatest ever baseball releases, with the instantly recognizable black borders, which are easily chippable.
At the time of writing, there are no copies that have achieved a grade 10 by PSA, and only a handful that have been graded 9.
Record Sale: $199,999 (graded PSA 9) – May 2022.
7. 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith #116
The 1979 Topps card is “The Wizard” Ozzie Smith’s only rookie card, and it’s one of the key baseball cards of the era.
It’s often plagued by centering issues and print defects, so again it’s difficult to find in top condition, which drives demand for high-graded examples.
Record Sale: $222,000 (graded PSA 10) – February 2021.
6. 1976 Topps Walter Payton #148
The only football card to break into this list of the most expensive 1970s sports cards features one of the NFL’s greatest ever players.
His 1976 Topps rookie is the standout football card from the decade, which contributes to its high value.
The perfect SGC 100 graded copy added rarity and appeal to an already in-demand card.
Record Sale: $228,000 (graded SGC 100) – February 2021.
5. 1973 Topps Ron Cey / John Hilton / Mike Schmidt #615
This 1973 Topps Rookie 3rd Basemen card is significant for being the rookie card of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.
The PSA 10 copy that sold for multiple hundreds of dollars in 2024 makes it the most expensive baseball card from the ‘70s.
Only a handful of copies of this one have achieved a top grading.
Record Sale: $317,200 (graded PSA 10) – November 2024.
4. 1970-71 Topps Pete Maravich #123
The rookie card of one of basketball’s great entertainers, Pete Maravich, is cemented as one of the era’s most expensive cards, helped by its scarcity in top condition.
The Hall of Famer’s green card, with the tall boy-design, has condition and centering obstacles, like the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar card (above) from the same set.
At the time of writing, only two copies have achieved a PSA 10 grade, which helped one sell for over half a million dollars.
Record Sale: $552,000 (graded PSA 10) – July 2023.
3. 1979-80 Panini Calciatori Diego Maradona #312
It might surprise a few to see a soccer card so high on this list, but the sports card boom of the early 2020s saw a huge rise in interest for soccer cards, and Diego Maradona is one of the sport’s greatest ever players.
The 1979 Maradona Panini Calciatori rookie card is rare, and at the time of writing, only one PSA 10 graded copy exists. It set an all-time soccer record, for the most expensive card, when it was sold in April 2021, which was later broken by a Pele rookie card sale.
It’s one of soccer’s key cards and one of the most valuable sports cards from its decade.
Record Sale: $555,960 (graded PSA 10) – April 2021.
2. 1979 Topps Wayne Gretzky #18
Wayne Gretzky’s rookie cards came at the end of the ‘70s, and they’re probably the most notable sports cards from the decade.
His condition-sensitive 1979 Topps card is not easy to find in top condition, with only two PSA 10 copies in existence, at the time of writing. The scarcity helps make it a 7-figure card in mint condition.
Record Sale: $1,200,000 (graded PSA 10) – August 2022.
1. 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18
The most expensive 1970s sports card features “The Great One”, with his 1979 O-Pee-Chee rookie card.
As you can see above, this O-Pee-Chee version is almost identical to his Topps rookie, except for the brand name and French text on the back, but it’s rarer and more valuable.
It’s arguably the most iconic hockey card of all time, and the blue borders are notoriously prone to damage, so high-graded copies carry a premium.
Record Sale: $3,750,000 (graded PSA 10) – May 2021.
