Vintage Baseball

The 1970s featured many baseball stars, Hall of Fame players, rookies, and some players who made a significant impact during the decade. 

Still, today many rookie cards from that era fly under the radar. Rookie cards from this decade, especially high-grade examples, continue to increase in value.

In previous baseball rookie card articles, I have discussed rookie cards of players not yet in the Hall, including Dave Parker, Keith Hernandez, Lou Whitaker, Thurman Munson, and Dwight Evans.

In this piece, I dive deeper into ten rookie cards from the 1970s that still look like excellent buys.

Many great baseball players are still on the outside looking in when it comes to earning a Hall of Fame nod. Of course, big-time stars like Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson made mistakes in blocking any path to the hall and will never get in.

Today, a player with the right credentials can earn a HOF election via either a committee or ballot vote. Yet, baseball has changed the Hall of Fame process in the last few years.

A player only has ten years to earn election through a ballot vote (down from the previous 15 years). Another change was the committee vote process, where MLB has designated which era of players will be voted on through the committee vote each year.

The upcoming 2023 MLB Hall of Fame vote will be announced on January 24th, with some players on this list up for election.  

Let's look at the rookie cards of ten potential Hall of Famers, whose cards look like an attractive buy right now. We've identified specific PSA grades that look attractive based on affordability. 

Even if they don't get elected this year, their rookie cards are still priced right, especially based on the future chances of getting into the HOF.

During the 1970s, there was an uptick in the production of baseball cards. Topps, the only licensed baseball card issuer at the time, was at the forefront of this trend. 

Kids were still the target customer, but adults started to become more fascinated with the hobby.

Some of the Topps baseball card sets from the 1970s are among collector favorites. And many big-name Hall Of Fame players had their first issue card released during the decade. 

This post will examine the twenty most valuable Topps baseball rookie cards from the 1970s. Including iconic rookie cards from the likes of George Brett, Mike Schmidt, and Dave Winfield.

Fred McGriff, aka 'The Crime Dog,' was a feared slugger for six teams during his eighteen-year major league career. 

McGriff amassed 493 home runs, with an amazing ten seasons of 30 home runs or more. When he retired in 2004, many figured McGriff was a shoo-in for the Hall, but baseball writers denied him in every single year of his eligibility.

Finally, in 2022, McGriff's HOF dream came true, getting a nod from The Veteran's Committee.  Collectors have snapped up McGriff's rookie cards, and prices have increased.

In this piece, we review five of Fred McGriff's rookie and other later-year cards that could be a good buy now for collectors and investors. 

Derek Jeter is considered by many to be one of the best baseball players of his generation.

He played his entire 20-year career with the New York Yankees, winning five World Series titles and becoming the franchise's all-time leader in hits.

Values of Jeter's rookie cards saw a significant increase upon his election to the Hall Of Fame in 2021, but have since cooled dramatically. Still, his rookie cards remain highly sought-after by collectors. 

Here's everything you need to know about Derek Jeter rookie cards, including a gallery of some of the most valuable cards and investment ideas.