1970 Rookie Cards
12 rookie cards across Basketball, Football, Hockey, Baseball. Sorted by estimated gem mint value.
1970-71 Topps Pete Maravich #123
Pistol Pete's Topps rookie. Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game in college — without a three-point line — and became the most entertaining ballhandler basketball had ever seen. His early cards carry enormous demand.
1970 Topps Terry Bradshaw #70
The first pick of the 1970 draft and four-time Super Bowl champion's RC. Bradshaw led the Steel Curtain Steelers dynasty and was a two-time Super Bowl MVP. The 1970 Topps set has centering issues that limit the PSA 9+ pop.
1970-71 O-Pee-Chee Bobby Clarke RC #195
The OPC rookie of the heart and soul of the Broad Street Bullies. Clarke captained the Philadelphia Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975 and won three Hart Trophies as league MVP. A diabetic who proved that determination could overcome any obstacle.
1970 Topps Thurman Munson #189 RC
The Captain Topps RC. Munson won ROY in 1970 and became the heart of the Bronx Zoo Yankees. His tragic death in a 1979 plane crash at age 32 cut short what would have been a Hall of Fame career.
1970-71 Topps Gilbert Perreault #131 RC
Perreault Topps RC. The first ever draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres scored 512 goals with the most beautiful skating stride in hockey history. The "French Connection" line with Rick Martin and Rene Robert was pure magic.
1970-71 Topps Earl Monroe RC #20
The rookie card of Earl the Pearl, one of the most dazzling players in NBA history. Monroe won Rookie of the Year in 1968 with the Baltimore Bullets, dazzling crowds with his spin moves, reverse layups, and playground-style creativity that had never been seen at the professional level.
1970-71 Topps Bob Lanier #63
Bob Lanier was a dominant center who averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds over his career. An 8-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, this Topps rookie card is the key to his collecting legacy.
1970-71 O-Pee-Chee Tony Esposito #153
Tony Esposito was "Tony O" — the Blackhawks legendary goaltender who won the Calder Trophy and Vezina Trophy in his first full season. A 3-time Vezina winner and 6-time All-Star who revolutionized the butterfly style.
1970-71 Topps Gilbert Perreault RC #131
The French Connection's center — one of the most graceful skaters in hockey history. Perreault spent his entire career with Buffalo and remains the franchise's greatest player, accumulating 512 goals in an era before European influx.
1970-71 Topps Spencer Haywood #30
Spencer Haywood changed the NBA forever with his Supreme Court case (Haywood v. NBA, 1971), allowing players to enter the draft before their college class graduated. He was the ABA MVP and an Olympic gold medalist.
1970 Topps Willie Lanier #54
Willie Lanier was the first Black middle linebacker to star in professional football, breaking a racial barrier at the position. His 1970 Topps card captures the beginning of a Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
1970 Topps Aurelio Rodriguez (Error) #570
The most famous mistaken-identity card in baseball history. Topps accidentally used a photo of Angels batboy Leonard Garcia instead of Rodriguez. The error was never corrected for the entire print run.