With the psychedelic borders and bubble letters, the 1972 Topps Baseball cards set produced one of the most interesting designs in hobby history.
The release contained 787 cards, which at the time was the largest Topps set ever. Collectors had plenty to look at, including Hall of Famers, rising stars, and memorable subsets.
David Gonos of the Happy Hobby Newsletter shared his view on the 10 best cards from this release. So, I picked my five favorites for us to look at in more detail.
Editor’s Note: Looking to Sell Sports Cards? Here’s How to Do It Quickly & Easily
5 Must-Have 1972 Topps Baseball Cards
Here are a handful of cards that Gonos highlighted from this release. All pricing information has been sourced from Sports Cards Pro data, unless otherwise noted:
via Sports Cards Pro
Hank Aaron #299: Aaron’s base card from this set currently trades around $300-$1,000 in PSA 8 condition, with a PSA 10 example selling via Heritage in 2022 for $32,400.
via Sports Cards Pro
Roberto Clemente #309: Clemente’s haunting final base card in PSA 10 condition has consistently sold for more than $20,000 since 2022.
via Sports Cards Pro
Carlton Fisk/Cecil Cooper/Mike Garman (RC) #79: There were eight sales of this rookie card in 2025, with prices ranging from $950 to $1,855.
via Sports Cards Pro
Tom Seaver #445: Tom Terrific’s card in PSA 8 condition trades around $100-$350, with PSA 9 examples consistently surpassing $1,000.
via Sports Cards Pro
Willie Mays in Action #50: The Say Hey Kid’s action card has sold for nearly $2,000 on average in PSA 9 condition, with PSA 10 examples going above $10,000.
Roberto Clemente’s Poignant Swan Song
The value of Clemente’s card goes beyond what we typically see in collectibles. When this card was released, the legendary outfielder was on the verge of getting his 3,000th career hit, which he eventually achieved on September 30. That was unfortunately the final hit of his Hall of Fame career since he’d die that December in a plane crash while delivering humanitarian aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.
Part of what makes this card so significant is how Clemente is pictured. It looks like he’s deep in thought while tossing a baseball up and down. The “psychedelic tombstone” design takes on haunting significance with Clemente’s final base card.
PSA has graded over 2,500 examples, but only 25 have achieved gem mint PSA 10 status due to centering issues that plagued the entire 1972 production run.
Tom Seaver’s Timeless Brilliance
Seaver’s 1972 card captures the Mets ace fresh off a 1971 campaign in which he posted a 20-10 record while leading the league with a 1.76 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 289 strikeouts in 286.1 innings.
The right-hander had a close relationship with Mets manager Gil Hodges, who died suddenly of a heart attack on April 2, 1972. Despite that loss, The Franchise rose above to put together what had become a typical season for him in Queens. He went 21-12 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 249 strikeouts in 262 innings pitched during his age-27 campaign.
I love the picture they snapped of Seaver for this card. You’ve got a perfect blue sky in the background, and while he’s mimicking the follow-through of his delivery, you also get a glimpse of him doing it in his warm-up jacket.
The 1972 Topps Legacy in Today’s Hobby
Beyond individual player cards, the 1972 Topps release revolutionized what collectors expected from baseball card sets. This was the first Topps issue to feature “In Action” subset cards scattered throughout the checklist. This included over 70 action shots of popular players, giving collectors two different cards of stars like Aaron, Bench, and Mays.
The set also introduced “Boyhood Photos” subsets, “Traded” cards showing players in their new uniforms, and Awards cards, which became standard elements in future releases.
What really cements the 1972 Topps set’s place in hobby history is how perfectly it captured its moment in time. Those wild colors, funky fonts, and bold designs reflected the early ’70s quite well.
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