15 Most Valuable 1971 Topps Football Cards
To commemorate the AFL and NFL merger of 1970, the 1971 Topps football card set delivered a bright and vivid design that helped collectors easily distinguish between players from each conference.
Red borders surrounded AFC players while NFC players found themselves in a sea of blue.
Oh, and All-Stars had borders that were divided by both red and blue.
While the design was brilliant, Topps had no idea they were creating the most challenging set of the 1970s…
Those red and blue borders are easy on the eye, yes, but they also easily show the slightest dings and wear.
As a result, finding cards in this set in mint condition is extremely tough.
Condition issues aside, though, it’s a fantastic set loaded with Hall of Famers and key rookies.
And in this guide, I’ll run through the 15 most valuable.
Let’s jump right in!
1971 Topps Football Set Snapshot
SET DETAILS
263
GRADING ANALYSIS
80,704
TOTAL GRADED BY PSA
24,598
PSA 8 Population
30.5%
PSA 8 Grade Rate
MOST GRADED CARDS
1
#156 Terry Bradshaw
8.5%
6,854
2
#245 Joe Greene
4.3%
3,488
3
#1 John Unitas
3.1%
2,463
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Ross Uitts – Owner
Ross’s Take
Released in two series, the 1971 Topps football set featured a 263-card checklist loaded with star power and some of the most iconic rookie cards of the vintage era.
The bright colors and fantastic design offered plenty for collectors to enjoy, but if that weren’t enough, Topps also included one game card and one poster in each wax pack.
The game card insert set included 52 player cards and one card that helped gamers keep track of downs and field position.
There’s just so much to love with this set that keeps it high on the want lists of many vintage football collectors.
