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 ten most valuable.

Let's jump right in!

There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history.

This set marked the end of an era in which Topps was the only mainstream company with the MLB's blessing to print baseball cards.

The legal system would clear the way for Donruss and Fleer to enter the market in 1981, sparking a ramp-up in competition that led to an overheated decade of baseball card production.

For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980.

And they delivered a great set with many stars and Hall of Famers...and one of the biggest rookie cards of the 1980s.

In this guide, I will cover the 15 most valuable in the set.

Let's jump right in...