• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Wander Franco Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Rookie Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Vintage Sports Card News / Hoops Cards on Steroids: 1976-77 Topps Basketball

Hoops Cards on Steroids: 1976-77 Topps Basketball

March 22, 2016 By Rich Mueller

You’re almost tempted to stick a stamp on the back and mail them from your favorite vacation spot.  1976-77 Topps basketball cards certainly feel like postcards.  At 3 1/8” x 5 ¼” these cardboard behemoths represent the largest flagship sports card set ever made.   With a deep Hall of Fame roster and just 144 cards to collect, it’s also one of the most collectible of the 1970s basketball sets

Why did Topps go big in ’76?  A bi-centennial gift to youngsters? Wanting to make a big splash in the first year of the merged ABA and NBA? Needing more space to hold the photos depicting the giant Afros of the day?  Who knows.

We just know it was a glorious Topps Basketball wax box 1976-77time, giving us both the AMC Pacer and the Indiana Pacers.  The Spirit of ’76 and the Philadelphia 76ers.  Three’s Company and the three-pointer.

Despite the increase in the size of its cards, Topps didn’t change the price of a pack.  You still got 10 cards for 15 cents even if you needed a backpack to carry the packs home from the store.

Stars and All-Stars

The ’76-77 set isn’t about rookie cards.  David Thompson, Alvan Adams and Gus Williams are it. This one is strictly about veteran stars.  There are 22 regular issue cards of Hall of Fame players in the 1976-77 Topps basketball set, plus ten All-Star cards, which gi1976-77 Topps basketball cardsve us additional cards of guys like Kareem, Dr. J, Pistol Pete, Elvin Hayes and Rick Barry.

The set features the final cardboard appearances of a few players, notably Billy Cunningham and Bill Bradley.

Snapshots in Time

Erving is card #1, with Topps oddly choosing an idle Doc, sitting on the bench sipping a cold drink.  Often found off-center or with dinged corners, you may spend $100 for a mint, graded example but nice ungraded copies are much less. Barry gets the same Phil Jackson 1976-77 Topps basketball cardbench treatment, but there are other photos that make us forget those forgettable choices.  Pete Maravich on defense, anyone?

Topps used some photos taken the year before.  That’s obvious from the few images that still show players holding the red, white and blue ball of the ABA.  They used a mix of posed action, portraits and action photos (Phil Jackson’s hook shot!), many of which appear to be taken at Washington Bullets games.

The 70s are alive and well here.  Bill Walton could pass for a hooping Amish farmer with his long hair and beard. We get headband wearing Sidney Wicks and Don ‘Slick’ Watts, Steve Kuberski’s porn star mustache. Dwight Jones ready for a night at Billy Paultz 1976-77 Toppsthe disco with his beads, Afro and long sideburns.  Abdul-Bill Walton 1976-77 ToppsJabbar,the often taciturn center sports a huge grin. Billy “Whopper” Paultz’s mother probably told him to get a haircut—or at least find a comb after seeing his unkempt locks.

Tough Cards, Reasonable Pricing

Those who collect high-end graded cards will find a few big challenges here.  #143 Lloyd Free (he wasn’t ‘World B Free’ just yet), #124 Billy Knight, #92 Jimmy Walker, #34 Lucius Allen and #13 Billy Keller are notoriously tough because of centering or placement on the printing sheet that led to damage.  Of the 29,000 cards graded by PSA, fewer than 70 of those cards currently exist at the 9 or 10 grade level.

However, the 1976-77 Topps basketball set is very attainable in ungraded, near mint or better condition for $150-$250 as you can see here.  Keep in mind, that’s less than $10 per Hall of Famer, with the rest of the set coming along for the ride.  Just keep in mind you’ll need those four pocket sheets for postcards to store them.

Click here to see singles, lots, sets and packs on eBay now.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

1969-70 Topps Walt FrazierFive Affordable, Cool Vintage Basketball Cards 1973-74 Topps Basketball Set Low on Rookies; High on HOFers Topps basketball 1972-73 boxBest Vintage Hoops Bargain? 1972-73 Has Doc, HOF Horde Topps Pete Maravich card 1972-73Ten 1970s Basketball Cards for the Hoop History Lover Larry Bird 1981-82 Topps5 Underrated Old Basketball Card Sets Vintage Cards Set Records in Memory Lane Auction 1996-97 Upper Deck Black Diamond Michael JordanCheap Basketball Card Sets Past and Present Dr. J rookie cardJulius Erving Basketball Cards Recall Pro Basketball’s Transition

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]

Filed Under: Old Basketball Card Sets, Popular Stories, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1970s basketball cards, basketball cards, julius erving

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card Auctions
  • Graded Rookie Cards opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Classic Auctions Current Auction Ends June 27, 2023
  • Heritage Auctions Sports Showcase Auction Ends June 24, 2023
  • Goldin’s June Elite Sports Auction Ends June 28, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window