Ever wonder what the going rate for 1977 Topps Baseball cards was in the spring of 1977? Well, here’s an advertisement that Ted & Linda Pina placed for them in the March 1977 issue of The Trader Speaks!
You can see that they were offering complete sets for $9.75, vending boxes of 500 cards for $5.25 each, two vending boxes (I have to presume this is what 1,000 cards would be) for $9.89, and additional vending boxes for just $4.49 each. You could also grab a case of 12,000 cards (vending case) for $64.95.
Today’s prices are a touch higher. In April 2025, Collect Auctions sold a single BBCE-wrapped vending box with a Larry Fritsch vault sticker for $2,333.
A few 1977 Topps Baseball Vending Cases have moved in the past few years. REA sold one in the spring of 2018 for $48k, and Heritage has sold a pair, one in August 2022 for $78k and one with more wear in May 2024 for $48k.
High-grade complete sets cost ~$800, which is what the Pinas were offering in 1977. But today, if you’re budget-conscious, lower-grade sets can be found for a few hundred dollars. Happy collecting!
And don’t forget to check out The Unopened Archive for more!