Manufacturer: Topps
Set Size: 726 Cards
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Set Notes: While the rookie class of 1979 is not a huge draw for collectors in general, one big name rookie stands out in 1979 Topps far above the rest, Ozzie Smith. The 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith rookie can command high prices in mint condition. Finding cards from this set in high grade can be a challenge as centering issues are very common. 1979 Topps features a large photo of the player, a color banner at bottom with team name and player name above. The Topps logo with in a baseball sits bottom left on most cards. The tight boarder can pronounce the centering issues but really look sharp with centered cards. Backs have player stats and information printed in green and black ink.
Key Rookies From 1979 Topps: 116 – Ozzie Smith | 409 – Willie Wilson | 586 – Bob Horner
Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information.
(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
(–) : No Pricing Data Available | ($) USD Price Value | (¢) USD Price Under $1
The Free 1979 Topps Rookie Card Price Guide
Tracking the current market value for the 1979 Topps Baseball Rookie Cards. Below, find updated pricing data for ungraded (raw) copies, as well as verified PSA graded sales trends collected from secondary marketplaces.
| Rookie | Card # | Raw | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Rawley | 74 | 75¢ | - | $25 | $225 | - |
| Roger Erickson | 81 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $28 | $50 |
| Bob Molinaro | 88 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $30 | $850 |
| Ozzie Smith | 116 | $25 | $160 | $550 | $4,500 | $77,000 |
| Larry Wolfe | 137 | 50¢ | - | $12 | $15 | $50 |
| Mark Lee | 138 | 50¢ | - | $5 | $35 | - |
| Luis Pujols | 139 | $1 | - | $6 | $20 | $100 |
| Buddy Solomon | 156 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $20 | $100 |
| Mike Bruhert | 172 | 50¢ | - | - | $20 | $150 |
| Jim Beattie | 179 | $1 | $15 | $16 | $20 | $42 |
| Eddie Whitson | 189 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $40 | - |
| Carney Lansford | 212 | $2 | $12 | $30 | $50 | $400 |
| Bob Beall | 222 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $22 | $100 |
| Jimmy Sexton | 232 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $45 | $200 |
| Darrell Jackson | 246 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $31 | - |
| Don Robinson | 264 | 50¢ | - | $20 | $60 | $900 |
| Don Reynolds | 292 | $1 | - | $15 | $35 | $75 |
| Preston Hanna | 296 | 75¢ | - | $8 | $45 | - |
| Rich Gale | 298 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $24 | - |
| Bob Welch | 318 | $2 | $8 | $17 | $18 | $350 |
| Danny Goodwin | 322 | 75¢ | - | - | $30 | - |
| Bobby Thompson | 336 | 75¢ | - | - | $45 | $135 |
| Willie Upshaw | 341 | $1 | $6 | $12 | $45 | - |
| Jim Wright | 349 | 75¢ | - | $8 | $20 | $100 |
| Tom Dixon | 361 | 75¢ | - | $30 | - | - |
| Craig Skok | 363 | 50¢ | $6 | - | $20 | - |
| Jeff Holly | 371 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $25 | $80 |
| Randy Stein | 394 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $20 | - |
| Willie Wilson | 409 | $2 | $10 | $55 | $140 | $2,250 |
| Andy Replogle | 427 | 50¢ | - | $15 | $40 | - |
| Rick Williams | 437 | 50¢ | - | $22 | $25 | $65 |
| Horace Speed | 438 | 50¢ | $6 | $15 | $30 | - |
| Chuck Baker | 456 | 50¢ | $7 | - | $10 | $40 |
| Steve Comer | 463 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $15 | - |
| Dick Davis | 474 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $22 | $138 |
| Junior Kennedy | 501 | 75¢ | - | $32 | $165 | - |
| Larry McWilliams | 504 | 50¢ | - | $6 | $53 | - |
| Mike Proly | 514 | 75¢ | - | $16 | $45 | - |
| Bob Horner | 586 | $2 | $18 | $40 | $75 | $1,035 |
| Silvio Martinez | 609 | 50¢ | - | - | $40 | $625 |
| Rick Honeycutt | 612 | $1 | - | $10 | $16 | $165 |
| Mike Edwards | 613 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $35 | $1,000 |
| Ken Landreaux | 619 | 50¢ | $7 | $10 | $155 | - |
| Gary Serum | 627 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $15 | - |
| Rob Wilfong | 633 | 50¢ | - | $13 | $20 | - |
| Bobby Castillo | 641 | $1 | - | $10 | $160 | - |
| Stan Papi | 652 | 50¢ | - | $10 | - | - |
| Taylor Duncan | 658 | 50¢ | - | $15 | - | - |
| Johnny Sutton | 676 | $1 | - | $10 | $30 | $75 |
| Hal Dues | 699 | 50¢ | - | $12 | $16 | $90 |
| Orioles Prospects: Corey / Flinn / Stewart | 701 | $1 | - | $10 | $20 | $160 |
| Red Sox Prospects: Finch / Hancock / Ripley | 702 | $1 | - | $6 | $17 | $100 |
| Angels Prospects: Anderson / Frost / Slater | 703 | $1 | - | $10 | $12 | $125 |
| White Sox Prospects: Baumgarten / Colbern / Squires | 704 | $1 | - | $12 | $15 | $250 |
| Indians Prospects: Griffin / Norrid / Oliver | 705 | $1 | $12 | $15 | $35 | $100 |
| Tigers Prospects: Stegman / Tobik / Young | 706 | 50¢ | $10 | - | $20 | $70 |
| Royals Prospects: Bass / Gaudet / McGilberry | 707 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $20 | $75 |
| Brewers Prospects: Bass / Romero / Yost | 708 | $2 | - | $10 | $30 | $80 |
| Twins Prospects: Perlozzo / Sofield / Stanfield | 709 | $1 | - | $13 | $15 | $50 |
| Yankees Prospects: Doyle / Heath / Rajsich | 710 | 75¢ | - | $12 | $30 | $42 |
| A's Prospects: Murphy / Robinson / Wirth | 711 | $1 | - | $22 | $25 | $120 |
| Mariners Prospects: Anderson / Biercevicz / McLaughlin | 712 | 50¢ | - | $10 | $20 | $40 |
| Prospects: Darwin / Putnam / Sample | 713 | $1 | - | $5 | $15 | $100 |
| Blue Jays Prospects: Cruz / Kelly / Witt | 714 | 50¢ | $20 | - | $30 | - |
| Braves Prospects: Benedict / Hubbard / Whisenton | 715 | 75¢ | $15 | - | $20 | $60 |
| Cubs Prospects: Geisel / Pagel / Thompson | 716 | 50¢ | - | $5 | $20 | - |
| Reds Prospects: LaCoss / Oester / Spilman | 717 | $1 | $15 | $25 | $30 | $90 |
| Astros Prospects: Bochy / Fischlin / Pisker | 718 | $2 | $10 | $23 | $30 | $300 |
| Dodgers Prospects: Guerrero / Law / Simpson | 719 | $2 | $10 | $20 | $25 | $375 |
| Expos Prospects: Jerry / Pirtle / Sanderson | 720 | 75¢ | $10 | $20 | - | $85 |
| Mets Prospects: Berenguer / Bernar / Norman | 721 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $35 | $80 |
| Phillies Prospects: Morrison / Smith / Wright | 722 | $1 | $13 | $16 | $20 | $135 |
| Pirates Prospects: Berra / Cotes / Wiltbank | 723 | 75¢ | $10 | $25 | $26 | $260 |
| Cardinals Prospects: Bruno / Frazier / Kennedy | 724 | $1 | $6 | $15 | $42 | $95 |
| Padres Prospects: Beswick / Mura / Perkins | 725 | 75¢ | - | $6 | - | $62 |
| Giants Prospects: Johnston / Strain / Tamargo | 726 | $1 | $10 | - | $20 | $68 |
| Data Updated: June 2026 | ||||||
Overview for 1979 Topps Baseball Cards
The 1979 Topps Baseball card set is a notable collection from the late 1970s, featuring 726 cards. It’s particularly recognized for its iconic rookie card of Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, as well as including cards for many other legendary players.
Design: The card fronts feature a color photograph of the player, with their name printed directly below the image. The team name is displayed across the bottom of the card within a colored banner. A small white baseball with the Topps logo is located on the lower left front.
Notable Rookie Cards: Ozzie Smith Rookie Card (#116): This is by far the most valuable card in the set. Due to production issues like off-centering and print defects, finding this card in high grades (especially PSA 10) is extremely difficult, making pristine examples very rare and valuable. Willie Upshaw (#341) and Bob Horner (#586).
Rookie Prospects (701-726): These cards typically feature three players per card, grouped by team.
Condition Sensitivity: A significant characteristic of the 1979 Topps set is its condition sensitivity. Many cards, particularly the rookie prospects like Ozzie Smith, suffer from centering issues and print defects, making high-grade examples challenging to find and thus more valuable.
Overall Value of a Complete Set: The value of a complete 1979 Topps baseball card set can vary significantly based on the overall condition of the cards, especially the key rookie cards. Unopened wax packs, cello packs, and rack packs from 1979 are also available and can be highly sought after by collectors hoping to pull a high-grade Ozzie Smith rookie.
1979 Topps Baseball Card Set FAQ
Q: What is the most famous uncorrected team error card to hunt for?
A: The definitive error hunt belongs to card #369, Bump Wills. In the earliest printing run, the front of the card features a photograph of Wills in his Texas Rangers uniform, but Topps accidentally printed his team affiliation as the Toronto Blue Jays. They quickly noticed the blunder and corrected subsequent printing plates to accurately read “Texas Rangers.”
Q: What notable veteran stars and unique subsets anchor this checklist?
A: The front of the checklist (#1–8) is dedicated to the 1978 League Leaders, pairing up elite legends on shared cards—including card #6, which shares space between Nolan Ryan and J.R. Richard as the strikeout kings. The set also boasts elite second-year cards for Hall of Famers Paul Molitor (card #24) and Eddie Murray (card #640), alongside flagship veteran staples like Dave Winfield (card #30), Nolan Ryan (card #115), and George Brett (card #330).
Popular Rookie Cards From 1979 Topps Baseball
