1976 Star Trek Trading Cards (Topps)


1976 Topps Star Trek Trading Cards Pack
1976 Topps Star Trek Trading Cards Pack

I’ve been a Star Trek fan for pretty much my entire life, so you can bet your bottom dollar that I have Topps 1976 Star Trek trading cards and stickers in my collection. Some are PSA graded, while others are not graded. I have multiple sets and many duplicates, so if you’re ever looking for a specific card, let me know.

Anyways, let’s get into the details of the 1976 Star Trek trading cards and stickers. Sound good?

About 1976 Star Trek Trading Cards

This was the first mainstream set released in the United States since the 1967 Star Trek trading card set made by Leaf. It was also the first US set released in color. The 1969 A&BC Star Trek trading card set is also a popular set and was also released in color. However, this set was released in the UK, not the US. That is why the 1976 Topps Star Trek set is so popular. The set consists of 88 trading cards and 22 Star Trek stickers. Topps was the manufacturer of this beautiful Star Trek trading card set. (Can you tell I’m really a fan of this collection?)

Also, just to switch directions for a quick moment, if you find yourself enjoying this set, you might also want to learn about the 1979 Paul’s Ice Cream Star Trek cards as well. They’re not as valuable or popular among collectors, but the cards are really nice.

The front of 1976 Star Trek trading cards feature an image from an episode with a short one-line title or description of the card. Each card features a small yellow Enterprise in the front corner as well. On the back is the “Captain’s Log”, which describes the character, scene, or episode, depending on the card. For that reason, the set is sometimes referred to as the “Star Trek Captain’s Log Set”. For cards that represent an episode, the back also lists what episode it was from. If it’s not an episode card, there is an advertisement for the original Star Trek movie.

The cards are 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches in size. Each pack came with a stick of gum, five trading cards, and one 1976 Star Trek sticker. Each box contained 36 packs. These cards are notorious for gum stains on them.

What Happened to Sulu?

Although there is no checklist, card number 13 lists the top-billed cast on the back of the card. Unfortunately, George Takei, who played Sulu is not on this list. Worse than that, there’s no Sulu card anywhere in the 1976 Star Trek trading cards. Not even the stickers. In fact, he’s not even in any of the backgrounds.

Why? I don’t think anyone is actually sure (and if they are, they’re not saying), but there are several theories. I wish I had a definitive answer for you, but I don’t. Here are the most popular theories:

  1. Sulu wasn’t considered a main character until the movies were released. If you’re a TOS fanatic, you’ll know that they never really dug into Sulu’s character until other series or movies came out years later. This is a possible reason that no cards were made with Sulu on them.
  2. George Takei was actively involved in other work, which some of the producers struggled with. They may not have wanted him on cards for this reason.
  3. George may have declined to have his image used for the set.

When I first started collecting 1976 Star Trek trading cards, I found it kind of disappointing. Sulu is obviously a great part of the cast and it’s a shame that he was left out of this set.

Checklist

Let’s take a look at each of the 1976 Star Trek trading cards. This list shows the card number and title description on the front of the card. You can also click on each card for more detailed information.

88 Card Set

  1. The USS Enterprise
  2. Captain James T. Kirk
  3. Dr. “Bones” McCoy
  4. Science Officer Spock
  5. Engineer Scott
  6. Lieutenant Uhura
  7. Ensign Chekov
  8. The Phaser – Tomorrow’s Weapon
  9. The Shuttle Craft
  10. Opponents
  11. Energize!
  12. The Alien Mr. Spock
  13. Men of the Enterprise
  14. Story of Voyage One
  15. “Live Long and Prosper”
  16. View from the Bridge
  17. Towards the Unknown
  18. Enterprise Orbiting Earth
  19. The Purple Barrier
  20. Outwitting a God
  21. Planet Delta Vega
  22. Charlie’s Law
  23. Mysterious Cube
  24. Dwarfed by the Enemy
  25. Balok’s Alter-Ego
  26. Last of its Kind
  27. Frozen World
  28. Spock Loses Control
  29. The Naked Time
  30. The Demon Within
  31. My Enemy… My Self!
  32. Monster Android
  33. Korby’s Folly
  34. The Duplicate Man
  35. Balance of Terror
  36. Attacked by Spores
  37. Spock Unwinds!
  38. Duel of Gothos
  39. Timeship of Lazarus
  40. Dagger of the Mind
  41. The Lawgivers
  42. Hunting the Tunnel Monster
  43. Battling the Horta
  44. Strange Communication
  45. A Startling Discovery
  46. McCoy… Insane!
  47. The Guardian of Forver
  48. Visit to a Hostile City
  49. Mystery at Star Base 6
  50. Fate of Captain Pike
  51. The Talosians
  52. Ordeal on Rigel Seven
  53. Capturing the Keeper
  54. Blasted by the Enemy
  55. Trapped by the Lizard Creature
  56. The Gorn Strikes!
  57. Earthman’s Triumph
  58. Specimen: Unknown
  59. Mirror, Mirror
  60. Spock’s Wedding
  61. Strangled by Mr. Spock
  62. Grasp of the Gods
  63. The Monster Name Nomad
  64. The Companion
  65. Journey to Babel
  66. Death Ship
  67. The Tholian Web
  68. The Architects of Pain
  69. The Mugato
  70. The Deadly Years
  71. Ancient Rome Revisited
  72. The Melkotian
  73. The Vulcan Mind Meld
  74. Possessed by Zargon
  75. Creation of a Humanoid
  76. Captured by Romulans
  77. A War of Worlds
  78. Space Brains
  79. I, Yameg!
  80. Death in a Single Cell
  81. The Uninvited
  82. The Lights of Zetar
  83. Invaded by Alien Energy
  84. Kirk’s Deadliest Foe
  85. The Trouble with Tribbles
  86. The Nazi Planet
  87. The Starship Eater
  88. Star Trek Lives!

22 Sticker Set

  1. James Kirk
  2. Mr. Spock – Unearthly!
  3. Spock of Vulcan
  4. Dr. “Bones” McCoy
  5. Engineer Scott
  6. Lieutenant Uhura
  7. Ensign Chekov
  8. The Starship Enterprise
  9. Kirk Beaming Up!
  10. Star Trek Lives!
  11. Highly Illogical!
  12. The Keeper
  13. Commander Balok
  14. The Mugato
  15. Lal, the Interrogator
  16. The Parallel Spock
  17. Ambassador Gav
  18. Alien Possession!
  19. Spock Lives!
  20. Evil Klingon Kang
  21. Spock Forever!
  22. The Romulan Vessel

1976 Star Trek Trading Cards Value

I’m sure you’re wondering what these cards are worth. Despite the large inventory available, these cards have a very strong market and command higher prices than you would expect. Why? Simple. Star Trek is popular.

In some cases, collectors have paid over $2,000 dollars for a single card in this set. There aren’t many PSA 10s available (103 at the time of writing this), so they can be quite valuable. I regret selling one of my PSA 10s in this set for only $275. I’d take it back if I could.

You can get most of the cards for around $10 to $15 a piece in NM-MT (PSA 8) condition. You can also get an ungraded set for around $100.00

These prices often pull more than book value due to the demand for these cards. I’ve paid well over $100 for a PSA 9 (book value is $45) with a low population if no 10 exists.

Also, be sure to check out my article about the top 10 1976 Star Trek trading cards for investors.

What Next?

If you like this set but are looking for something a little less common, you might be interested in the 1975 Star Trek stickers. I also referenced many other Star Trek sets throughout this article, so be sure to check them out as well.

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