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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- The USS Enterprise
- Captain James T. Kirk
- Dr. “Bones” McCoy
- Science Officer Spock
- Engineer Scott
- Lieutenant Uhura
- Ensign Chekov
- The Phaser – Tomorrow’s Weapon
- The Shuttle Craft
- Opponents
- Energize!
- The Alien Mr. Spock
- Men of the Enterprise
- Story of Voyage One
- “Live Long and Prosper”
- View from the Bridge
- Towards the Unknown
- Enterprise Orbiting Earth
- The Purple Barrier
- Outwitting a God
- Planet Delta Vega
- Charlie’s Law
- Mysterious Cube
- Dwarfed by the Enemy
- Balok’s Alter-Ego
- Last of its Kind
- Frozen World
- Spock Loses Control
- The Naked Time
- The Demon Within
- My Enemy… My Self!
- Monster Android
- Korby’s Folly
- The Duplicate Man
- Balance of Terror
- Attacked by Spores
- Spock Unwinds!
- Duel of Gothos
- Timeship of Lazarus
- Dagger of the Mind
- The Lawgivers
- Hunting the Tunnel Monster
- Battling the Horta
- Strange Communication
- A Startling Discovery
- McCoy… Insane!
- The Guardian of Forver
- Visit to a Hostile City
- Mystery at Star Base 6
- Fate of Captain Pike
- The Talosians
- Ordeal on Rigel Seven
- Capturing the Keeper
- Blasted by the Enemy
- Trapped by the Lizard Creature
- The Gorn Strikes!
- Earthman’s Triumph
- Specimen: Unknown
- Mirror, Mirror
- Spock’s Wedding
- Strangled by Mr. Spock
- Grasp of the Gods
- The Monster Name Nomad
- The Companion
- Journey to Babel
- Death Ship
- The Tholian Web
- The Architects of Pain
- The Mugato
- The Deadly Years
- Ancient Rome Revisited
- The Melkotian
- The Vulcan Mind Meld
- Possessed by Zargon
- Creation of a Humanoid
- Captured by Romulans
- A War of Worlds
- Space Brains
- I, Yameg!
- Death in a Single Cell
- The Uninvited
- The Lights of Zetar
- Invaded by Alien Energy
- Kirk’s Deadliest Foe
- The Trouble with Tribbles
- The Nazi Planet
- The Starship Eater
- Star Trek Lives!
22 Sticker Set
- James Kirk
- Mr. Spock – Unearthly!
- Spock of Vulcan
- Dr. “Bones” McCoy
- Engineer Scott
- Lieutenant Uhura
- Ensign Chekov
- The Starship Enterprise
- Kirk Beaming Up!
- Star Trek Lives!
- Highly Illogical!
- The Keeper
- Commander Balok
- The Mugato
- Lal, the Interrogator
- The Parallel Spock
- Ambassador Gav
- Alien Possession!
- Spock Lives!
- Evil Klingon Kang
- Spock Forever!
- 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.