The 1971 Topps baseball card set was issued by Topps during the 1971 baseball season. It is the 20th year of production for Topps baseball cards and contains 660 total cards. Several key events from the 1970 MLB season are highlighted in the cards including the Baltimore Orioles winning the World Series over the Cincinnati Reds.
Some key facts about the 1971 Topps set:
Size: The standard card size was 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches continuing the common dimensions Topps had used since 1951.
Photos: For the first time, all player photos were taken vertically instead of at an angle, giving the cards a more modern look. Color photos were used throughout the set.
Design: The basic card design featured a color team logo at the top with the player’s name and position below. Statistical info was provided on the back along with a write-up on each player.
Printing: Like most modern Topps sets, offset lithography was used to print the cards which had a glossy finish. The quality and durability of the printing was very high.
Roster: All 24 major league teams were represented in full including all 40-man rosters. This was one of the first post-expansion era sets to include all teams.
Managers/Coaches: For the first time, manager and coach cards were included in the base set, with one card devoted to each team’s staff.
Rookies: Notable rookies featured included Gary Matthews, Dave Cash, and Tom Hausman among many others.
Short Prints: While not truly short prints, the manager/coach cards could be considered proto-short prints since they were not player cards.
Checklist: As with most early 1970s sets, no official checklist card was included. Instead, the back of card #660 listed complete player and manager/coach card contents.
In terms of player distribution and statistics on the cards, some additional details:
Statistics: Batting and pitching stats from the previous 1970 season were prominently displayed on the backs. Fielding stats remained excluded at this point.
Teams: The most heavily represented teams were the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, and Montreal Expos who each had 63 or more cards in the set due to their larger 40-man rosters.
Superstars: Top players of the era like Hank Aaron, Harmon Killebrew, Johnny Bench, and Tom Seaver all had prominent early serial number cards as was typical.
Veterans: Many iconic stars of the 1950s and early 60s like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Warren Spahn still had active player cards despite nearing retirement.
Rookie Stars: Future Hall of Famers like George Brett and Dan Quisenberry made their Topps debut in the set as Kansas City Athletics/Royals farmhands.
From a collector standpoint, some key aspects that add to the 1971 set’s appeal include:
Star Rarity: High-number cards of superstars are quite scarce in Gem Mint condition given the print run size and demand when issued.
Unopened Packs: Finding unopened wax packs of the 1971 set is very difficult but packs still turn up occasionally and command high prices.
Complete Sets: PSA/Beckett magazines price complete original issue sets in top grades from $1,500-$3,000 depending on condition due to supply and demand factors.
Key Cards: High-grade copies of rookie stars, the entire manager checklist, and #1 cards have achieved auction prices over $100 in recent years.
Vital Statistics: The 1971 set marked emerging stars at beginning of careers and longtime veterans nearing the end, making its stats and photo archives very historically significant.
The 1971 Topps set is considered an important transitional issue that moved the cardboard collecting hobby into a new modern design era. Along with its statistical and photographic record of the era’s great players, these factors still make 1971 Topps a highly desirable set for both casual fans and serious vintage collectors alike. Overall it represents an iconic and important year in the long history of Topps baseball cards.
