1973 marked the 12th year of Topps’ hugely popular annual baseball card releases. The 1973 Topps set contained 714 cards and featured many of the game’s then-current superstars and future Hall of Famers. Even nearly 50 years later, 1973 Topps baseball cards remain highly coveted by collectors both for their nostalgic appeal as well as the talent featured on many of the cards. Unsurprisingly, complete and individual 1973 Topps sets and cards can still fetch premium prices on the popular online marketplace eBay.
Some of the notable rookies featured in the 1973 Topps set included Jon Matlack, Garry Maddox, Bake McBride, and Rick Reuschel. The real stars that year were established names like Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Joe Morgan, Rod Carew, and Johnny Bench. Aaron’s card stands out as he was chasing Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, which he would break that season. Other big names included Tom Seaver, Reggie Jackson, Steve Carlton, and Willie Stargell. The 1973 set also marked Gaylord Perry’s first card with the Cleveland Indians after being traded from the San Francisco Giants.
In terms of condition, most 1973 Topps cards that survive today are well-worn from a half-century of being opened, played with, and traded among enthusiastic young baseball fans. Near mint to mint condition copies in protective sleeves are quite scarce and sell for premium prices. The most coveted cards in any condition usually feature the superstars of that era like Aaron, Jackson, Bench, Ryan, and Carew. But other more obscure or rookie cards can pique collector interest too depending on specific team affiliations or player accomplishments after 1973.
On eBay, complete 1973 Topps baseball card sets in well-kept condition frequently sell in the $150-350 range. Very nicely centered near mint sets can reach into the low $500s. Individual star player commons from the set commonly sell from $1-5 but true gems graded mint or better by services like PSA or BGS can reach $50-100 depending on the player. Key rookies like Matlack, Maddox, or McBride in top condition may sell for $10-30 each. Superstar rookies or cards are predictably more expensive – a PSA-graded GEM MT 10 Nolan Ryan rookie would sell for well over $1,000.
Other specific 1973 Topps cards that often demand higher prices on eBay include the Hank Aaron record breaker card (in pristine condition over $150), the card picturing Jackson stealing home ($15-40 depending on condition), Bench’s card ($15-50), and any of the cards showing perfect pitching performances that season like Seaver’s 10-strikeout card ($15-40). Each team’s complete team set can sell for $40-150 depending on the franchise and condition of the rubber-stamped issue cards included. For investors, sealed unopened 1973 Topps wax packs are true prizes that can be resold for many multiples of their original $0.10 cost.
Error and oddball 1973 Topps cards tend to attract higher prices than commons too since they represent irregularities or unusual variations from the standard issued cards. For example, Hank Aaron’s card mistakenly listing his team as the Milwaukee Brewers instead of the Atlanta Braves is highly sought after from collectors. Another oddball is a test promotional card picturing Thurman Munson that was mistakenly included without a team logo and is quite scarce. Often these unusual fringe issues from the 1973 set can sell for over $50 on eBay depending on their significance and survival population estimates.
The 1973 Topps baseball card set remains a hugely popular and recognizable vintage release even after nearly 50 years on the market. Notable for featuring stars of that generation like Aaron chasing history and young future Hall of Famers like Ryan just starting out, complete or individual 1973 Topps cards can often fetch high prices from dedicated collectors on eBay. Whether bidding on a full mint set, rare refractors, autographs, or singular star player cards, 1973 Topps continues to excite bidding wars on the website as collectors pursue the iconic cardboard of their childhood summers at the ballpark. Keeping condition, star power, and any unusual variations or error factors in mind will serve buyers well seeking investment-worthy 1973 Topps cardboard to enjoy or potentially resell for profit later on.
