The 1973 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic issues in the company’s storied history. Featuring many legendary players from the 1970s era such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Nolan Ryan, and Bob Gibson, the 1973 set holds significant nostalgia and collector value. With PSA having graded thousands of these cards over the years, they have developed a detailed price guide to help collectors understand the marketplace values for graded examples in various states of preservation.
The set has 525 total cards featuring all players from the American and National Leagues. Top rookie cards include Dick Allen, Joe Morgan, and Jon Matlack. The design features a photo of the player along with their team logo and positional information below. Card stock was of reasonable quality for the early 1970s. Topps would switch to a thicker, higher grade stock in subsequent years that better protected the printed images.
In terms of PSA population reporting, the 1973 set has seen over 50,000 total cards graded across all levels as of 2022. The most common certified grades are Poor 1, Good 2, and Very Good 3. Receiving a high grade of Mint 9 or Gem Mint 10 proves quite challenging for the majority of issues due to the thinner stock being more prone to minor edgewear and surface scuffs accumulating over the decades.
Let’s take a look at some key PSA price guide values across different star player cards and high-end grades:
Hank Aaron (Milwaukee Braves):
PSA 3 – $50
PSA 5 – $150
PSA 8 – $450
PSA 9 – $1,500
Nolan Ryan (California Angels):
PSA 3 – $30
PSA 5 – $80
PSA 8 – $350
PSA 9 – $1,200
Willie Mays (San Francisco Giants):
PSA 3 – $75
PSA 5 – $200
PSA 8 – $650
PSA 9 – $2,200
Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds):
PSA 3 – $35
PSA 5 – $100
PSA 8 – $400
PSA 9 – $1,400
As you can see, population reporting services like PSA provide invaluable context on appropriate valuation ranges given the graded condition of iconic cards from sets like the 1973 Topps issue. While a PSA 3 may fetch $30-75 for star players, moving up to an ultra-sharp PSA 9 can increase values well over 10X into the $1,000-2,000 range depending on the name.
For common players and less sought-after rookie cards, PSA prices are understandably lower:
Ken Brett (Kansas City Royals):
PSA 3 – $5
PSA 5 – $15
PSA 8 – $50
PSA 9 – $100
George Scott (Milwaukee Brewers):
PSA 3 – $3
PSA 5 – $10
PSA 8 – $25
PSA 9 – $50
Dick Allen (Chicago White Sox):
PSA 3 – $15
PSA 5 – $35
PSA 8 – $100
PSA 9 – $250
Even mint condition examples of role players seldom exceed $100 in value, showing the considerable influence star power has on the potential prices fetchable for a given graded card.
Beyond individual players, the 1973 Topps set as a whole has also seen strong PSA-graded set registry prices in recent auction results:
PSA 2 Set (548 cards): $2,000
PSA 3 Set: $3,500
PSA 4 Set: $6,000
PSA 5 Set: $12,000
PSA 6 Set: $18,000
PSA 8 Set: $30,000+
A true gem mint PSA 10 set would undoubtedly sell for well into the five figures considering the rarity of achieving that grade across every issue in the set. The 1973 Topps registry also boosts prices due to the iconic designed and historical nostalgia it holds for collectors and investors.
While raw examples of 1973 Topps cards remain quite affordable for most collectors to start a collection, those seeking a sound long-term investment or a true condition census piece have a highly informative guide in PSA’s price ranges across the popular star rookies and complete set offerings. Whether you collect for fun or profit, third-party grading brings transparency and standardization critical to understanding values in the hobby.
