The 1973 Topps baseball card set is considered a classic among collectors and one of the most visually pleasing designs of the 1970s. Featuring photos with a light blue background and players names vertically down the left side, the design had a clean simplicity that has aged very well. The set size was 660 cards and included future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Carl Yastrzemski, and Tom Seaver. For collectors looking to assemble a high grade set of these vintage cards, considering grading with Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has become standard practice.
PSA is the leading third-party authentication and grading service for trading cards. Founded in 2000, PSA utilizes a detailed grading scale of 1-10 to objectively describe a card’s condition and assigns each qualified submission a certificate of authenticity andholder. This provides collectors assurance that the grade accurately represents the card’s integrity and quality. For valuable vintage cards like those from the 1973 Topps set nearing the halfway point of their lifespan, professional grading has become virtually mandatory to properly convey condition to potential buyers or sellers.
Cards from the 1973 Topps set graded by PSA are highly coveted by set builders and investors given the nearly 50-year interval since the cards’ original publication. Earning high numerical grades of 8 or above from PSA requires examples that have been expertly cared for and preserved free of issues like centering problems, corner wear, creasing or edge nicks over many decades stored primarily in paper form. Still, top PSA-graded examples from ’73 Topps can still be located with careful searching and often command prices well in excess of raw copies.
One of the keys attributes inspected closely by PSA graders is the card’s centering under bright lighting conditions. Poor centering was notoriously an issue plaguing many 1970s-era Topps productions and ’73s are no exception. Examples with images noticeably off-center to the right, left, top or bottom will be dinged condition points accordingly even without other surface blemishes. Collectors would be wise to study backed population report data at PSA to get a sense of typical centering quality found amongst submissions. Overly off-center cards rarely qualify above a PSA 5 or 6 in my experience.
Corners are another critical area examined under a microscope by PSA authenticators. Blunted, creased or heavily rounded corners are an instant condition detractor. Fortunately, many 1973 Topps have held up relatively well in this department considering the fragile stock used at the time not intended for long term storage. That said, absolutely sharp corners are required for the highest PSA 8.5-10 condition assignments which understandably few ’73s have achieved to date. Proper handling and safekeeping for nearly fifty years is needed to meet those lofty standards of integrity.
Surface issues involving scuffs, scratches, stains or handling marks also drag grades down with PSA’s number-based system. While a light fingerprint here or there may be overlooked, anything compromising the printed graphics or causing distractions are red flags. Clean, bright surfaces that properly display the card’s visual elements are what authenticate at the top numerical tiers. Again, very few ’73s have maintained such pristine surfaces intact long enough to achieve PSA 8.5-10 status to date. Patience, care and luck are required when pursuing high grade vintage cardboard.
Collecting 1973 Topps baseball cards in PSA-graded holders has become as synonymous with the modern vintage card market as the set itself has been with the era. Condition sensitive grading brings objective analysis to pieces over 45 years old and instills confidence between buyers and sellers. While pristine examples earning mint PSA 9-10 status are exceptionally rare for understandable reasons, still finding ’73s with well-centered images, sharp corners and bright surfaces to net PSA 7s or 8s is quite feasible for diligent collectors. And PSA certification adds provenance and piece of mind for enjoying these beloved relics of 1970s sports memorabilia for years to come.
