Manufacturer: Topps
Set Size: 660 Cards
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Set Notes: In 1973 Topps took a much more conservative approach when it came to design. The fronts of the cards feature a large color player photo surrounded by a black stroke line and white boarder. Player name and team in block text and a symbol for position within a color circle. Backs are black and gold with stats, comic strip and other player information. 1973 is the smallest Topps set from the 70’s with only 660 cards. These baseball cards are very tough to find in mint condition as centering issues plagued most of them, especially on the back side.
Key Rookies From 1973 Topps: | 174 – Rich “Goose” Gossage | 391 – Lee Lacy | 615 – Mike Schmidt
Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information.
(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
(–) : No Pricing Data Available | ($) USD Price Value | (¢) USD Price Under $1
1973 Topps Rookie Card Prices
| Rookie | Card # | Raw | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Scarce | 6 | $2 | $13 | - | $20 | $250 |
| Buddy Bell | 31 | $3 | $25 | $50 | $185 | - |
| Jim Breazeale | 33 | $1 | - | $15 | $20 | - |
| Tom Walker | 41 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $20 | - |
| Randy Moffitt | 43 | 75¢ | $7 | $9 | $20 | - |
| Chuck Seelbach | 51 | 75¢ | $8 | $10 | $20 | - |
| Steve Yeager | 59 | $2 | $16 | $25 | $54 | - |
| Jim Willoughby | 79 | $1 | $7 | $13 | $20 | $240 |
| Celerino Sanchez | 103 | $1 | - | $10 | $22 | - |
| Lynn McGlothen | 114 | $1 | $7 | $10 | $20 | - |
| Dave Roberts | 133 | $1 | $10 | $15 | $80 | - |
| Carmen Fanzone | 139 | $1 | $7 | $12 | $25 | - |
| Dave Goltz | 148 | $2 | - | $10 | $25 | $225 |
| Ron Schueler | 169 | $2 | - | $10 | $200 | - |
| Rich Gossage | 174 | $10 | $35 | $185 | $620 | $8,550 |
| Bill Plummer | 177 | 75¢ | $9 | $11 | $20 | - |
| Don Rose | 178 | 75¢ | - | $18 | $40 | - |
| Jack Brohamer | 181 | $1 | $7 | $10 | $35 | - |
| Mike Caldwell | 182 | 75¢ | - | $22 | $30 | - |
| Jorge Orta | 194 | $1 | - | $15 | $30 | - |
| Ed Goodson | 197 | $1 | $5 | $15 | $22 | - |
| Dave Hamilton | 214 | $1 | $7 | $13 | $22 | - |
| Bill North | 234 | $1 | - | $15 | $40 | $150 |
| Tony Muser | 238 | $1 | $10 | $15 | $20 | $180 |
| Joe Lovitto | 276 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $25 | - |
| Glenn Borgmann | 284 | $1 | - | $10 | $20 | $345 |
| Garry Maddox | 322 | $1 | $10 | $40 | $115 | - |
| John Felske | 332 | $1 | - | $20 | $35 | - |
| Don Stanhouse | 352 | 75¢ | - | $10 | $20 | - |
| Cy Acosta | 379 | $1 | - | $11 | $25 | - |
| Lee Lacy | 391 | $2 | $15 | $20 | $30 | - |
| John Vukovich | 451 | $1 | - | $10 | $30 | $2,000 |
| Jim Howarth | 459 | $1 | - | $15 | $20 | - |
| Dan Monzon | 469 | $2 | - | $9 | $33 | - |
| Rick Reuschel | 482 | $3 | $50 | $75 | $265 | - |
| Danny Ozark | 486 | $2 | - | $15 | $35 | - |
| Bill Slayback | 537 | $2 | - | $10 | $25 | $512 |
| Don Durham | 548 | $3 | - | $45 | - | - |
| Jim Geddes | 561 | $2 | $6 | $18 | $180 | - |
| Mike Thompson | 564 | $2 | $12 | $15 | $25 | - |
| Eric Soderholm | 577 | $2 | $7 | $15 | $25 | - |
| Jack McKeon | 593 | $3 | - | $45 | - | - |
| Vic Harris | 594 | $2 | $15 | $25 | $1,000 | - |
| Rookie Catchers - Robles / Pena / Stelmaszek | 601 | $3 | $10 | $34 | $90 | - |
| Rookie Pitchers - Behney / Garcia / Rau | 602 | $3 | $10 | $13 | $60 | - |
| Rookie Third Basemen - Hughes / McNulty / Reitz | 603 | $4 | $15 | $40 | $1,700 | - |
| Rookie Pitchers - Jefferson / O'Toole / Strampe | 604 | $4 | - | $90 | $125 | - |
| Rookie First Basemen - Cabell / Bourque / Marquez | 605 | $5 | $10 | $22 | $80 | - |
| Rookie Outfielders - Matthews / Paciorek / Roque | 606 | $5 | $10 | $30 | $78 | $1,900 |
| Rookie Shortstops - Frias / Busse / Guerrero | 607 | $4 | $12 | $17 | $50 | - |
| Rookie Pitchers - Busby / Colpaert / Medich | 608 | $4 | - | $20 | $760 | - |
| Rookie Second Basemen – Blanks / Garcia / Lopes | 609 | $8 | $30 | $50 | $155 | - |
| Rookie Pitchers - Freeman / Hough / Webb | 610 | $7 | $10 | $20 | $35 | - |
| Rookie Outfielders - Coggins / Wohlford / Zisk | 611 | $3 | $15 | $20 | $35 | - |
| Rookie Pitchers - Lawson / Reynolds / Strom | 612 | $3 | $10 | $25 | $40 | - |
| Rookie Catchers - Boone / Jutze / Ivie | 613 | $4 | $22 | $35 | $170 | - |
| Rookie Outfielders - Bumbry / Evans / Spikes | 614 | $18 | $130 | $295 | $1,000 | - |
| Rookie Third Basemen – Cey / Hilton / Schmidt | 615 | $150 | $560 | $1,735 | $9,400 | - |
| Rookie Pitchers - Angelini / Blateric / Garman | 616 | $3 | $10 | $17 | $30 | - |
| Data Updated: April 2026 | ||||||
Overview of 1973 Topps Baseball Cards
The 1973 Topps baseball card set is a significant and popular issue, marking a shift in Topps’ production strategy and featuring a classic design. While it followed the expansive 1972 set, Topps scaled back slightly.
Clean, Vertical Design: After the vibrant and sometimes busy “psychedelic tombstone” design of 1972, Topps opted for a cleaner, more traditional look in 1973. Each card features a large, clear player photograph in a white border. The player’s name, team, and position are displayed at the bottom of the card, with a small baseball-themed icon indicating the player’s primary position (e.g., a bat for a hitter, a glove for a pitcher). The team name is often in a colored banner above the player’s name.
Set Size: The set consists of 660 standard-sized cards, a reduction from the 787 cards in the 1972 set.
Series Release: 1973 was the final year Topps released its flagship set in multiple series (five, specifically). Cards from the final series (generally #529-660) are considered high numbers and are typically scarcer and more valuable.
Card Backs: The card backs are printed horizontally, a change from 1972, and feature biographical information, comprehensive career statistics, and a small, often humorous cartoon illustrating a fact about the player. The back borders are black, which can be prone to chipping.
Notable Rookie Cards in the 1973 Topps Set: The 1973 Topps set is highly significant for collectors due to the inclusion of several Hall of Fame rookie cards:
- Mike Schmidt (#615)
- Goose Gossage (#174)
- Dwight Evans (#614)
- Bob Boone (#604)
- Buddy Bell (#31)
- Charlie Hough (#610)
Condition Issues: The 1973 Topps set, while having a cleaner design than 1972, still presents condition challenges. Like many Topps sets of this era, centering issues are prevalent. Many cards are off-center, making perfectly centered examples difficult to find and highly valuable. The Mike Schmidt rookie (#615) is notoriously tough to find well-centered.
Black Borders on Backs: The black borders on the card backs are prone to chipping and wear, similar to the 1971 Topps black-bordered fronts, though less severe.
Thinner Card Stock: Some collectors note that the card stock used in 1973 was thinner than previous years, potentially making them more susceptible to wear.
The 1973 Topps set holds a special place in hobby history, known for its iconic rookie cards and a solid design that remains popular with collectors.
Popular Rookies From 1973 Topps Baseball
