1973 Topps Baseball Card # 81 Whitey Lockman

Description: 1973 Topps Baseball Card # 81 Whitey Lockman - Chicago Cubs (EX/NM) 1970-1979 Baseball Cards1970s baseball cards are largely considered to be the last of the vintage baseball cards. During the 1970s, more people were starting to recognize the collectible value of baseball cards. For most, though, it was still about having fun and connecting with their favorite players and teams, with little regard for the financial value of the cards themselves. Today, there are many valuable 1970s baseball cards, including a large selection of Hall of Famer rookie cards. Among the many Hall of Famers who made their cardboard debuts during the 1970s are Ozzie Smith, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Robin Yount, Carlton Fisk, Dennis Eckersley, Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor.In addition to the abundance of key rookie cards, the condition is also a factor in determining value. Some sets hold up better than others. And then there’s 1971 Topps, which is easily one of the most condition-sensitive sets in the history of the hobby. Although the black borders look great, they don’t hold up well. This has led to big premiums for cards that have sharp corners and edges. Another factor that contributes to the value of 1970s baseball cards is that up until 1974, Topps issued several different series over the course of a season. This led to many short prints that carry a premium still today.1973 Topps Baseball Trading Card Set1973 Topps Baseball might lack the cult following of some of the other 1970s Topps sets, but the stacked checklist and condition-sensitive nature give it serious staying power among rookie card and set collectors. Mike Schmidt is the key rookie option.Product DetailsLed by the rookie card for Mike Schmidt, 1973 Topps Baseball goes the simple route with design, especially in comparison to the previous year. Slightly less common than other 1970s releases, '73 Topps relies on large player photos.1973 Topps Baseball consists of 660 cards. This represents a 127-card decrease from the 1972 Topps Baseball release. It also has the distinction of being the smallest Topps baseball card set of the 1970s and the last vintage Topps set to be released in a multiple series format. Also of note is that 1973 Topps marks the last active baseball card appearance for Willie Mays.The 1973 Topps Baseball design delivers a fairly drastic change from the flamboyant offering of 1972. Using a much more conservative approach, the cards showcase a wide variety of photograph types that dominate much of the the card. The lower right corner of the card displays a silhouette of a player in one of several fielding positions and is set against a colored circle. The player's team, name and position can be found at the bottom of the card.The card backs utilize a yellow and black color scheme. Biographical and statistical information share space with a cartoon and short write-up. The flow of the information on the back of the card is comprehensive without being cluttered or busy. This attribute is due to the vertical orientation of the card back, which Topps had not used in several years. The card number is set within the middle of a baseball graphic, making it easy to identify and read.The main 1973 Topps Baseball design has always been met with mixed reaction by collectors, even to this day. Some prefer the simplicity, while others complain about the lack of color and uninspired photography.While the checklist saw a decent size decrease, it did not really come at the expense of subset cards. 1973 Topps Baseball includes several regular subset options, including League Leaders (#61-68), Playoff/World Series Highlights (#201-210) and Boyhood Photos of the Stars (#341-346). Additionally, former greats were included in the All-Time Leaders subset (#471-478) and Rookie Stars (#601-616) were grouped together for once.The Rookie Stars also differ from earlier sets because they are arranged by position rather than team. Finally, cards for entire coaching staffs can be found and there are also team checklist cards in addition to traditional team cards and series checklists. The blue team checklists are not numbered and feature replica signatures for the entire team.While the Hall of Fame rookie card for Mike Schmidt's rookie card is the clear highlight of the checklist, several other players make their cardboard debut in 1973 Topps Baseball. This includes rookie cards for Goose Gossage, Bob Boone and Dwight Evans. Gossage in particular has seen a boost in interest given his 2008 Hall of Fame induction.Originally available in wax packs, rack packs, cello packs, and vending boxes, 1973 Topps Baseball was the last Topps release printed in and distributed by series. Although some regions were treated to the entire release at once, this is important because many collectors divide vintage and modern eras with the 1973 Topps Baseball card set for this reason. While this interpretation will always be debated, it is hard to argue that the 1973 release marked the end of a collecting era.Cards from the final series (#529-660) are often times more difficult to find than those of previous series. Interest and values for the final series are also helped by the inclusion of the Mike Schmidt rookie card. Coincidentally, Schmidt shares the card with Ron Cey, another popular player. However, Cey's rookie card is found in 1972 Topps.The 1973 Topps Baseball card set has minimal errors and variations, but none are particularly notable and they command no premium. Manager cards are the most common variation option, which centers around the background color.The most common condition issue for the 1973 Topps Baseball set is centering. Notoriously mis-cut in all directions, high-grade versions of cards carry a premium as a result of this production flaw. One interesting thing to note is that while Topps experimented with other types of baseball related products in many years, no test issues or ancillary products were produced by the company in 1973. However, the Canadian O-Pee-Chee release of the main set was again issued in 1973.How We Grade: Gem Mint (GMT): (10.0) A flawless card. To be in Gem Mint condition, a card’s borders must have a ratio of 50/50 side to side and top to bottom. Mint (MT): (9.0-9.5) A perfect card. Well-centered with parallel borders which appear equal to the naked eye. Four sharp, square corners. No creases, edge dents, surface scratches, paper flaws, loss of luster, yellowing or fading, regardless of age. No imperfectly printed cards – out of register, badly cut or ink flawed – or card stained by contact with gum, wax or other substances can be considered truly Mint, even if new out of the pack. Generally, to be considered in Mint condition, a card’s borders must exist in a ratio of 60/40 side to side and top to bottom. Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT): (8.0-8.5) A super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may exhibit a very slight wax stain on reverse, slight fraying at one or two corners, or a minor printing imperfection. Centering must be app. 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. Near Mint (NM): (7.0-7.5) A nearly perfect card at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may have slight surface wear, slight fraying on some corners, slightly out-of-register picture focus, a minor printing blemish or slight wax stain on reverse. Centering must be 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. Excellent/Near Mint (EX/NM): (6.0-6.5) Card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect. A very light scratch. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may have minor wax stain on reverse, may have very slight nothing on edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. Excellent (EX): (5.0-5.5) Corners are still fairly sharp with only moderate wear. Card borders may be off center as much as 85/15. No creases. May have very minor gum, wax or product stains, front or back. Surfaces may show slight loss of luster from rubbing across other cards. Dark bordered cards may have one or two small nicks. Very Good/Excellent (VG/EX): (4.0-4.5) Shows obvious handling, but still looks nice. Corners may be rounded or have minor creases. No major creases, tape marks or extraneous markings or writing. Surfaces does exhibit loss of luster, but the printing is intact. May have paper wrinkles. May show major gum, wax or other packaging stains. All four borders visible, though the ratio may be as poor as 95/5. Exhibits honest wear. Very Good (VG): (3.0-3.5) A well-worn card, but exhibits no intentional damage or abuse. May be “Mis-cut or Off-Center” with no border visible. May have major or multiple creases, however, creases are not so deep as to show the underlying paper. This card is completely readable, has not been written on, and has no tape marks or holes. Corner rounding may extend well beyond the border. Good (GD) (2.0-2.5) Shows excessive wear, along with damage or abuse. Will show all the wear characteristics of a Very Good card, along with such damage as thumb tack holes in or near margins, evidence of having been taped or pasted, perhaps small tears around the edges or creases so heavily as to break the cardboard. Backs may show minor added pen or pencil writing or be missing small bits of paper. Still basically a complete card. Poor (P): (1.0-1.5) A card that has been tortured to death. Corners or other areas may be torn off. Card may have been trimmed, show holes from a paper punch or have been used for BB gun practice. Front may have extraneous pen or pencil writing, or other defacement. Major portions of front or back design may be missing. Not a pretty sight. We believe that all our listings are 100% Original and Authentic unless otherwise noted. They are all covered by a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, if for whatever reason you are not happy with your purchase we will exchange it, replace it, discount it or you can return it for a full refund. 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Price: 7.49 USD

Location: Madison, Alabama

End Time: 2024-12-19T16:56:31.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.95 USD