1973 Topps Baseball Forum

As I'm collecting the 73 set, I'm finding that I have no problem with cards up to about 500 or so, but then after that to the end, I need almost every card.  Why would that be?  Was the last series printed in short?

I've always heard that the later series cards back in the 60's and 70's are more scarce because the demand for them was low back then. By the time they came out everyone had moved onto football or basketball and weren't the interested in buying them. I assume Topps didn't intentionally short print them but maybe just made a lower amount to meet the lower demand. 

Sounds like they were short printed: http://baseballcardpedia.com/index.php/1973_Topps

I seem to remember that there was an update run. This is where the Schmidt rookie was to be found.

Cards 526-660 are the fifth and final series of that set, thus were released at the end of distribution. 1973 is the last vintage set that was released through multiple groupings throughout the year.

They are out there, but it will take time to assemble a complete set if you are working on higher grades.

The ironic thing is that almost all of my dad's '73s are high numbers, because he wasn't collecting earlier in the year, but got back in time for the high numbers. 

His duplicates are available for trade, by the way, for Topps cards from 1956-78. 

If you try to do anything in the 60s, have fun with those..... of 70/71/72. Thankfully I have good vintage dealers I see at shows and I can get some decent deals, but they still aren't cheap OR plentiful... I'm nearly done 73 myself, 22 short, and half are still the final series. Chasing NM or really clean ExMt (my Schmidt has great corner, o/c fully to one side though...) otherwise I'd be done already.