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Item Report
1973 Topps Rookie Third Basemen Baseball Card
By:Topps Company, Inc.
Style:Vintage Sports Trading Card
Origin:United States
Materials:Cardstock, printed ink
Age:1973
Condition:Very Good (visible corner wear, slight surface soiling; appears raw, not professionally graded)
Value:$400–$1500 (assuming ungraded, mid-grade condition; value can spike to $5000+ for high-grade PSA 9–10 examples)
Maker's Marks / Writing:Card front displays '1973 ROOKIE THIRD BASEMEN' at top in blue block letters. The names: 'RON CEY', 'JOHN HILTON', 'MIKE SCHMIDT' with respective teams printed beneath photos. No signature or serial.
Date:2025-07-03 13:44:32.006183
Description:
This is a 1973 Topps Rookie Third Basemen baseball trading card, featuring Ron Cey (Los Angeles Dodgers), John Hilton (San Diego Padres), and Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies). The card is renowned within the hobby as it marks the rookie card debut of Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman and one of the most celebrated players of his era. The design is classic for the era, with color photographs of each athlete and their names/team affiliations printed below.
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
A highly collectible vintage card, mainly driven by the prominence of Mike Schmidt’s rookie appearance. A word about fakes... The sports card market is known for both authentic vintage pieces and skillful counterfeits/reprints, so authentication and grading are crucial for higher-value examples. Visual cues from this image point to an authentic vintage example, but a physical inspection for gloss, print pattern, and edge/corner wear would be mandatory for a conclusive determination.
Individual Images:
This single image shows the obverse (front) of the card only. Edges appear slightly worn with noticeable rounding
and surface soiling is visible along the outer border
typical of ungraded
moderately handled vintage cards. There are no creases or tears evident. The centering is average for the era. No signature or other marking on the front.
Provenance:
No provenance documentation is shown; standard for raw trading card submissions.
Condition:
Very Good (visible corner wear, slight surface soiling; appears raw, not professionally graded)
Identification Score: 99%
Distinctive imagery, clear text, and design confirm this is the 1973 Topps Rookie Third Basemen card featuring Ron Cey, John Hilton, and Mike Schmidt. The presence of all three names and teams, with photographic layout typical of 1973 Topps, leaves extremely little doubt.
Authenticity Score: 70%
The image shows appropriate wear and expected color for a vintage item. However, without close-up inspection of card stock, gloss, and printing dots, some possibility remains for a reprint or counterfeit. Authenticity is likely, but not certain without hands-on or third-party graded verification.
Image Memory Note
A horizontally oriented, three-panel baseball trading card labeled '1973 ROOKIE THIRD BASEMEN' featuring, left to right: Ron Cey (Los Angeles Dodgers, wearing blue LA cap); John Hilton (San Diego Padres, brown SD cap, eyeglasses, gripping bat); Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies, red P cap, holding bat mid-stance). Names and teams are printed below each image in blue/black. Card shows surface wear, especially to corners and bottom edge; no signature. No visible creasing, but moderate edge and surface soiling. No visible reverse—front side only displayed. No barcode, hologram, or serial number.
Keywords
1973 Topps, Rookie Card, Mike Schmidt, Ron Cey, John Hilton, Baseball, Trading Card, Vintage, United States, Collectible
The report was edited after initial Artmink draft. Original AI draft preserved in Artmink audit history.
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