What's a 71 Topps EX-NM set worth
 

I came across a guy that has a really nice 71 set cards are all EX or better with at least half being NM. Does anyone know what a fair price range would be? Thanks for any input. Eddie

Well, it's all in the details of just how nice they really are, and which ones are the nicer ones.

But probably a couple grand to a few grand, give or take, depending on which cards are in NM condition.

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The value of the set will follow the condition of the key cards:

• Munson
• Reggie
• Blyleven
• Rose
• Ted SImmons
• Bench
• Garvey
• Aaron
• Nolan Ryan
• Banks
• Mays
• Clemente

1971 Topps Baseball is a somewhat unusual set, price-wise. Small differences in condition can result in huge differences in value, especially as you approach the higher end of the grading scale. When evaluating the cards:

• Be honest and candid. Don't approach grading with hopes and dreams.
• Bring a black light. Amateur card doctors have been touching up the corners and edges for decades. They typically use black marker, which fluoresces differently than the natural black ink applied back in 1971.
• As with all vintage cards, look for trimming. If (for example) the Clemente looks like an 8, but is trimmed, you're looking at a four-figure difference in value.

Agree with Eric above, particularly with advice regarding high end cards and the possibility of the black edges being re-colored. I found I purchased some 71 Topps years ago where the edges were retouched. I didn't have a blacklight with me at the time and missed the touch-ups.

Thank you everyone.

If your friend is skeptical about your pricing, you might try showing him that there are several sets currently for sale on eBay (and even one on Amazon) that are in this price range. Obviously since they're still there, there's even room to argue that the price on these sites is on the high side. Otherwise, someone would snap them right up.

Agreed with Eric that this set is crazy condition sensitive. The black borders will do that. They look great when they're 100% intact, but all it takes it a little chipping and they start to look pretty gnarly. I shake my head every time thinking about people touching up the edges with a marker. But I guess that's to be expected - we all want nice things!

Certainly if you look up the key cards online, you'll see that going from like a PSA 6 to 7 to 8 to 9, the pricing jumps not just arithmetically but probably more like logarithmically. So (echoing Eric's notes again) small differences, particularly at the top end, make for incredible differences in pricing.

check the high numbers please

I agree with this statement, there are quite a few high numbers that add value to the set. High numbers plus the list Eric provided earlier are where the value is.

I picked up a raw, EX-MT average '71 set from my LCS a little more than a year ago for $1200. I'm guessing this price in comparison to what you will find on eBay or elsewhere online is probably pretty low / difficult to beat - but they were trying to move it. I could sell the higher grade stars alone for $1200 combined probably...