On March 11th, Topps takes collectors back to 1973 with its Topps Heritage release. The 500-card set is packed with Mets in the base set and the multiple insert sets. In a decade full of classic designs, the 1973 Topps set was exquisitely designed with an all-white border with a different silhouetted player to represent each position on the field.
For Mets fans, 1973 was a good year. The Metsies won their second National League pennant before falling to the Oakland A’s in the World Series. Tom Seaver won his second of three Cy Young awards by beating out Montreal Expos reliever Mike Marshall, despite Marshall receiving more votes than Seaver for the NL MVP Award. Seaver’s teammate Felix Milan finished 16th.
Included in this year’s release, you will find a parallel black border of each card, with only 50 copies of each card printed, the customary short print cards of the final 100 cards in the set, and despite what ESPN says, you will find the greatest ballplayer of all time, the “Say Hey Kid” Willie Mays prominently featured in his Mets uniform. Mays’ original 1973 Topps Baseball card was the final player card of his Hall of Fame career.
Just like the 2022 Topps Series One release, you find a Tylor Megill rookie card and the first Mets cards of offseason acquisitions Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar, as well as the first Mets card of former Met Jose Peraza. Unfortunately, you will not find Mets cards of Max Scherzer or Mark Canha. It appears you will have to wait until the Topps Heritage High Number release later in the year.
Like years past, the Topps Heritage set has several different variations of base cards in the collection, including image variations, nickname variations, team and name color swap variations, chrome variations, mini variations, and throwback uniform variations.
Topps Heritage is one of my favorite releases on the card release schedule every year. This product provides all of the throwback thrills collectors are looking for: a classic, vintage design on a card made from a cardboard stock where the player pictures consist overwhelmingly of posed pictures.
Like other Topps releases, you can find the Topps Heritage product in your local brick and mortar card shops, Target, Wal-Mart, and on eBay.
Below is a complete checklist of Mets cards in the Topps Heritage set and an updated baseball card release calendar.
2022 Topps Heritage – Mets Checklist
Base
18: Kevin Pillar
40: Dominic Smith
54: Pete Alonso
80: Edwin Diaz
82: Brandon Nimmo
106: Starling Marte
126: Taijuan Walker
140: Tylor Megill (rookie card)
196: Francisco Lindor
231: Michael Conforto
250: Jacob deGrom
254: Eduardo Escobar
313: Jonathan Villar
344: James McCann
389: Jeff McNeil
411: Trevor May (short print)
414: Jose Peraza (short print)
453: JD Davis (short print)
1973 Baseball Cut Signatures
BCS-TS: Tom Seaver (1 of 1)
1973 Mint
73M-FL: Francisco Lindor
73M-Jd: Jacob deGrom
73M-PA: Pete Alonso
73M-TS: Tom Seaver
73M-WMY: Willie Mays
1973 Topps Candy Lids
10: Jacob deGrom
14: Francisco Lindor
23: Willie Mays
1973 Topps Comics
73TC-14: Pete Alonso
73TC-23: Willie Mays
1973 Topps Pin-Ups Boxloaders
73PU-7: Jacob deGrom
73PU-16: Pete Alonso
73PU-19: Willie Mays
1973 Topps Venezuela Stamps
10: Jacob deGrom
14: Francisco Lindor
23: Willie Mays
1973 US Postal Stamp Relics
73PS-TS: Tom Seaver (numbered to 50)
73PS-WM: Willie Mays (numbered to 50)
Baseball Flashbacks
BF-6: Willie Mays
BF-12: Tom Seaver
Chrome
54: Pete Alonso
140: Tylor Megill
196: Francisco Lindor
231: Michael Conforto
250: Jacob deGrom
Clubhouse Collection Autograph Relics
CCAR-PA: Pete Alonso (numbered to 25)
Clubhouse Collection Quad Relics
CCQ-SMdL: Tom Seaver/Willie Mays/Jacob DeGrom/Franciso Lindor (numbered to 10)
Clubhouse Collection Relics
CC-FL: Francisco Lindor
CC-JDG: Jacob deGrom
CC-JMC: Jeff McNeil
CC-PA: Pete Alonso
Image Variations
54: Pete Alonso
196: Francisco Lindor
250: Jacob deGrom
Mini
54: Pete Alonso
140: Tylor Megill
196: Francisco Lindor
250: Jacob deGrom
Nickname Variations
196: Francisco Lindor
250: Jacob deGrom
Oversized 1973 Topps
OB-FL: Francisco Lindor
OB-JDG: Jacob deGrom
OB-PA: Pete Alonso
OB-WM: Willie Mays
Player Icon Swap Variations
250: Jacob deGrom
Real One Autographs
ROA-PA: Pete Alonso
Team and Name Color Swap Variations
54: Pete Alonso
196: Francisco Lindor
250: Jacob deGrom
Then and Now
TAN-SB: Tom Seaver/Corbin Burnes
TAN-SU: Tom Seaver/Julio Urias
TAN-SW: Tom Seaver/Zack Wheeler
Throwback Uniform Variations
54: Pete Alonso
196: Francisco Lindor
2022 Baseball Card Release Calendar
March 9: Topps Opening Day
March 11: Topps Heritage
March 16: Panini Donruss
March 30: Topps Inception
April 6: Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball
April 27: Bowman
April TBA: Topps Big League, Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary, Leaf Valiant
May 11: Topps Tribute
May TBA: Topps Gypsy Queen
June 8: Topps Series Two
June 15: Topps Museum Collection, Topps Pristine
June 29: Topps Baseball Factory Sets
July 6: Topps Stadium Club
July 13: Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Edition
July 24: Topps Chrome
September 9: Topps Allen & Ginter
September 30: Topps Pro Debut
