For vintage baseball collectors, there are very few players that capture the imagination quite like Nolan Ryan and his early-1970s baseball cards (the Topps issues from 1971-1975 to be exact). Not only do these cards represent a career-defining stretch for Ryan himself, but they also define an era in the hobby where many collectors seek such cards in mid to higher graded form for both their value (which has increased quite nicely in recent years) and their ultra-scarcity . The Transition from Prospect to Legend By 1971, Nolan Ryan was no longer seen as just a promising young arm with the New York Mets but as an emerging dominant power pitcher known for his incredible velocity. His 1971 and 1972 cards are especially significant because they capture the final stage of his Mets career before his legendary move to the California Angels.…