The 1959 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic and valuable issues in the history of the hobby. With its simple yet iconic design, iconic rookie cards, and the cachet of being from the late 1950s, 1959 Topps cards hold a special place in the hearts of collectors. As grading and protection services like PSA have grown hugely popular over the past few decades, the PSA Price Guide has become the definitive source for determining estimated values for vintage cards in top graded gem mint condition. Here is an in-depth look at how PSA grades and values some of the key cards from the pioneering 1959 Topps set.
To start, it’s important to understand the PSA grading scale. PSA assigns cards a numerical grade from 1 to 10, with 10 being gem mint. A PSA 10 is a perfect card – centered, with bright crisp colors and impossible to flaw. Getting older cards to achieve this top grade is extremely difficult due to the aging process, so PSA 9 and PSA 8 gems are still considered highly valuable and desirable. The sheer numbers involved also impact demand – while a PSA 10 of a common player may only bring a few hundred dollars, the far rarer PSA 10 of a key rookie can sell for tens of thousands due to the extremely low population that attain the elite grade.
One of the true Holy Grails of the 1959 set is the rookie card of Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. Already a star by 1959 with 27 homers as a 21-year-old, Aaron would go on to smash Babe Ruth’s career home run record and cement his place as one of the game’s all-time greats. The Hank Aaron rookie in PSA Gem Mint 10 condition is arguably the most valuable post-war card, with prices well into the six figures depending on the auction. PSA 9 copies still bring north of $10,000 due to their sheer scarcity. Even PSA 8s can sell for $3,000-5,000 due to the card’s incredible legacy and iconic design featuring Aaron in a Milwaukee Braves road grey uniform. If obtaining any PSA 10 is a white whale, an Aaron rookie PSA 10 borders on unobtainium.
Another short printed superstar rookie from 1959 is Hall of Famer Pete Rose. By 1959, Rose had already made his major league debut at age 18 but was still early in his career with the Reds. The Rose rookie holds similar cachet to the Aaron and is highly valuable in top grades, with PSA 10s currently in the $40,000-$60,000 range and PSA 9s from $3,000-$7,000. Also notable is that Rose was the first rookie card eligible player to appear on a Topps wax box in 1959, adding to his cards already legendary status. Lower mint state grades like PSA 8 still bring $1,000+ due to his status as baseball’s all-time hits leader. Like the Aaron, finding a Rose PSA 10 in the wild is like searching for Bigfoot – virtually impossible.
While the Aaron and Rose rookie cards claim top billing, the 1959 Topps set has many other desirable and valuable star rookies in addition to defining iconic images of established legends. The rookie of Hall of Fame Yankees slugger Roger Maris, who would smash the single season home run record in 1961, has PSA 10 value estimated around $15,000 currently. Another short printed Yankee star rookie, later known for a famous rivalry with Maris, is teammate Mickey Mantle. The Mantle rookie in Gem Mint PSA 10 can fetch over $5,000 on the open market. Moving to the National League, a PSA 10 of future Cubs/Cards star Ernie Banks’ rookie would sell in the $2,000-3,000 range currently.
For rookie pitchers, future 300-game winner Don Drysdale’s first card has PSA 10 value estimated around $2,500 today. Another notable pitching rookie is Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, whose 1959 is valued around $1,500 in PSA 10 condition. One can also find rookie cards in 1959 of future stars like Willie McCovey, Tommy Davis, Juan Marichal, and Vada Pinson – all in the $1,000-2,000+ PSA 10 range showing the depth of top rookies in the historic set beyond just the true superstars. Condition is everything, as lower mint PSA 8s of these players still hold value of several hundred dollars at minimum.
When it comes to established stars of 1959 who were not rookies, the most coveted card is without question the iconic image of Mantle in mid swing that graces the set’s base card design. In PSA Gem Mint 10 condition, the Mantle commands prices reliably in the $3,000-$5,000 range given its combination of subject, scarcity in top grade, and historical status as one of the most widely distributed and desired vintage cards in the hobby. 1959 also features defining Hall of Fame stars like Willie Mays, Bob Gibson, Eddie Mathews, and more all in the $1,000-$2,000+ PSA 10 range. Even lesser stars like Ron Santo, Billy Pierce, and Luis Aparicio have PSA 10 values estimated around the $500 mark or more depending on the auction.
The 1959 Topps baseball card set holds an unimpeachable place among collectors as one of the true Mount Rushmore issues. Featuring a who’s who of rookie cards, iconic stars, and defining images, PSA has established a price guide that pays homage to the set’s importance through values that soar well into five figures for true gems like the Hank Aaron and Pete Rose rookies in pristine PSA 10 grade. Even lower mint gems and excellent condition examples still command prices many times greater than modern printed rookies or stars. With over 60 years of history and nostalgia imbued in each cardboard cutout, the 1959 Topps set stands as a legend regardless of numerical grade or price – but as PSA so adeptly articulates, raw condition greatly impacts estimated financial value of these beloved and storied pieces of baseball card history.
