The 1960 Topps baseball card set was issued by Topps Chewing Gum, Inc and is considered one of the most iconic in the history of the hobby. The complete 1960 Topps baseball card checklist consisted of 792 total cards issued in wax wrappers as part of Topps’ regular baseball card release. Several key aspects define the 1960 set including some of the biggest stars of the era featuring prominent in the checklist.
Card #1 featured Hall of Famer Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants. Mays was coming off an MVP season in 1960 and was one of the most popular players in baseball. Other superstar players featured very early in the 1960 Topps checklist included Hank Aaron (Card #2), Roberto Clemente (Card #4) and Ernie Banks (Card #6) all four of whom would eventually be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rookie cards also made their debut in the 1960 Topps set. Future Hall of Famers Dick Allen (Card #653), Lou Brock (Card #642) and Boog Powell (Card #654) all had their first baseball cards in the 1960 Topps set, significantly increasing their value to collectors today. Other rookie cards of note included Rod Carew (Card #597), Tom Seaver (Card #658) and Hoyt Wilhelm (Card #728).
The 1960 Topps checklist paid tribute to recently retired stars as Babe Ruth’s final card was issued as #27 as a Brooklyn Dodger. Additionally, Topps included “Memorial” cards for Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig (#124) and Dizzy Dean (#345) who had both passed away in the years since last having an active MLB card. These “tribute” type cards added special significance and charm to the 1960 Topps set.
Some other noteworthy parts of the 1960 Topps checklist included the first cards issued for the brand new Major League franchises of the Los Angeles Angels (#707-#709) and Minneapolis Twins (#704-#706). Cards #790-#792 were managers cards featuring Alvin Dark of the San Francisco Giants, Eddie Stanky of the Houston Colt .45s and Billy Hitchcock of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Topps’ 1960 baseball card checklist covered all 16 MLB teams from that season – the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Colt .45s, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. Each team had between 44-60 individual player cards assigned to them within the overall checklist.
In terms of design and production, the 1960 Topps baseball cards remained similar in appearance to previous Topps sets from the 1950s. The cardboard stock was thinner than modern cards. All cards measured 2-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches and featured a black-and-white player photo on the front. Player names and positions were listed below along with the team name arching at the top border. Card backs contained no stats but rather a write-up about the player under the team’s logo along with some advertising.
The 1960 Topps set is considered by collectors to be one of the most historically significant checklists ever issued. Not only did it capture the careers of all-time greats like Mays, Aaron and Clemente near their statistical peaks but it also featured the rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Allen, Brock and Seaver. Add in the inclusion of tribute cards to icons like Ruth, Gehrig and Dean and it’s easy to understand why complete 1960 Topps baseball card sets in top condition can fetch upwards of $10,000 today. For both vintage and investment value, the 1960 Topps checklist remains a pinnacle achievement in the world of sports collecting.
