The 1962 Topps baseball card set was the 11th series of baseball cards produced by Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. The design featured a player’s picture on the left side with the team name and logo above it and the player’s name, position, and batting statistics below. On the right side there was a career record along with a cartoon-style drawing related to that specific player. It was the first Topps set to show a batter’s on-base percentage in addition to the long-used batting average.
Some key things to know about the 1962 Topps baseball cards:
Size: The standard size for Topps baseball cards from 1952 through 1967 was 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
Photography: For the first time, Topps began using color photography for most of the players’ pictures instead of black and white photos like in previous years.
Checklists: The 1962 Topps checklist was part of the standard 660 card regular set but no complete team sets were produced like in 1961.
Rarity: The most valuable and sought after cards from the 1962 Topps set include rookie cards for Hall of Famers Willie McCovey (#1), Tommy Davis (#23), and Bob Gibson (#500). Gibson’s rookie in particular is one of the rarest and most expensive cards from the entire 1960s era.
Design Changes: Compared to 1961, the player’s last name was enlarged and moved above the team name which created a cleaner look. Also, team logos were used instead of just text for the clubs.
Rookies: In addition to the big three above, other notable rookies included Dick Howser (#299), Adrian Garrett (#308), and Denis Menke (#591).
Record Breakers: Career leaders and single season record breakers like Maris’ 61 home runs in ’61 were highlighted on the cards.
Action Shots: For the most part, Topps went with standard frontal head shots but used exciting action photos for some stars like Clemente and Mays.
Legends: The set included cards for legends like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Nap Lajoie among the current players even though they had been retired for years.
Oddballs: Due to the Mets being an expansion team, they did not have any 1961 cards so their complete inaugural year roster was featured for the first time.
When it was released in 1962, the entire 660 card set sold for $1.00 or could be purchased gradually by buying wax packs containing about a dozen cards each for 12 cents per pack. It took an entire production run and several reprints throughout that season to meet demand. Here’s a deeper look at some of the standouts:
#1 Willie McCovey (Giants): McCovey’s rookie card is one of the most significant in baseball history from an investment standpoint due to his Hall of Fame career. In high grade it can fetch over $100,000.
#23 Tommy Davis (Dodgers): As a two-time batting champion and NL MVP, Davis had one of the better careers of the 1960s. His rookie is valued around $4,000-5,000 in near mint condition.
#183 Sandy Koufax (Dodgers): The legendary lefty’s spectacular season-by-season improvement is documented in his older cards leading up to his dominance from 1961-1966. High grade examples top $10,000.
#500 Bob Gibson (Cardinals): Gibson’s rookie is one of the true grails for vintage collectors due to its astounding rarity. Only a handful are known to exist and it can bring over $500,000 when offered at auction.
#526 Maury Wills (Dodgers): As the 1962 NL MVP and owner of the single season stolen base record, Wills rose to stardom. His flashy playing style is depicted in the artwork.
#547 Roger Maris (Yankees): After smashing the home run record in ’61 with 61, Maris was baseball’s biggest star entering 1962. Any Maris card, especially in high grade, holds value.
The 1962 Topps baseball card set holds an important place in the hobby as one of the first issues to feature the now-standard color photography format. Rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like McCovey along with iconic stars like Maris and Koufax continue to be hot commodities for collectors decades later. The visual design represented a progression from the prior decade and established a foundation that Topps would build upon for many successful years of production. It remains one of the most recognized and collected vintage sets among enthusiasts.
