The 1967 Topps baseball card set is one of the larger and more unique sets in the history of the company. What makes the 1967 set stand out from others is that it was issued in two series – a lower numbered series 1-399 and a higher numbered series 400-550. This led collectors to term the higher series cards the “1967 Topps High Numbers.”
Topps initially planned for a 399 card standard size set in 1967, continuing their pattern of sets in the early-to-mid 1960s. As the season progressed and rookie cards emerged, Topps saw an opportunity to significantly expand the set and make additional money. They obtained the rights to additional photos late in the year and decided to add a second series of higher numbered cards to complete the set.
Some key things to know about the 1967 Topps High Numbers:
Numbers: The high numbers run from card #400 to #550 for a total of 151 additional cards added to the set beyond the initial series one cards.
Rookie Cards: Notable rookie cards found in the high numbers include Reggie Jackson, Don Drysdale, Gary Nolan, Amos Otis, Don Wilson, and Bobby Cox among others. Jackson’s iconic rookie card is #506.
Photo Sources: With the tight production timeline, Topps had to get creative with photos for the high numbers. Some were leftover photos from previous years while others came from other baseball card companies like Fleer and Post.
Design Differences: The high number cards have a distinctly different design scheme from the low numbers. Most notably, the team logo is on a solid color bar across the bottom rather than above the player’s picture. The rest of the layout is also tweaked slightly.
Printing Errors: As Topps rushed to produce and release the high numbers, a number of errors crept into the set. Several cards have misspellings, crooked text, or photos of the wrong players entirely. These mistakes increase certain cards’ scarcity and collectibility.
Short Print Runs: Whereas Topps may have initially printed multi-million card runs of the standard 399 cards early in the year, the high numbers had much lower print runs sometimes estimated at only a few hundred thousand copies each. This scarcity drives prices higher over 60 years later.
Condition Issues: The rushed production also led to issues with the high number cards being more prone to centering problems, poor color registration, and overall weaker quality control during the printing and cutting process. Mint condition specimens are exceptionally rare.
While not planned from the beginning of the season, the 1967 Topps high numbers became one of the defining aspects of the entire set that collectors still seek out today. Finding choice examples in high grade is a challenge due to the low initial print runs and issues during manufacturing. Still, collectors enjoy that the high numbers represent Topps ambition to fully document the 1967 season and provide cards for the game’s growing stars, even if it was in hastily produced second series.
Key cards at the top of want lists for 1967 Topps high numbers collectors include the rookies of Reggie Jackson, Don Drysdale, and Gary Nolan. Finding their cards in centered near-mint to mint condition would be a true prize. Other popular high numbers chase cards include batting champion Tony Oliva on card #522, 300-game winner Warren Spahn on #523, 20-game winner Jim Lonborg on #525, and Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews on #550, the last card in the set.
While pricey in top grades today, the 1967 Topps high numbers remain an important part of the set that showcased Topps’ willingness to go above and beyond to comprehensively feature the players of that MLB season. Their rushed production led to errors, flaws and scarcity that collectors have appreciated for decades as they hunt down choices specimens to add to their collections and satisfy their quest to own cards highlighting another year of baseball history.
