The 1967 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic issues in the company’s history. Not only did it feature some of the biggest stars of the late 1960s playing for legendary franchises, but it also contained several memorable error variations that collectors continue to seek out decades later. While mistakes in printed cards were not uncommon during the early days of mass production, a few of the 1967 misprints stand out as being especially significant in the hobby.
Perhaps the most famous mistake from the ’67 Topps release involves Dodgers ace pitcher Sandy Koufax, who had remarkably retired from baseball after the previous 1966 season at just age 30. Despite having stepped away from the game, Topps still included Koufax in the set since he was such a dominant star who had won three Cy Young Awards and one MVP in the last five years. The printing plates failed to fully update his information, so his card was accidentally labeled as wearing number “37” instead of his actual number “32”. Only a small number of these “Sandy Koufax #37” variations are believed to exist, making it one of the key chase cards for avid 1960s collectors.
Another noteworthy error focuses on Cardinals standout pitcher Steve Carlton. Like Koufax, there was an issue with Carlton’s uniform number, but in the opposite manner – his card stated he wore “#32” when his St. Louis jersey was in fact “#27”. What makes this miscue particularly interesting is that Carlton would later change to #32 after being traded to the Phillies in 1972, lending an element of premonition or future accuracy to the misprinted Topps card from 1967. Only a limited run had Carlton in the wrong Cardinal digits.
A third notable mistake occurred with Mets pitcher Jack Fisher, who saw his photo swapped with that of another New York hurler – Al Jackson. While mix-ups involving player photos were not unheard of, this Fisher/Jackson transposition stands out because their images were reversed, not just replaced by the wrong man. Analysts believe the printing plates for their portraits were installed backwards at the factory. Once noticed after initial print runs, Topps corrected the image error in subsequent packaging of the ’67 offerings.
Other conspicuous mistakes from that year include Rookie of the Year Dick Strahm of the Phillies being pictured in the wrong uniform (he’s seen wearing a Cardinals’ outfit instead of Philadelphia duds), as well as Tigers reliever John Hiller having his position partially covered up by the printing of “Detroit Tigers” along the bottom border. These kinds of more minor errors, while not as prized, still intrigue collectors due to their unexpected deviations from the standard issue.
Of course, the rarest error cards remain those that eluded detection and correction, riding incognito in packs on shelves for months until eventually being discovered. One prime instance is Mets catcher Jerry Grote, whose name was accidentally omitted from under his picture entirely. Only a tiny run of a few dozen or less are thought to exist completely missing Grote’s printed identification. Such complete mistakes provide the ultimate thrill for collectors specially seeking out the most unforeseen production blunders buried within the mainstream releases.
In the over 50 years since their original 1967 distribution, the idiosyncratic error cards from Topps’ classic baseball set have endured as tremendously prized oddities. While mint condition specimens of standard issue cards may fetch five figures at auction today, a pristine Koufax #37, Carlton #32, reversed Fisher/Jackson, or nameless Grote can easily bring in six figures or more from the most diehard vintage enthusiasts. The unplanned happenstances that resulted in these misprints give them an enchanting historic peculiarity that constantly piques collector curiosity. For those who admire unexpected deviations from expectations in addition to venerating baseball immortals, the uncommon mistakes of the 1967 Topps cards represent truly unique artifacts from the antiquated era when mass-produced cardboard reigned over the pastime.
