The 1968 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic issues in the hobby’s history. It marked a transition from drab black and white photography of the 1950s and early 1960s to bright, colorful cards that featured action shots and lively pose portraits of the players. The 1968 set also signified a cultural shift in America with longhaired hippies, psychedelic artwork, and a youth movement challenging the status quo. This counterculture revolution is reflected in the adventurous photography and graphic designs of the 1968 Topps cards.
Topps released the 1968 set with 714 total cards. This included individual cards for all major and minor league players, managers, coaches and umpires as well as team cards and multi-player cards showing front and back views. Some notable rookie cards debuted including Reggie Jackson, Tommy John, Rollie Fingers, Sparky Lyle and others. Star cards of pitching icons such as Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Juan Marichal and hitting greats like Harmon Killebrew and Willie Mays also highlighted the set.
The action photography and psychedelic designs made the 1968 Topps set stand out. Most cards used colorful action shots instead of plain posed portraits. Bright colors like orange, lime green and purple dominated card designs. Wild plaid patterns and trippy swirling or glowing graphics accompanied many player photos. Topps also incorporated cartoonish elements into some images. The bold aesthetic revolutionized baseball card designs and popularized the hobby.
On the secondary market, 1968 Topps cards are a hot commodity due to their iconic status in the vintage card realm and increasing collector demand. Many key rookie and star cards regularly fetch premium prices on auction sites such as eBay. Here are some examples of what certain prominent 1968 Topps cards have sold for on eBay in recent years:
Reggie Jackson RC (Card #497): Near mint to mint condition examples have sold for upwards of $2,000. A PSA-graded EX-MT 5 copy sold for $3,324 in 2020.
Nolan Ryan RC (Card #500): Ungraded near mint examples sell in the $100-300 range. A PSA-slabbed NM-MT 7 copy made $1,116 in 2021.
Tom Seaver (Card #537): High-grade copies routinely cross the $500 threshold. A BGS-graded gem mint 9.5 realized $1,575 last year.
Willie Mays (Card #596): Choice near mint copies bring $200-400 on average. A PSA-graded NM-MT 8 flew for $1,849 in 2022 bidding.
Sandy Koufax (Card #600): Well-centered near mint examples sell around $75-150 range. A pristine PSA 10 specimen reached $2,700 just last month.
The 1968 Topps parallel subsets within the set also command premium prices due to their scarcity and condition challenges. Highlights include:
1968 Topps Tetracycline (cards #609-711): Complete near mint series tops $5,000. Key singles like Frank Robinson (#625) have netted over $1,000 in PSA 10.
1968 Topps LSD (cards #412-496): Scarce to find complete runs or singles in choice condition. Select cards may still garner over $200 in NM-MT.
1968 Topps Post Cereal (cards #714-727): Best seen complete in 3-ring binders. Top rookie Orlando Cepeda (#714) has surpassed $500 individually.
The 1968 Topps set is renowned for its oddball short prints and overproduction errors that intrigue collectors. Elusive numbers like Felipe Alou (#313) and Wes Covington (#344) attract attention from error card aficionados. 1969-postmarked cards and miscut sheets are also peculiar anomalies to track down in this iconic issue.
As nostalgia for vintage cardboard intensifies, so does marketplace magnetism for brand ambassador sets like 1968 Topps. When factoring rarity, condition challenges, breakout rookie platforms, and now proven long-term demand – these cards are primed to appreciate over coming years. eBay will undoubtedly continue as a leading outlet for collectors to both seek and sell cherished pieces from this groovy yet crucial set in baseball card history’s annals.
