The 1968 Topps baseball card set is most famous for being the first major league baseball card set to break tradition and issue cards beyond the typical player roster size. For years, Topps had consistently released baseball card sets that contained photos and stats for every player on major league rosters at the time of production. In 1968 Topps broke new ground by continuing player cards beyond the typical roster cut off with the introduction of “high number” cards.
Up until 1968, Topps baseball sets typically contained photos of around 660 players, which was enough space to feature one card for every major league ballplayer as rosters were much smaller back then. As player movement between teams increased in the late 1960s due to expansion franchises, trades, and call ups from the minors, Topps realized they needed more cards to feature all current major leaguers. Topps decided to take advantage of this by continuing the 1968 set with additional “high number” cards from #660 onwards to feature these new players.
The first “high number” cards began at #660 with Dodger’s pitcher Jack Aker. From there, the high numbers continued consecutively with players like Jerry Moses (#661), Ken Holtzman (#662), and so on. In total, the 1968 Topps set included 87 high number cards, ranging from #660 through #746 to round out coverage of that season’s rosters.
Some key things to note about the 1968 Topps high number cards include that they are smaller in size than the standard cards issues in the first 659 slot. They measure approximately 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches, nearly a half-inch smaller than the regular sized cards. They also utilized a simplified design compared to the more elaborate fronts of the lower numbered cards. Perhaps most noticeably, only the player’s name and position are listed on the front of the card, with no team affiliation. Team facts are listed on the back along with batting and fielding stats.
Another major difference with the high number cards is that they were significantly more scarce in production and have remained that way since. While the regular Topps cards from #1 to #659 had print runs estimated around 2.8 million copies each, the high number cards from #660 on had production numbers around 100,000 copies – a huge disparity.
This limited print run has made finding high graded examples of 1968 Topps high numbers extremely challenging for collectors. In fact, high number cards that grade PSA 8 or above routinely sell for two to three times as much as similarly graded regular issue cards from the base set. Prices have only climbed higher in recent years, especially for the true scarce short prints like #660 Jack Aker or #685 rookie cards of Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver which are considered the key cards of the high number run.
Even still finding many of these cards in gradeable condition is a barrier for collectors seeking to complete the full 87 high number run. Populations graded by PSA and other third party authentication companies remain exceptionally low across the board. This scarcity has only amplified interest in the historic cards and secured their place in the hobby as some of the earliest “short prints” prior to the modern era of inserts and parallels.
While the 1968 set broke ground by extending into high numbers, Topps would not consistently issue cards beyond the standard player roster size each year on a regular basis going forward. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that other issues like 1972 and 1973 would feature high number cards again before the format became a yearly staple. But the 1968 Topps set, as the pioneering release that started the trend, remains highly valued in the collecting community. After 50+ years, its still considered one of the most influential releases in the hobby’s history and its high number cards are among the most coveted and difficult to obtain in the entire classic era of baseball cards.
