Baseball cards from the 1950s hold a special place in the hobby. The 1956 Topps set in particular is considered one of the most iconic issues of the decade. With its colorful designs and snapshots of the game’s biggest stars, the ’56 Topps cards captured the excitement of the post-War era. Over 65 years later, these vintage cards remain highly collectible. Here is an in-depth price guide for the 1956 Topps baseball card set.

The 1956 Topps set contains a total of 520 cards. The design features a photo of each player in the foreground with their team logo and stats in the background. Topps used a variety of photo sources for the ’56 cards, with some showing players in action shots while others featured formal posed portraits. The cards have a distinctive red-white-and-blue color scheme that was a popular graphic style of the 1950s. On the front, each card is numbered from 1 to 520 in the bottom-right corner.

In terms of condition, the 1956 Topps set is considered fairly tough to find in high grades like Mint. This is due to the thin cardboard stock used by Topps at the time. Even lightly played copies from the 1950s will often show creases, corners wear or edge nicks. For the purposes of this price guide, conditions will be defined as:

Poor (P): Heavily worn with creases, tears or damage
Fair (F): Noticeable wear with creases or edge nicks
Good (G): Lightly played with minor creases or handling marks
Very Good (VG): Near mint with only slight signs of use
Near Mint (NM): Bright, no creasing but may have minor edge or corner wear
Mint (MT): Pristine card in perfect unworn condition

Now let’s take a look at some key individual card prices from the 1956 Topps set in different grades:

Mickey Mantle (Card #1):

P: $50-100
F: $150-250
G: $300-500
VG: $600-1000
NM: $1200-1800
MT: $2000+

Willie Mays (Card #90):

P: $75-150
F: $200-350
G: $400-700
VG: $800-1200
NM: $1500-2500
MT: $3000+

Hank Aaron (Card #99):

P: $50-100
F: $150-250
G: $300-500
VG: $600-1000
NM: $1200-1800
MT: $2000+

Stan Musial (Card #127):

P: $40-80
F: $100-200
G: $200-400
VG: $400-700
NM: $800-1500
MT: $1800+

Ted Williams (Card #167):

P: $50-100
F: $150-250
G: $300-500
VG: $600-1000
NM: $1200-1800
MT: $2000+

As you can see from the prices above, high-grade copies of the true star players like Mantle, Mays, Aaron and Williams can sell for thousands of dollars. Even in lower grades, their cards retain significant value recognition of their legendary playing careers.

Beyond the star cards, there are also several other notable players and rookie cards that command premium prices in the 1956 Topps set:

Sandy Koufax (Card #114):
P: $30-60
F: $75-150
G: $150-300
VG: $300-500
NM: $600-1000
MT: $1200+
Don Drysdale (Card #207):
P: $20-40
F: $50-100
G: $100-200
VG: $200-350
NM: $400-700
MT: $800+
Nellie Fox (Card #111):
P: $15-30
F: $30-60
G: $60-100
VG: $100-200
NM: $200-350
MT: $400+
Bob Friend (Card #203):

P: $10-20

F: $15-30

G: $30-60

VG: $60-100

NM: $100-200

MT: $250+

Don Larsen (Card #498):
P: $15-30
F: $30-60
G: $60-100
VG: $100-200
NM: $200-350
MT: $400+

There are several key rookie cards in the 1956 Topps set that can demand high prices for collectors:

Roberto Clemente (RC Card #34):
P: $50-100
F: $100-200
G: $200-400
VG: $400-700
NM: $800-1500
MT: $1800+
Jim Bunning (RC Card #21):
P: $25-50
F: $50-100
G: $100-200
VG: $200-350
NM: $400-700
MT: $800+
Don Drysdale (RC Card #207):
P: $20-40
F: $50-100
G: $100-200
VG: $200-350
NM: $400-700
MT: $800+

The 1956 Topps set is very popular with collectors and prices remain strong. Complete original sets in any grade sell for thousands. Even common players can hold value in higher grades. And the rookie cards and true stars are highly sought after pieces for advanced collectors. With its iconic designs and photos of legends, the ’56 Topps issue rightfully endures as one of the most classic offerings from the early years of modern baseball cards.