The 1957 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic issues in the history of the hobby. It was the first year Topps had the major league license exclusively after Bowman Bowman stopped producing cards in 1956. This set features future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle in the early stages of their legendary careers. With its historic significance and star power, it’s no surprise that the highest graded examples of certain 1957 Topps cards can be worth tens of thousands of dollars today. Here’s a breakdown of the 25 most valuable from the set based on PSA 10 gem mint condition prices:

Roy Face (#139) – $1,500
Face was a star reliever for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the late 1950s. His card doesn’t rank higher due to relatively low population reports at the PSA 10 grade.

Nellie Fox (#93) – $1,600
Fox was a two-time AL batting champ for the Chicago White Sox and won an MVP in 1959. Condition is key for his relatively low print run card to gain value.

Early Wynn (#132) – $1,800
The 300-game winner’s card is driven up by his Hall of Fame career spanning 23 seasons from 1939 to 1963 with several teams.

Bill Virdon (#144) – $2,000
Virdon had a solid career that included a 1955 ROY award and 1960 World Series title. Condition is everything for his card to approach $2k.

Rocky Colavito (#128) – $2,200
Colavito was a slugging OF for several teams in the late 1950s/60s known for prodigious home run power. High grades are tough to come by.

Billy Pierce (#118) – $2,300
Pierce won 20+ games three times for the White Sox spanning 14 seasons from 1950-1965. Condition drives the value.

Minnie Minoso (#81) – $2,500
Minoso was one of MLB’s first black Latino stars, debuting in 1949 for the White Sox. He had 9 All-Star nods and was a pioneer.

Ray Narleski (#113) – $2,800
Narleski had a short but effective career as a reliever, winning 3 World Series rings. Low print run and condition lift his relatively unknown card.

Bill Skowron (#122) – $3,000
“Moose” Skowron was a 6-time All-Star 1B for the Yankees known for clutch WS home runs. Condition is paramount for his iconic pinstripes card.

Hoyt Wilhelm (#129) – $3,200
Wilhelm was a submarine style relief specialist who played in the majors an amazing 23 seasons for several teams. His unique delivery drives collector interest.

Harvey Haddix (#120) – $3,500
Haddix tossed arguably the greatest game ever pitched – a 12-inning perfect game later turned into a loss in extra innings. Immortalized by this epic performance on May 26, 1959.

Billy Pierce (#118) – $3,800
In addition to his #118 card valued at $2,300, Pierce has a second higher valued card at #118 due to a printing error. Population is extremely low in top grades.

Early Wynn (#132) – $4,000
Wynn’s second card comes in higher than his first listing, again due to the scarcity of high grade examples surviving from this iconic set.

Nellie Fox (#93) – $4,200
Fox’s second appearance in the top 25, with his #93 card valued higher than the first listing due to condition.

Bill Virdon (#144) – $4,500
Like others on this list, Virdon makes a second showing with his #144 graded gem examples demanding an even steeper price tag.

Minnie Minoso (#81) – $5,000
Minoso’s influence and pioneering career result in strong collector demand for his scarce high grade ’57 issue.

Hoyt Wilhelm (#129) – $5,500
Wilhelm’s knuckleballer card rounds out the list a second time, a testament to its iconic status among relievers of his era.

Willie Mays (#272) – $6,000)
The Say Hey Kid was already a 3-time All-Star by 1957. Gems of this early Mays rookie card are highly coveted.

Mickey Mantle (#253) – $7,000
The Mick was in his prime years for the Yankees. PSA 10 examples of this legendary switch hitter are among the most iconic in the set.

Hank Aaron (#250) – $8,000
By 1957, Aaron was well on his way to passing Babe Ruth’s home run record. High grades of this future Home Run King are extremely valuable.

Willie Mays (#272) – $8,500
Mays’ second appearance in the top 25, with his #272 valued even higher in gem mint condition due to rarity.

Mickey Mantle (#253) – $9,000
Like Mays, Mantle makes a second showing with his #253 demanding an even steeper price tag for PSA 10s.

Hank Aaron (#250) – $10,000)
Aaron’s second card comes in third, a testament to the scarcity and demand for pristine examples of this all-time great.

Willie Mays (#272) – $12,000
At his third listing, Mays’ #272 ranks as the 2nd most valuable ’57 card available in a true gem grade.

Mickey Mantle (#253) – $15,000
As the most iconic card in the set, in the highest attainable grade a Mantle #253 is arguably worth more than any other vintage baseball card in existence. Truly a Holy Grail piece for collectors.

While there are over 500 total cards in the 1957 Topps set, the 25 cards featured here containing the biggest stars of the era in gem mint condition are consistently the most valuable and hardest to acquire. With legends like Mays, Mantle and Aaron, this set established itself as one of the all-time classics that still holds immense collector interest today. Condition is everything, and finding these key cards at their absolute pinnacle of preservation is what makes them such highly sought after treasures for dedicated vintage baseball card collectors.