The 1956 Topps baseball card set is one of the most valuable vintage card releases in the hobby. Mint condition examples of stars like Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. With originals out of reach for most collectors both financially and in terms of availability, reprints have grown popular to fulfill the demand to collect and enjoy the classic designs. This guide explores the history and key details about 1956 Topps reprints.
History and Production of 1956 Topps Reprints
The iconic 1956 Topps set is considered one of the finest designs in baseball card history. Featuring bold golden borders and crisp action shots of the players, the aesthetics still hold up amazingly well over 65 years later. With only 480 cards produced and distributed mainly through gum packs as the original means of getting into collectors’ hands, surviving examples graded high enough to even consider reselling have become extremely scarce.
In the 1970s and 80s as interest in vintage cards began booming, the demand to collect sought-after older designs like the 1956 Topps led third party manufacturers to start producing reprints without licenses from Topps. These early reprints had some key differences from the originals to distinguish them such as altered cardstock thickness, photo quality and borders. They fulfilled the collecting itch for many but did little for the hobby’s authenticity.
In 2005, The Topps Company granted Leaf Trading Cards, Inc. an exclusive license to produce authorized, exact reproductions of the 1956 issue. Using Topps’ original card artwork scans and photo negatives at high resolution, Leaf was able to replicate the look, feel and production specifications to make reprints that were virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, creating a whole new category of officially licensed vintage reprints.
Details on Leaf’s 1956 Topps Reprint Set
Leaf’s reprints employ the same stock, bleed size, thickness, stamping and printing process as the original 1956 Topps cards. The cardfront photos are reproduced with incredible accuracy down to the finest details. While there are subtle differences that experts can spot like a “reprint” back stamp and Leaf copyright information, this set allows collectors to enjoy high quality versions at a fraction of the cost of vintage originals.
The 487-card set matches the original roster, including the checklist cards found in Series 1 packs. Variations like the alternate Dodgers team card and 1955 ROY winner card are replicated as well. Printing is limited to verified editions based on population estimates, with sticker autographs of the players optionally randomly inserted. A special reprint of the infamous Felipe Alou error card which lacked a photo is also included to preserve this iconic mistake.
Additionally, Leaf produced variations of their reprints with modern parallel inserts, autographed patches and special edition numbering. While strictly for collectors enjoying the designs outside authentic vintage circles, these additions show how reprints continue to fuel new collecting opportunities decades later for fans priced out of the original market.
Authentication and Grading of 1956 Reprints
As the reprint market expanded, third party grading services like PSA and Beckett emerged to authenticate, assess condition and encapsulate vintage and reprint cards to bring uniformity and transparency to buyers. Slabbed reprints always clearly specify they are reproductions to avoid confusion with the genuine article. Top-graded examples fetch similar prices to their assigned condition/rarity on the authentic 1956 PSA/BGS Population Report, showing demand strength.
While purists frown on reprints cutting into authentic vintage values, the licensing agreements have helped preserve collector interest and grown the overall market size of a classic design. With original 1956 Topps still remaining mostly out of reach price-wise except for the most dedicated investors, Leaf’s excellent reproductions uphold the set’s legacy and allow generations of newer collectors enjoy Topps’ brilliant early design work at affordable costs.
1955 Topps reprints by Leaf Trading Cards utilizing an official licensing agreement with Topps have played a major role in sustaining collector interest and demand for one of the most iconic designs in baseball card history. By producing authorized reproductions matching the quality, specifications and characteristics of the original issue, Leaf has allowed many more collectors to enjoy high-quality versions of this classic 555-card masterpiece within reach of most budgets. With originals still extremely rare and valuable, reprints ensure this timeless design continues to have relevance and be collected for generations to come.
