The 1968 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most valuable vintage issues for collectors. While several rookies cards and stars of the era are highly sought after, a few stand out as truly exceptional in terms of their scarcity and condition. For dedicated collectors looking to add a premiere piece to their collection, the top cards from the 1968 Topps series offer some of the best options.

Perhaps the most iconic card from the set is the Mickey Mantle rookie card. As one of the greatest players of all time who played his entire career with the New York Yankees, Mantle cards in any year hold significant collectible value. His 1968 Topps rookie is especially rare since it was issued after his rookie season of 1951 with Bowman. Few original copies survive in high grades today. One of the best-centered PSA Gem Mint 10 examples sold for an astounding $2.88 million in 2021, making it the most valuable baseball card ever sold at auction. Other PSA 10 Mantle ’68 rookies have reached the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars as well. Even well-centered copies in lower grades like PSA 8 still demand five-figure prices.

Another Yankee superstar and National Baseball Hall of Famer with an exceptionally rare rookie in 1968 Topps is Roberto Clemente. Like Mantle, Clemente played his whole career for one franchise in Pittsburgh. Tragically, he was also killed in a plane crash at the young age of 38 while helping deliver aid to Nicaragua victims. His legacy and on-field accomplishments made the ’68 Clemente rookie one of the premier cards almost as soon as it was released. Professional quality PSA 10 versions have sold for over $200,000, with most graded copies ranging between $50,000-$150,000 depending on centering and condition specifics. Even small imperfections can have a major impact on value for such a significant issue.

While Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente undoubtedly own the two best overall rookies from the set long-term, several other star players had valuable first-year cards as well. Topps’ decision to issue full-bleed photographs led to more sharply focused and higher quality images than some earlier designs. This lends the ’68 rookies extra eye appeal for collectors. One example is Cardinals outfielder and future Hall of Famer Lou Brock. His rookie has steadily climbed in demand, with a PSA 9 bringing about $25,000 as one of the more affordable centerpieces for an elite collection. Pitcher Don Sutton’s debut for the Dodgers also performs consistently well above five-figures even in lower grades.

Several non-rookie cards stand out too from the stars of 1968. The Detroit Tigers’ Denny McLain had a career year, winning 31 games and taking home the AL MVP and Cy Young awards. His main issue card shows him posing outdoors in a windup and was one of the set’s most iconic photographs. High-grade versions remain valuable at $5,000+ even outside the elite condition echelon. Atlanta Braves pitcher and Hall of Famer Phil Niekro made his Topps debut as well that year. While not a true rookie, his card gained fame paired with his knuckleball pitching prowess and 300-win career. PSA 10 copies command over $6,000 on the secondary market.

For collectors seeking substantial condition rarities, two specific near-mint cards hold incredible wow factor. First is Nolan Ryan’s third year card showing him as an Angel. Just a few PSA/BGS Mint 9 or Gem Mint 10 copies are known to exist making it one of the true condition scarities. None have ever been confirmed to grade higher. The second is Brooks Robinson’s third season with the Baltimore Orioles. As the premier third baseman of his era and 16-time Gold Glover, demand is high. An unblemished PSA 10 could eclipse six figures due to the extreme difficultly of finding such pristine vintage. Both remain elite condition census cards at the pinnacle of the set.

While other 1960s-70s issues offer popular investment vehicles, few can match the star power and condition rarity of the finest examples from the acclaimed 1968 Topps series. Rookies of Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente and several others stake their claim among the most significant debut cards in the hobby’s history. Superstars like McLain, Niekro, and exceptional near-mint outliers starring Nolan Ryan and Brooks Robinson provide fascinating investment-grade Condition Census options as well. With iconic photography capturing the era’s greatest players, the 1968 Topps baseball release serves as both an historic set and proven blue-chip portfolio addition decades later.