Jimmy Dean was a famous country music singer best known for his signature hit “Big Bad John” in 1961. While he had a successful music career, Dean also had a passion for collecting that extended beyond just records and memorabilia from his concerts. In the late 1950s and 1960s, Dean became an avid baseball card collector and would often spend his downtime on tour searching local hobby shops and drugstores for packs to add to his growing collection.
Baseball cards were really starting to take off in popularity during this era as the postwar Baby Boomer generation fueled demand. It was the perfect hobby to fuel Dean’s competitive nature and love of the game. He amassed a huge collection with all the stars of the day like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and more. However, Dean wanted to take his collecting to the next level and started seeking out rare and unique cards to stand out from the pack.
This led Dean to come up with the novel idea of having rookie cards specially made with his autograph directly on the card. In 1962, he reached out to Topps, the dominant baseball card manufacturer at the time, with his proposition. Topps executives were skeptical at first about messing with their standard production process but were intrigued by the publicity it could generate. They decided to print a small run of 1964 Topps rookie cards of six young up-and-coming players as a test run with Dean’s autograph on them.
The six players Dean selected all went on to have solid MLB careers and included pitchers Jim Maloney and Bill Singer as well as infielders Dennis Ribant, Dick Schofield, Norm Cash and Don Wert. Topps produced only 100 autographed cards of each player for a total printing of 600 cards. They were not considered part of the standard 1964 Topps set and had “Jimmy Dean Collection” printed along the bottom. Even though they were essentially promotional items at the time, these would come to be known as some of the rarest vintage cards in the hobby.
When the cards started appearing in stores in 1963, it caused a sensation among collectors. Suddenly having an autograph, especially from a celebrity, directly on the card was unheard of. Young fans would crowd around Dean at concerts hoping to get one of the rare autographed cards from him. The publicity was a huge win for Topps as well, generating buzz and sales during a time when the baseball card market was still niche. Encouraged by the response, Topps agreed to partner with Dean on more autographed card releases in future years.
In 1965, Dean worked with Topps again on another limited autographed card series featuring rookie cards for pitcher Tom Seaver, catcher Randy Hundley and third baseman Ed Charles. This time only 50 autographed cards were produced for each player for a total print run of 150 cards. The rarity and appeal of celebrity endorsed cards was really catching on. To sports card fans and investors today, these remain exceedingly rare finds in near mint condition and can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction depending on player and grade.
The partnership between Jimmy Dean and Topps continued into the 1967 and 1968 seasons as well. For ’67, Dean autographed rookie cards for pitcher Joe Niekro, shortstop Dick McAuliffe and catcher Pat Corrales (50 cards each/150 total printed). In 1968, the autographed roster included pitcher Bill Singer’s second year card along with rookie cards for third baseman Bobby Cox and pitcher Ossie Blanco (also 50/150 print runs respectively). By this time, the Dean autographed cards had developed a reputation as some of the most coveted and valuable in the entire vintage collecting world.
However, Dean’s country music career was really taking off in the late 60s with #1 hits like “Little Things” and “My Elusive Dreams.” Balancing recording and touring schedules with his baseball card signings became untenable. His final edition with Topps came in 1969 with a run of 50 autographed rookie cards each of pitcher Ron Reed, second baseman Glen Adams and first baseman Tony Horton. This concluded a legendary seven year partnership between Jimmy Dean and Topps that produced some 1,300 ultra-rare autographed cards across 15 different players spanning 1964 to 1969.
While they started as just a fun collector’s item endorsed by a celebrity, the Jimmy Dean signature collection has grown to take on almost mythic status among vintage set builders and investors today. In full near mint condition, key pieces like the 1964 Jim Maloney or 1965 Tom Seaver can sell at auction for upwards of $20,000. Finding any of the individual 50 or 100 card print runs in high grade is considered a massive hitting in the hobby. Dean had a keen eye for selecting players who would all achieve longevity in the big leagues. His visionary idea to personally autograph cards before they became mainstream really set the standard that others would follow. Even after his passing in 2010 at the age of 81, Jimmy Dean’s legendary autographed baseball card collection continues captivating collectors with its rarity, history and ties to America’s pastime.
