Elvis Presley was one of the most iconic entertainers of the 20th century. While he is most famous for his contributions to music, Elvis had many interests outside of singing and acting. One of those lesser known interests was baseball. Elvis grew up playing and following baseball, and it remained a passion of his throughout his life. This love of America’s pastime led to the production of official Elvis Presley baseball cards during the height of his fame in the late 1950s.
In 1957, Topps Trading Card Company released their first set of modern baseball cards as part of their new annual baseball card series. The cards featured professional baseball players as well as some non-baseball celebrities and personalities from that year. For their 1958 series, Topps decided to include Elvis Presley as one of the non-baseball celebrity cards in the set due to his immense popularity at the time. Elvis was drafted into the army in 1958, so Topps photographed him in his army uniform for the card.
The 1958 Topps Elvis Presley baseball card was issued as card number 130 in the set. On the front of the card is a headshot photograph of Elvis in his army uniform. Below the photo it reads “Elvis Presley – Entertainer.” The back of the card contains a short biography of Elvis focusing on his rise to fame and career highlights up to that point such as his movie roles and hit records. It also notes his passion for baseball and that he was currently serving in the U.S. Army. The card marks Elvis as being 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds at the time.
The 1958 Topps set was the only year that Elvis received his own individual baseball card. He was featured as part of a group photo on the 1959 Topps “Hollywood Stars” baseball card. That card showed photos of several celebrities from 1958 including Elvis in his army uniform grouped together. While not his own individual card, it was another way Topps incorporated Elvis into their annual baseball card sets due to his continuing popularity.
Elvis’ 1958 Topps baseball card became one of the most highly sought after and valuable cards featuring a non-baseball celebrity. Since it was the only year Elvis had his own individual card issued, collectors prize mint condition examples. Graded gem mint 10 versions of the 1958 Elvis card have sold at auction for over $10,000. Even well-worn lower graded copies still sell for hundreds of dollars due to Elvis’ iconic status. The rarity and popularity of the King of Rock and Roll among collectors makes his Topps baseball cards a highly valued piece of pop culture history.
In addition to his appearance in Topps sets, Elvis was featured on a number of other unofficial baseball cards and trading cards over the years capitalizing on his fame. In 1956, a set called “Hollywood Stars” was produced by the Bowman Gum Company featuring headshots of celebrities on baseball card stock, including one of a young Elvis. In the 1970s and 80s, numerous smaller companies produced sets with Elvis cards as part of their inventory hoping to appeal to collectors of both baseball and Elvis memorabilia.
Elvis maintained his love of baseball even when he became a global superstar. He attended Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals games whenever possible. Friends and associates recalled Elvis’ extensive knowledge of players, statistics, and the game in general. He had a collection of signed balls, bats, photos, and other memorabilia accumulated over the years. When he lived in Memphis again during the 1970s before his death, Elvis would sometimes play pickup games with friends at the local YMCA. His passion translated to the production of official and unofficial baseball cards that captured America’s infatuation with Elvis Presley during the late 1950s. Today, Elvis Presley’s Topps baseball cards from 1958 remain some of the most valuable celebrity cards for collectors of both music and sports memorabilia. They serve as an interesting intersection between the King of Rock and his abiding love of America’s favorite pastime of baseball.
