If you have any old Topps baseball cards sitting in a box in your attic or basement, it might be time to dig them out and take a closer look. Some vintage Topps cards from the 1950s and 1960s can be worth significant money today, especially if they are in good condition. Topps revolutionized the trading card industry when they started producing baseball cards in the early 1950s, and certain cards from those early series are highly sought after by collectors. Let’s take a look at some of the most valuable old Topps baseball cards you’ll want to watch out for.
The crown jewel of all vintage Topps baseball cards is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. In pristine mint condition, a 1952 Mantle rookie card can sell for over $2 million. Even well-worn copies in just average condition can still fetch five figures. Mantle went on to become one of the greatest switch-hitting sluggers of all time and is still considered an icon of baseball royalty. His 1952 Topps rookie is the poster boy for valuable vintage cards. Other coveted 50s rookie cards include the 1957 Topps Hank Aaron ($250k+ mint), 1955 Topps Willie Mays ($200k+), and 1957 Topps Rocky Colavito ($75k+).
The 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle is also very valuable in high grade, as it captured Mantle in his prime years leading the Yankee Dynasty. A PSA 10 Gem Mint 1960 Mantle sold for nearly $400,000 in recent years. The 1960 Topps Roger Maris card featuring his historic 61 home run season surpassed $100,000 for the first time in 2020. Rookies like the 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan, 1965 Topps Sandy Koufax, and even a 1970s rookie card of an unknown 23-year old George Brett could sell for six figures in mint condition as well.
Series 1 from 1952, 1957, and 1967 are the “big three” flagships that produced some legendary rookie cards. But other early Topps sets hold value too depending on the player and card condition. A collection of complete commons from the 1954, 1955, or 1958 Topps sets graded high could conceivably sell for tens of thousands as condition is key. The 1956 Topps complete set featuring Mickey, Mays, and Aaron sold for over $100,000. There are also always standout stars that carry premium value in otherwise “regular” sets. Examples include the 1969 Topps Willie McCovey ($7,500 PSA 9) and 1962 Clemente ($2,000+ PSA 8).
Beyond vintage star rookies and complete sets, there are unique variations and short prints within the standard Topps issues as well. One of the biggest is the fabled 1952 Topps Red Back Mack Jones (#121). Only 10-12 of these with the solid red backing are known to exist in collectors circles. In 2013 one reached the unprecedented price tag of $262,000. Other variations include the well-known 1955 Topps Warren Spahn Inverted Back. There are also unnumbered short prints and rare negative inserts in early Topps which can potentially fetch thousands as well. Even staple star player cards like 1956 Topps Hank Aaron (#38) and 1954 Topps Willie Mays (#97) rise well into five figures in pristine mint condition.
Topps also produced several high value specialty subsets over the years. Notable editions include 1964 Topps Clayton/Pinkie/Gaylord ($10k+), 1961 and 1963 Topps HOF subsets, 1958 Topps Ted Williams All-Star Cards, and 1970 SSP Laughlin variations. Error cards are highly collectible too. An example is the 1964 Topps Koosman spelled “Koozman” misprint going for $5,000 or more graded. Big rookie and star cards from 1967 Topps are also rising tremendously, including a recent PSA 9 Roberto Clemente sale of nearly $30,000.
While key stars and vintage rookie cards get the majority of attention, there are often overlooked high value sleepers in the ‘60s and early ‘70s issues as well. The 1969 Topps Nolan Ryan (#526) has reached $3,000 PSA 9. Others like the iconic 1968 Topps Denny McLain (#1), or 1970 Topps Johnny Bench rookie are approaching five figures in top pop report grades. Even though production numbers soared after the ‘60s, it doesn’t mean condition sensitive star cards from the 1970s on can’t be worth big money. A 1975 Topps Eddie Murray rookie in PSA 10 condition sold for nearly $14,000 in 2021.
Whether you have pristine vintage collection holdings or stumble upon old cards while cleaning, it’s always worth researching what any of your old Topps baseball cards could be worth today. Especially issues from the 1950s-60s boom eras when Topps monopoly was at its height. The nostalgia, rarity, and history behind certain star rookies and specialized subsets continue to drive tremendous collector demand and prices upwards for many of these vintage cardboard gems decades later. So take the time to carefully assess what you have – you never know if a valuable forgotten gem could be hiding in the collection!
