The 1968 Topps baseball card set is considered one of the most valuable issues in the entire hobby due to several factors that combined to make particular cards enormously scarce. The 1960s represented the dawn of the modern baseball card boom, fueled by the colorful cards produced by Topps each year. As kids swapped and traded these pieces of cardboard depicting their favorite players, the seeds were planted for what would become a multi-billion dollar business.
While 1968 Topps cards do not contain the iconic rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like 1975 or 1977, several variables ensured that certain cards from this set would become extremely scarce overtime. For starters, 1968 was the final year that Topps had exclusive rights to produce MLB player cards. Starting in 1969, competitor Fleer would start releasing cards as well, splitting collectors and thereby cutting into the print runs of each individual issue.
The late 1960s was when the first rumblings of the players’ union pushing for shared profits from use of likenesses started. Players were gaining more power collectively and Topps was feeling pressure. As a result, print runs for 1968 were smaller than prior years. Topps also changed printers between 1967 and 1968, shifting production from Carr-Lowrey Glass Company to the Bowman Gum Company. The new printing process may have also impacted card scarcity unintentionally.
While a larger set of 792 cards were produced in 1968 compared to previous years, the convergence of a new competitor, players demanding a cut of profits, and a change in printers served to sharply reduce availability of certain cards over the long run. Here are some of the biggest rarities and their estimated values from the 1968 Topps set:
Nolan Ryan Rookie Card (Card #444): As one of the most famous pitchers of all-time and still active until well past his prime, Ryan’s first Topps issue is the undisputed crown jewel of the 1968 set. With an estimated surviving population of only 50-75 copies, it routinely sells for well over $100,000 in near-mint condition.
Hank Aaron (Card #1): As the first card in the set and one of the game’s all-time greats, the Hank Aaron has also achieved legendary status. With no nickname on the front, it was often overlooked by collectors early on. Now fewer than 50 are estimated to exist, valued at $15,000-$25,000.
Carl Yastrzemski (Card #630): Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown and AL MVP in 1967, thus making his ’68 card very popular. It still suffers from low survival numbers believed to be under 100 copies. Graded examples trade hands for $10,000-$15,000.
Mickey Mantle (Card #506): As one of the true icons of baseball, Mantle’s rookie was already long out of print by 1968. This later issue is very scarce too with less than 100 estimated surviving. Near-mint copies command $8,000-$12,000.
Don Drysdale (Card #480): The Hall of Fame pitcher’s 1968 is one of the rarest regular issues outside of rookies. PSA/BGS 8 examples have sold for up to $7,500, with the population thought to be around 125 cards.
Juan Marichal (Card #491): Marichal was a Dominican superstar and the ace of the dynasty 1960s Giants staff. His ’68 is also quite rare, with a surviving population estimated at 150 or fewer copies. Near-mint have sold for $6,000.
Gaylord Perry (Card #704): The eventual Hall of Famer had just 4 MLB seasons under his belt in 1968 but was already a star. Fewer than 200 of his issue are believed extant, with gem mint examples bringing $3,000-$5,000.
The 1968 Topps set stands out for its solid documented rarities like the Nolan Ryan rookie and tough regular issues of superstars. The small print runs and lower survival rates over the decades have concentrated what still exists in the hands of advanced collectors. For researchers wanting to study population reports, the 1968 set provides a fascinating case study in variables that can influence long-term card scarcity in the collecting world. Prices will likely continue their upward trajectories as fewer pristine examples remain available on the secondary market.
