Roger Maris Baseball Cards For Sale – The Most Iconic 1961 Season Cards
The 1961 season was one of the most memorable and controversial seasons in Major League Baseball history. This was the year that New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s longstanding single season home run record, hitting 61 home runs compared to Ruth’s previous record of 60. Maris’ accomplishment was deeply polarizing at the time as many felt the modern expansion to 162 games gave Maris an unfair advantage over Ruth who set the record in 154 games.
Regardless of the debate around the legitimacy of the record, Maris’ 1961 season captivated the country and made him one of the most famous players in baseball. His hitting of home run #61 on October 1st, 1961 is still considered one of the most iconic moments in sports history. For collectors today, Maris’ 1961 baseball cards remain some of the most sought after and valuable relating to any single season performance. Here is a breakdown of some of the top Roger Maris 1961 baseball cards that frequently come up for sale in the sports memorabilia market:
1961 Topps Roger Maris #130
The flagship Maris 1961 card released by Topps is considered the most iconic of his 1961 cards. It features a classic action photo of Maris swinging the bat with his Yankee pinstripes clearly visible. The front touts his 1960 stats and the back provides a brief biography. This is the card that defined Maris’ 1961 season for collectors. Graded PSA/BGS 10 examples in pristine mint condition have sold for over $10,000. Even well-centered, but lesser graded examples still command prices of $2,000-$5,000 depending on condition. The 1961 Topps set is one of the most popular and collectible of all time.
1961 Topps Roger Maris #432 ‘Record Breaker’
Released late in the 1961-62 Topps series, card #432 features a photo of Maris holding the ball from his record breaking 61st home run. The front notes the record breaking achievement while the back provides more context about how he broke Ruth’s long held single season mark. Like the #130, a PSA/BGS 10 of this card is worth $10,000+. Even mid-grade copies will sell in the $1,000-2,000 range depending on eye appeal. This remains the “key” Maris card from the 1961 Topps set every serious collector wants.
1961 Topps Roger Maris #524 ‘Call Up’
One of the more obscure yet desirable Maris rookie cards is the #524 “call up” issue from later in the ’61 Topps series. It highlights his late season call up to the parent Yankees in 1960 after batting .293 with 15 HR for their AAA Kansas City minor league team. Only about 500,000 of these were printed making high grade examples quite rare. Even well-centered copies in the PSA 7-8 range can sell for $1,000+. With strong demand for any Maris rookie, this remains a very collectible card.
1961 Bazooka Roger Maris
For the young collectors of 1961, Bazooka bubble gum offered an affordable way to obtain baseball cards packaged with their snacks. Their Maris card featured a painted portrait style image of him in a Yankees uniform. Whileexamples are plentiful, high grades remain scarce. PSA/BGS 10 examples can sell for $500-1000 as the only true “rookie” depicting his early career before the fame of 1961. A fun card for any Maris or vintage collection.
1961 Post Roger Maris
As one of the three main competitive card companies of the 1950s-60s along with Topps and Fleer, Post issued their final baseball card set in 1961. Their Maris issue shows him holding a bat with “Yankees” visible. While production run was smaller, condition remains key to value. Their scarcity makes any PSA/BGS 9+ examples still worth $300-500 for collectors seeking a complete Maris rookie collection.
These represent the core Roger Maris 1961 baseball cards that frequently come up for sale whether individually or in group lots. Beyond raw copies, many serious vintage collectors will also pursue these cards in professionally graded Gem Mint slabbed examples to ensure condition, authenticity and long-term preservation of the classic cardboard. Prices often reflect the rareness of high grades especially for such historic and popular 60 year old issues.
With each passing year, fewer unopened packs and supplies remain from 1961 further driving scarcity and prices upwards. Even lesser condition copies still hold value for any dedicated Yankees or Maris fan looking to add a tangible part of sports history to their collection. Over 60 years later, the magic of Roger Maris’ record setting ’61 campaign still captivates collectors through the cards that immortalized his amazing feat.
