The 1956 Topps baseball card set was the fifth series of baseball cards produced by the Topps Chewing Gum Company. Some key facts and highlights about the 1956 Topps baseball card checklist and set:

The 1956 Topps set contains 202 total cards and featured players from both the American and National Leagues. This was an increase of 50 cards from the previous year’s set, which only had 152 total cards.

The design of the 1956 Topps cards saw some changes from prior years. The card stock was thinner and more brittle. The team logo/cap was displayed more prominently on the right side of each card. Player photos also took up more of the front of the card compared to earlier Topps designs that had more blank space.

Roster changes prior to the 1956 season led to some notable rookie cards and players missing from the previous year’s checklist. Future Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson, Al Kaline, and Ron Santo each had their rookie cards in this set. However, 1955 NL MVP Willie Mays and 1954 AL MVP Yogi Berra were not included as they had changed teams in the offseason.

The 1956 Topps set is perhaps best known for including the rookie card of future all-time hits leader Pete Rose, who made his MLB debut in 1963 with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose’s 1956 card shows him as a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization but before his major league debut. This rookie card is one of the most iconic and valuable in the entire hobby.

Other particularly notable and valuable rookie cards from the 1956 Topps checklist include Hank Aaron, Juan Marichal, Don Drysdale, Rusty Staub, Bill White, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, and Early Wynn. Many consider Aaron and Marichal to have the most historically significant rookie cards in the set besides Pete Rose.

The 1956 Topps set included all 16 major league teams from that season. This marked the first Topps baseball card issue to feature complete rosters of both leagues. Some of the standout players who graced the 1956 Topps checklist included Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Roy Campanella.

Among the stars who had really impressive and iconic individual cards in the 1956 Topps set were Willie Mays’ card #12, Sandy Koufax’s card #69 showing his infamous leg kick windup, and Mickey Mantle’s card #7 portraying his legendary home run swing. Topps was getting better each year at artistically designing cards to highlight players’ skills.

The 1956 Topps set had terrific photographic quality overall compared to some earlier card issues from Bowman, Leaf, and even Topps’ own initial offerings. The improved picture quality really helped the cards stand out visually on store shelves and to young collectors just starting their hobby journeys.

In terms of rarity and valuation today, the 1956 Topps Pete Rose rookie remains the most valuable card in the entire set by a wide margin. Mint condition Rose rookies have reached well into the six-figure price range at auction in recent years. Other rare and pricey cards include the Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Roberto Clemente rookies.

The 1956 Topps set had a distinctive color scheme compared to prior years. With a red backs design and white borders on the front, these characteristics help identify 1956 Topps cards apart from 1955 Topps and other similar vintage issues when reviewing collections. The color scheme is considered sharp and eye-catching even by today’s collecting standards.

The 1956 Topps checklist represented a leap forward for the company and further solidified their leadership role as the premier baseball card producer. The expanded roster, improved photo quality, and iconic rookie cards like Rose and Aaron garnered new attention for the hobby from collectors. It established 1956 Topps as one of the most historically important sets in the entire collecting realm.

The 1956 Topps baseball card checklist featured a wealth of all-time great players, enhanced production values, and some of the most significant rookie cards ever issued. Containing young stars like Aaron, Rose, and Koufax, it gave collectors a first glimpse at future legends just starting their careers. With its memorable designs, photos and robust player selection across both leagues, the 1956 Topps set remains a highly coveted and widely recognized release that propelled the hobby to new heights. Its expanded checklist, star power and legendary rookies secured its place as one of the true classic issues in sports card history.

The 2022 Topps baseball card checklist features cards from all 30 Major League Baseball teams. As one of the premier brands in the trading card industry, Topps produces high-quality prints of players, rookies, legends, and inserts each year. Here is an in-depth look at some of the highlights collectors can find in the 2022 Topps set:

Base Cards
As with every Topps release, the backbone of the set is the base card design. In 2022, Topps decided to stick with tradition for the standard issue cards, featuring a clean and simple visual design. All players are shown in full color action shots on a white background. Ranging from #1 to #700, the base set includes all active big leaguers as well as retired stars and managers/coaches.

Rookies
One of the most exciting aspects each year is seeing the new rookie class get their first Topps cards. The 2022 checklist highlights several potential future stars, such as Reds RHP Hunter Greene (#166), Rangers 3B Josh Jung (#166), Tigers OF Riley Greene (#166), and Mariners RHP George Kirby (#166). Other notable rookies include OF Bobby Witt Jr. (#326) of the Royals and Braves C William Contreras (#671).

Topps Update & High Numbers Series
Later in the season, Topps released two additional sets – Topps Update and High Numbers. As player trades and promotions occur throughout the year, Update inserts new photos and team logos to ensure all active players are represented with accurate uniforms. High Numbers continues card #701 and higher, featuring additional base cards and inserts.

Insert Sets
In addition to the base cards and rookie selections, Topps produces various insert sets highlighting different categories:

Autographs: On-card and memorabilia autographs of current and legendary players. Serialized parallels as well.

Gallery of Heroes: Retro-style cards honoring MLB’s iconic stars from past eras.

Topps Now: Digital moments from that day’s games recreated as physical cards. Continually updated all season.

Negative Photographs: Experimental “negative” photo versions of base cards.

League leaders: Foil cards spotlighting stats champions from the previous season.

Tribute cards: Celebrating MLB milestones, championships, and memorable team accomplishments.

Through the Years: Tracking a player’s career season-by-season in card form.

Portraits of Greatness: Dynamic close-up photography replacing traditional action shots.

Parallels and Short Prints
To add more levels of rarity and collecting opportunities, Topps releases parallel and short printed variations of the base set, rookies, and inserts. Among the parallels available are Gold Foil (#/2022), Silver Pack (#/99), Rainbow Foil (1/1), and Negro Leagues Tribute (MLB’s Centennial celebration). Topps also lists short prints of key cards like flagship rookies and autographs with print runs under the standard release. These scarce versions exponentially increase secondary market value for dedicated collectors.

Additional Products
On top of the core sets, Topps assembles specialty and limited edition configurations to cater to different collector desires. Examples for 2022 include:

Series 1 & 2 Hanger/Blaster Boxes (retail exclusives)

Jumbo Boxes (containing 350+ cards including hits)

Tribute Boxes (theme packs around specific players or teams)

High-End Boxes (Blocks, Captions featuring guaranteed hits/relics)

Choice Pack Breaks (Online case breaks with premium selections)

Luxury Suite (Ultra high-end product tied to MLB Luxury Suite donors)

Secondary Market Demand
As the official MLB license holder, Topps distribution and release strategy is carefully planned. With limitations placed on print runs and parallel variants, secondary market demand stays robust all year on auction sites. Excluding the base rookies and common inserts, nearly every Topps card has speculation value attached to it. Flagship rookies like Witt Jr. and Greene saw singles sell for thousands as their regular season stardom emerged. Even multi-year veterans signed to big contracts can bring collector dollars based on performance and team fandom. For investors, Topps maintains a relatively safe and steady return profile compared to riskier sports investments.

While collecting priorities may vary fan-to-fan, the 2022 Topps baseball checklist has something for everyone. Quality production, iconic branding, and the ever-changing nature of the MLB season all contribute to Topps enduring popularity with both casual and serious hobbyists year after year. Collectors young and old anticipate revealing the next rookie phenom or parallel variation in their pack searches each new release.

The 1989 Topps Big Baseball card set was one of the most unique and sought after baseball card releases of the late 1980s. Comprising only 88 total cards, the 1989 Topps Big set stood out due to the massive oversized dimensions of each card. Measuring a whopping 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches, these cards were literally BIG in every sense of the word.

Topps released the first edition of their Big Baseball cards in 1988 and collectors went crazy for the supersized players on cardboard. Seeing the immense popularity of that initial set, Topps knew they had a potential goldmine on their hands and quickly got to work on producing a follow up set for 1989. While still maintaining the jumbo dimensions, the 1989 Topps Big checklist improved on the previous year’s release in several key ways.

For starters, Topps included far more star players in the ‘89 Big set than they did in 1988. Legendary names like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew and others all made their first and only Big Baseball card appearances in this set. Collectors were ecstatic to see icons of the past given the oversized treatment. Topps also ensured nearly every major active player from the 1988 MLB season received a Big card, providing a more comprehensive checklist overall.

Another upgrade was the addition of team logos directly on the front of each card. The 1988 Bigs only featured a basic Topps logo, making team affiliation unclear at a glance. But for 1989, logos of each player’s respective club was proudly displayed behind their image. This small change gave the cards a much sharper, finished look right off the bat. Topps even took the unique step of including team logos from past seasons if the player had moved clubs in their career.

The visual design of the ‘89 Big set was also enhanced significantly when compared to the inaugural year. More vivid colors popped off the large cardboard stock. Player photographs took up much more real estate than before and looked absolutely gigantic. Background colors coordinated to each team added another layer of style. But perhaps most noticeable was the removal of any border around the image window. This borderless design gave the photos an even greater sense of bigness.

On the statistical rear of each 1989 Topps Big card, fans received a treasure trove of info beyond just basic year-by-year stats. Lengthier career highlights and accomplishments were spotlighted. Personal tidbits and fun facts added some personality as well. The nostalgic “Did You Know?” sections provided cool snippets of baseball trivia. All of this exhaustive data got maximized on the supersized playing surface. Clearly, Topps aimed to create true ‘object cards’ that could be appreciated simply for their visual appeal, historical significance and information value – not merely as investments.

The enormous 5.5×8.5 size also afforded Topps the opportunity to get creative with several inserts within the base 1988 Topps Big set. Special oversizedLeader cards highlighted the top players at each position. Award-Winner inserts recognized different honors like MVPs and Cy Youngs. All-League Team and All-Star inserts provided a fun variation. And Topps even crafted mini checklists on outsized pieces of cardboard to tease the full roster. This assortment of inserts added variety and collector enthusiasm.

Perhaps most remarkably, Topps was able to complete their massive 1989 Topps Big Baseball project without sacrificing quality control. Card cutters managed to precisely cut out each of the 88 jumbo images flawlessly using high-tech equipment of the time. The fronts and backs aligned up seamlessly on every single oversized piece of cardboard produced. Glossy coating and sharp registration shows Topps took immense pride in the project. Decades later, examples still grade incredibly well due to the superior manufacturing standards.

When all was said and done, Topps delivered yet another monster hit with collectors on their 1989 Topps Big Baseball release. Not only did it improve upon the foundation laid by 1988, it also stands today as one of the most visually striking and historically significant baseball card sets ever made. While supplies of these mammoth cards dwindled quickly due to the colossal cuts, demand amongst fans has never ceased. As a result, prime 1989 Topps Big rookies and stars continue to fetch impressive prices to this day – a true testament to the iconic impact of this bold and beautiful baseball cardboard.

The 1988 Topps Big Baseball card set was released at the end of the 1987 baseball season and featured enlarged 5 inch by 7 inch versions of Topps’ flagship baseball card designs from that year. Unlike modern “Trading Cards for Big Hands” sets which are designed primarily for younger collectors, the 1988 Topps Big cards were clearly aimed at the adult collector market and featured larger photographic images and statistics alongside biographical information on some of baseball’s biggest stars from the late 1980s.

The set totals only 132 cards but features many of the game’s top players from 1987 such as Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, George Brett, Dave Winfield, and Darryl Strawberry among others. Rosters included players from both the American and National Leagues. The backs of the cards carried over the same basic grey and red color scheme as the standard 1987 Topps issues but featured larger fonts that made player stats and biographical details easier to read on the enlarged cards.

cards began with Bob Horner and run consecutively through the set concluding with card #132 featuring managers Whitey Herzog and Dick Williams. Notable rookie cards in the set included Hall of Famers Barry Larkin, Mark McGwire, and Tom Glavine in their first Topps Big Baseball card appearances. Among the stars absent from the checklist were retired legends like Reggie Jackson now working as broadcasters as well as holdouts like Fernando Valenzuela who did not have agreements in place with Topps at the time.

As with other Topps Big issues of the period, the photos on the 1988 cards were often reprints from previous Topps regular or smaller size cards rather than new poses commissioned specifically for the expanded format. This helped keep production costs lower but resulted in some images looking grainier when enlarged to the bigger card stock dimensions. Still, the added size made for a fun visual change of pace compared to the standard cards that remained the sports card industry standard through the late 80s.

Compared to modern sports card values, the large number of certified Hall of Famers and superstars included resulted in many high-profile cards from the 1988 Topps Big Baseball set retaining collector demand and respectable secondary market prices decades later. Rookie cards like Larkin, McGwire, and Glavine as well as star performers like Brett, Boggs, Clemens, and Canseco regularly trade hands on auction sites and sports card show circuits for twenty to several hundred dollars or more depending on grade.

Towards the lower end of the checklist, many role players and lesser known pitchers can still be acquired in solid grades for just a few dollars or less. The short print run along with the novelty of the oversized card dimensions have helped the1988 Topps Big cards retain nostalgic charm for baseball card fans who collected them as kids in the late 1980s. While packs were likely not cheap even by the standards of the day, the flagship players included and fun visual novelty made this an desirable high-end product when first released over 30 years ago.

Error cards are quite rare in the set, though the #29 card featuring Jose Canseco was printed with his name misspelled as “Jose Canseco”. Other minor variations exist like randomly inserted photo or stats swap variations, but true spectacular errors of omitted statistics, misnamed players or swapped photos are very uncommon finds for enthusiasts chasing oddball outliers within the overall checklist design concept. Condition sensitive aspects like centering, corners, and edges hold extra premium significance for high-end specimens given the large card dimensions also magnify even minor production cutting and handling flaws over time.

While relatively low in total issue numbers compared to other annual Flagship baseball releases from Topps over the years, the 1988 Topps Big Baseball card set stands out as a unique large-format product that successfully capitalized on the growing collector demand for showcase pieces during the late 1980s boom period of the modern sports card industry. Featuring key rookie cards, Hall of Famers and superstars of the era in an oversized easy-to-view presentation, this Topps Big set remains a nostalgically appealing and desirable long-term hold for dedicated baseball card collectors and investors even decades after packs first hit the hobby shop shelves in late 1987.

The 1998 Topps baseball card set was the 57th annual release from Topps and featured cards of Major League Baseball players, managers, coaches and umpires. Some key notes about the 1998 Topps checklist:

The base set included 792 total cards, with each team’s roster taking up around 20 cards on average. As was customary, retired players and managers from the Baseball Hall of Fame were also included.

Topps inserted serially numbered parallel sets within the base cards, including “Ultra” parallels numbered to only 99 copies each. These featured different colored borders and were highly sought after by collectors.

Rated rookies in 1998 who received special attention from collectors included Nomar Garciaparra, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Brian Giles, Ben Grieve and Mark Kotsay. Each went on to have solid MLB careers.

Existing stars who graced the cover of packs or had special “Hit Parade” parallel inserts included Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez. They were among the most recognizable faces in the game at the time.

Unique inserts in 1998 Topps included “Diamond Anniversary” cards honoring past World Series champions, “Topps All-Time Fan Favorites” covering legendary players, and “Vintage Stock” reprinting cards from the 1930s and 1940s.

International players also received Topps cards for the first time, with over 50 stars from Asian leagues, Mexico and other countries featured with English and foreign language stats. This expanded the brand’s reach.

Now let’s examine some of the key individual cards and storylines from the 1998 Topps checklist in more depth:

Ken Griffey Jr. (#1) – As arguably the most popular player in baseball during the late 1990s, Griffey naturally landed the coveted #1 spot. He was coming off back-to-back AL MVP awards with Seattle. This was the final Topps issue before he was traded to Cincinnati after the 1999 season.

Nomar Garciaparra (#109) – The Red Sox phenom slugged 30 homers and batted .306 as a rookie, establishing himself as the future of the franchise. He became a perennial All-Star and batting champion over the next few seasons. Rookie cards like Nomar’s are always desirable.

Pedro Martinez (#199) – In his fifth full season, Pedro was cementing himself as the most unhittable pitcher in MLB. He went 19-7 with a stingy 1.90 ERA and led the Expos to postseason play. Topps predicted his greatness with a shiny Parallel insert.

Tony Gwynn (#258) – As he closed in on his eighth batting title in nine years, Gwynn was as steady as they come. Even at 36, he continued to tantalize collectors with his sweet swing on 1998 Topps cards. A true hitting genius of his era.

Cal Ripken Jr. (#266) – After breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played record in 1995, Ripken was still going strong for the Orioles. This card commemorated his chase for 3,000 career hits, which he would accomplish a few years later.

Mark McGwire (#348) – In the wake of hitting an MLB-record 58 home runs in 1998, Big Mac became the most powerful slugger in the league. His monstrous physique and mighty uppercut made for one of the set’s most iconic visuals.

Sammy Sosa (#363) – Not to be outdone, Sosa blasted 66 longballs of his own to join McGwire in a chase for the record books. The duo essentially saved baseball that summer. Their home run duel was one of the most thrilling sporting events in history.

Trevor Hoffman (#476) – As the dominant closer on the Padres, Hoffman was establishing himself as one of the best at his position. He would go on to break the all-time saves record. Topps foresaw his success early on.

Greg Maddux (#510) – At age 31 and still in his prime, Maddux was arguably the most effective pitcher in MLB. He won the Cy Young for the fourth time in five years in 1998 while leading the Braves to yet another division title.

Ken Griffey Jr. (Ultra Parallel /99) – The chase for rare parallels truly captured collector fever during the baseball card boom. Griffey’s black border Ultra, found about once per case of wax, drove prices through the roof on the secondary market.

The 1998 Topps baseball card set delivered many future Hall of Famers and iconic on-field performances that translated perfectly to the collector space. Rookie cards, parallel inserts and storylines like McGwire vs. Sosa’s home run race created sustainability for the hobby during a renaissance period. While player acquisition values have cooled since the 1990s peak, sets like 1998 Topps remain hugely popular and historically significant for any collection.