The Topps Company, Inc. has been the exclusive producer of Major League Baseball trading cards in North America for over 70 years. In 2009, Topps celebrated their 40th anniversary of producing MLB trading cards by releasing the Topps 40th Anniversary Traditions set. This set was released as a special commemorative product to celebrate Topps’ long-standing relationship with America’s Pastime.
The Topps 40 set was comprised of 160 trading cards – four cards for each of the 40 years since Topps began producing MLB cards in 1969. For each season represented, Topps selected 4 iconic players or moments from that year to spotlight. Some of the prominent players featured included Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, and more. Prominent rookie cards and milestones were also highlighted in each season’s four card selection.
In creating the designs for each card in the Topps 40 set, Topps paid homage to the styles and designs from the actual years being commemorated. For example, the 1969 cards had a similar appearance and feel to the original 1969 Topps cards. This was done by not only depicting the players and photos from that season, but also replicating elements like fonts, color schemes, layouts, and photography styles specific to Topps’ initial baseball card releases for each year.
Each card featured stats and career highlights for the players shown. Short retrospective articles were also included on the back of some cards to provide historical context around that season in MLB history. Many believed this set did an excellent job of walking fans through the evolution of Topps’ baseball card designs decade-by-decade from 1969 through the 2000s.
Produced as a high-end luxury release, the Topps 40 cards were printed on high-quality card stock and packaged in protective plastic sleeves within commemorative display boxes. While mass produced, the set had a limited print run compared to Topps’ typical baseball releases. According to Beckett Almanac, only 50,000 complete sets were made available. This scarcity has led sets and stars cards from within Topps 40 to become highly sought after by vintage collectors today.
Some of the stand-out cards and moments highlighted in the Topps 40 set included:
The iconic 1969 Nolan Ryan rookie card, commemorating Topps’ inaugural MLB season.
Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run card from 1974, breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time record.
Steve Garvey’s 1974 Topps card, representing the dawn of the high-action posed player photo style.
Ozzie Smith’s 1981 Fleer rookie card, one of the most valuable from the birth year of the Fleer and Donruss brands.
Cal Ripken Jr’s 1982 Topps rookie card, a key Orioles and Ripken collectible.
Kirby Puckett’s 1984 Donruss rookie card, showing the rise of licensing and alternate manufacturers.
Ken Griffey Jr’s Upper Deck rookie card from 1989, heralding the start of the modern baseball card boom.
Derek Jeter’s Upper Deck rookie card from 1992, another pivotal rookie from the early ’90s surge.
The reflective style 1998 Topps cards, representing the cutting edge “Jeffrey Maier” style designs of the late ’90s.
In the decade since its 2009 release, Topps 40 sets have become extremely difficult to acquire in complete near-mint condition. Individual cards also command strong prices based on the player, season commemorated, and their overall condition grades. While a standard issue set may sell for $300-$500 online today, top stars and rookies can reach into the thousands. Some believe the popularity and demand for this retrospective set will only continue increasing its value as Topps approaches their 50th and beyond in annually chronicling America’s favorite pastime through trading cards. The Topps 40 remains both an iconic snapshot of baseball card history as well as a highly collected modern release in its own right. It is widely considered among the premier commemorative sets ever created by The Topps Company to honor their legacy in the hobby.
