For over 70 years, Topps has been the dominant force in the baseball card industry, producing some of the most iconic and valuable cards in the hobby’s history. As the exclusive license holder from 1956 to 1980, Topps transformed what was once a niche consumer product into a mainstream phenomenon, cementing their brand at the top of the baseball card world. To celebrate their rich history, we take a look back at Topps baseball cards from the past 40 years to detail some of the most notable issues, highlight valuable subsets and parallels, and examine trends in the ever-fluctuating resale market.
Topps got their start in modern card production in 1951 but it was the late 1950s that really kicked off their dominance. Issues like 1957, 1958, and 1959 are considered some of the true vintage holy grails, featuring creative designs, colorful photographs, and many of the game’s greatest stars from that era like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams. Condition is obviously key for cards approaching 70 years old, but gem mint examples of these early Topps designs consistently shatter records, with a 1959 Mantle recently selling for over $2 million.
By the 1970s, baseball cards had fully cemented themselves in American culture. Topps responded by unleashing a barrage of new sets, parallels, and innovative marketing strategies. Cards from the ’70s like 1972, 1973, 1974, and the milestone 1975 issue that celebrated the sport’s 100th anniversary remain extremely popular today. Notable rare variations from this period include the infamous 1972 Topps Traded set, only issued via mail-order, and error cards like the 1974 Mike Schmidt with no team logo. High-grade examples from the early ’70s can fetch thousands.
As the exclusive license holder through 1980, Topps rolled out some truly iconic designs in the late ’70s and early ’80s that still resonate today. The 1977 set is widely considered one of the best ever, while 1978 and 1979 featured captivating photography and cutting-edge creative concepts ahead of their time. But it was the flagship 1980 issue, the last under Topps’ exclusive deal, which may hold the most nostalgia. Great condition examples from this so-called “glory era” remain affordably collectible, frequently in the $10-100 range.
The explosive growth of the hobby in the late 80s made stars out of top rookies like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr, and Frank Thomas. In turn, their early Topps cards, like the record-setting 1989 Griffey rookie, rocketed in value. Others like 1990 Topps Traded, only available via mail-order like the coveted ’72 Topps Traded before it, and 1989 Bowman, the set that reintroduced the long-dormant Bowman brand, gained immense popularity and still command big money today. High-grade 1989 Griffey rookies are easily worth thousands.
As the ’90s progressed, parallel and insert sets became all the rage as Topps fought off new competitors like Fleer and Upper Deck. Iconic sets like 1992 Stadium Club, 1993 Finest, and the retro-inspired 1995 Classic created new segments for collectors to pursue. But perhaps no set personifies the boom of the decade quite like the ultra-iconic 1997 Topps Chrome Refractor parallel. Pristine examples containing the colorfully lit rookies of Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Nomar Garciaparra routinely sell for five figures or more, a true testament to the set’s lasting impact and desirability among collectors.
After a competitive buying war, Topps regained the MLBPA license in 2007 and returned with perhaps their most ambitious product line ever. Even sets loaded with parallels, short prints, and autographs from this era like 2007 Topps Tribute, 2008 Topps Triple Threads, and 2010 Topps Update Jumbo couldn’t match the freewheeling boom times of the late-80s/early-90s. Still, high-end cards featuring superstars Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, and Bryce Harper remain some of the best long-term investments from the modern era. Trout’s 2009 Bowman Chrome rookie refractor, for example, consistently eclipses $1,000 PSA 10.
More recently, Topps has stayed ahead of collectors’ demand for chase cards and alternative on-card memorabilia with innovative products like 2018 Topps Five Star, 2020 Topps Transcendent, and 2022 Topps S1 Autographed Parallels. But nostalgia also remains as strong as ever for base sets from the past decade like 2011, 2014, and 2019, loaded with emerging legends and featuring clean, classic Topps designs. As long as baseball remains a national pastime, collectors will continue fueling the hobby, preserving the history captured through over half a century of Topps issues along the way.
