Introduction to Topps Baseball Cards

The Topps Company is famous worldwide as the leading manufacturer and marketer of sports and entertainment trading cards and collectibles. Topps got its start in 1938 and has produced baseball cards continuously since the early 1950s, making them the longest-running baseball card company in history. For over 70 years, Topps has captured the historic moments, players, teams, and eras that make up America’s pastime through its iconic baseball card releases each season.

For collectors both young and old, assembling a complete set of Topps baseball cards from a given year is a joyful pursuit and treasured collection. The nostalgia, memories of childhood summers, competitiveness of the hobby, chase for rare cards, and celebrating our favorite players are what keep the tradition alive generation after generation. In this article, we’ll delve into building the ultimate Topps baseball card collection by focusing on its history, important sets over the decades, valuation of collections, and tips for preservation.

A Brief History of Topps Baseball Cards

Topps got its start in 1938 by producing “Magic Photos,” which were photos of celebrities on the back of bubble gum. They expanded into baseball cards in 1951 by releasing their first complete set featuring that year’s players. From the beginning, Topps focused on aesthetically pleasing design while maintaining affordability and accessibility for young fans. Their dominance began in the mid-1950s when rivalBowman bowed out, granting Topps a monopoly through 1980.

Some key events and releases in Topps history include:

1951 – Topps’ first complete baseball card set of approx. 525 cards
1952 – First color photos added
1957 – Mickey Mantle’s famous “Crouching” card debuts
1959 – First Topps cards featuring basketball players
1965 – First major design change in over a decade with an cleaner, more modern look
1968 – First use of action photos on most cards
1972 – Glossy photo finish added, creating a highly coveted “no gum” parallel set
1975 – Switch from gum in packs to stickers due to choking hazards
1981 – Donruss enters the market, ending Topps’ multi-decade monopoly
1982 – Classic design introduced and used for over 15 years
1987 – First Traded set released featuring player trades from the season
2003 – Topps Total brand launches with insert sets beyond the base cards

Throughout these years and hundreds of subsequent releases, Topps has photographed, chronicled, and captured players who became baseball legends as well as record statistical feats, teams and managers, and cultural moments that shaped our nation. Their cards serve as a colorful scrapbook of baseball’s storied past.

Important Topps Baseball Card Sets to Collect

There are countless beloved Topps sets spanning 70+ years that any aficionado would love to own in their entirety. Here are some particularly iconic and valuable baseball card releases collectors should target for their collections:

1951 Topps (subset): The very first Topps cards, featuring some of the early full color photos ever seen on trading cards. High grades can sell for $10,000+.

1957 Topps: Mickey Mantle’s widely heralded “crashing into first base” photo debuts. Highly collectible.

1959 Topps: Introduction of player poses and team logos. A key transitional set.

1965 Topps: Major redesign, cleaner look. Herb Score’s damaged eye card a famous “oddball.”

1968 Topps: First year of true action shots. Nolan Ryan’s rocket arm debuts.

1969 Topps: Major League Baseball’s “Year of the Pitcher” documented. Tom Seaver RC.

1972 Topps “Gumless”: Highly coveted parallel set due to lack of gum. Key years/rookies.

1976 SSP Topps: Super scarce Derek Jeter rookie variation sells for $100K+.

1987 Topps Traded: Inaugural traded set captures midseason player moves.

1989 Upper Deck: UD ushered renewed interest/competitive era with pristine photos.

1994 Topps Tiffany: Parallel premium set with deep rich colors highly valuable.

1998 Topps Chrome REFractors: Revolutionary holofoil cards launch insert era.

2009 Topps Update Trout RC: Highly acclaimed Mike Trout rookie debuts late.

Collecting Strategies, Tips for Growth & Preservation

There are several approaches collectors can take to build a top-notch Topps collection over time. Here are some proven strategies employed by seasoned veterans:

Target a specific decade/era and diligently acquire each year’s set in high grades for a cohesive chronological collection.

Focus on your favorite team/players from throughout their careers. Patience is required as rare or seminal cards may take years to obtain.

Look for inexpensive “collection builder” sets from the 1960s-80s to lay a solid numeric foundation early on.

Snatch up oddballs, parallels, promos, and recalled subsets as available to add diversity. Online research is key.

Be open-minded. Unpopular years may hold future gems or obscure variations not yet rediscovered. Condition over hype.

Preserve your prized acquisitions! Proper storage in magnetic or screw-down holders in boxes will maximize longevity.

Consider graded submissions only for true key rookie cards or gems to ensure authenticity and marketability later.

Relish the hunt! Building gradually through thorough eBay searching, hobby shops and shows yields joy from each new addition.

For collectors open to vintage or common mid-grade cards, opportunity abounds. Those seeking higher grades or defining rookie cards will face challenges requiring unceasing effort and patience unmatched by any other hobby. A lifetime of dedicated hunting can result in one of the most impressive collections around

Valuing Vintage Baseball Card Collections

Placing a dollar value on vintage baseball card collections can vary widely depending on several factors:

Grading – Higher grades (GEM MT 10) bring 1000x+ premiums over lower grades

Key Cards – Rookie or unique cards (e.g. ’52 Mantle, ’59 Trout) carry bulk of portfolio value

Rarity – Parallel subsets like ’72 Gumless or errors hold huge valuation premiums

Condition – Even lightly played can cut resale 50-80% vs near mint of the same card

Age/Era – Pre-war tobacco or 1960s/vintage 70s sets have strongest desirability

Completeness – PSA/BGS graded full or near sets appreciate exponentially over time

While common/played cards may only yield pennies each, a pristine collection of key vintage Hall of Famers could sell at auction for $100K+. Retail or private sale usually nets 50-80%+ of recent auction comps depending on the cards.

In the end, the safest investment strategy is enjoying the hunt and assemblies unique to your own tastes rather acquiring purely for financial gain alone. True appreciation comes from immortalizing pieces of baseball history and passing fond memories to future generations.

Conclusion

Over the course of seven decades, Topps has woven itself into the fabric of America’s pastime like no other. Their iconic baseball cards serve as accessible works of pop art illustrating the players, plays, and changing eras that millions of fans hold dear. For collectors both casual and diehard, the lifelong quest to assemble Topps’ visual scrapbook one piece at a time through the card aisle, shows, and virtual marketplace is a tradition with resonance power unmatched in the hobby world. With patience and persistence, building top collections of vintage Topps baseball remains an incredibly rewarding multi-generational pursuit.