Since the Bowman Gum Company released the first modern set of baseball cards in 1948-1949, Topps Chewing Gum Inc. has been the dominant force in the sports and non-sports trading card industry. Topps began producing baseball cards in 1951 and since then they have released complete sets almost every year documenting players, teams, and the history of Major League Baseball. Collecting a complete factory set of Topps baseball cards from a single season has long been a goal of dedicated card collectors. These complete sets contain all of the standard issue cards from that year, ranging in numbers from around 50 to over 800 in modern sets. Achieving a Topps complete set is a milestone for any collector and demands dedication, perseverance, and no small financial investment given the rising values of vintage cards.
A Topps complete set contains all the standard issue cards produced and distributed that year through the normal retail packaging of wax packs, boxes, and cases. This excludes special parallel sets, inserts, autograph cards, and promotional subsets that Topps has produced in certain years. The definition of a true complete set is just the base cards that made up the standard release. Topps set the standard for modern baseball cards starting in the 1950s with their colorful cardboard designs, player biographies on the back, and the excitement of the trading card bubble gum packs. Their earliest sets from the 1951-1969 period are considered the most coveted by collectors today and pursuing a complete run of these vintage Topps sets presents the biggest challenge.
Sets from the early 1950s are exceptionally rare and valuable today because so few were originally printed and have survived in high grade condition over the past 70 years. The 1952 Topps complete set in particular is one of the crown jewels of the hobby. Only about 70 complete uncut sheets of the 1952 cards were produced, meaning there are estimated to be less than 600 complete sets still intact today. In pristine mint condition, a 1952 Topps complete set has sold at auction for over half a million dollars, while even well worn lower grade sets command six figure prices. Other early 1950s sets like 1953, 1954, 1960 are also exceptionally scarce and valuable, often in the five to six figure range depending on condition. Collecting up to the 1969 issues presents an enormous long term goal for collectors due to the extreme rarity and value of sets from the first two decades.
Moving into the 1970s, complete sets become more attainable for collectors due both to higher original print runs as well as many more surviving intact today. Condition remains extremely important and full sets in the highest near mint to mint condition still fetch premium prices. In the 1970s, Topps expanded to include additional oddball subsets and special parallel issues which do not count toward a true complete standard set. But their base regular issue rookie cards and stars from this era like Nolan Ryan, Johnny Bench, and Reggie Jackson remain key issues to obtain. The late 1970s and early 1980s provided some of the biggest and most complete printed sets with cardboard and rookies of Dwight Gooden, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ozzie Smith available. Despite greater availability, well preserved complete sets from the 1970s still sell in the thousands of dollars.
In the booming 1980s and 1990s, Topps released monumental set counts in the 800+ card range filled with stars, variations, and subsets galore. While total print runs exploded and individual common cards became far more abundant, attracting strong condition premiums, achieving a true pristine complete set still required diligence and no small expense. Sports card values crashed in the late 1980s bubble bust yet has since rebounded strongly. The rookie class of stars in the late 1980s like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Greg Maddux make 1980s complete sets appealing to both vintage collectors and fans of those eras. Moving into the modern era, complete sets from the late 1990s to the present featuring legends like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Albert Pujols, and Mike Trout remain highly collectible and fun to pursue.
Putting together a full complete factory set of Topps baseball cards from any single year is a highly desirable pursuit for dedicated collectors. Securing the true complete standard issue base set documents that season of cards and players officially sanctioned and produced by Topps, the long standing leader in the industry. Condition always matters, but owning any vintage Topps set from the pioneering early 1950s to present day is a real accomplishment, even if well worn. The thrill of the hunt and tangible history captured in the cards makes a Topps complete set a coveted collecting prize regardless of era. With patience, wise spending, and relentless seeking of the few needed items, the goal of an elusive complete Topps baseball set can become reality for dedicated card collectors.
