Topps Turkey Red baseball cards were issued by Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. in 1959 and 1960. The set is notable for featuring highly colorful and stylized designs at a time when most baseball cards utilized simpler graphics and photographs. Though initially a commercial failure, Turkey Red cards have grown significantly in nostalgia and collectibility in modern times.
The name “Turkey Red” derives from the vibrant red color used prominently on the fronts of the cards. This bold hue made the cards instantly stand out from drabber designs of the 1950s. Though the name implies the entire card was red, each issue actually contained a mix of red, blue, purple, green and yellow tints used expressively in cartoony illustrations and borders. The back of each card featured information about the player in basic black text on an off-white background.
Designs varied from simple silhouettes to elaborate action scenes incorporating the player along with replicas of baseball cards, bats, balls and more. Part of the fun for collectors was trying to identify the player among the artistic flourishes. Illustrators like Woody Gelman and Fred Randall were brought on to create eye-catching cardboard portraits never before seen in the traditionally realistic baseball card market. Some cards even poked fun at players through exaggerated caricatures.
Topps issued Turkey Red cards as the replacement for their regular-sized baseball offerings in 1959 and 1960. The stylized art departed too sharply from what kids expected from sports cards at the time. While admired today for their ingenuity and visual splash, the Turkey Reds failed to connect with most collectors when new. Only in retrospect have their experimental designs been recognized as ahead of their time. Few original Turkey Reds survived in high grades due to the thin cardboard stock and vibrant inks being more prone to scuffs, creases and fading over the decades.
Each Turkey Red set featured over 400 major and minor league players. The 1959 checklist included Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente and more. Notable rookie cards included N.L. Rookie of the Year Willie McCovey and Sandy Koufax’s first card showing him with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 1960 set spotlighted many of the same stars while also presenting newcomers like Dick Groat and Don Drysdale early in their careers. Special promotional items like manager cards and checklists were also produced in small numbers.
While overlooked in the 1950s and 1960s, interest in Turkey Red baseball cards grew strongly starting in the 1970s as the first wave of collectors from the post-war baby boom era sought out nostalgic relics from their childhood. The artistic designs appealed to a new generation raised on pop art. Grading and preservation also expanded, revealing many nicely preserved examples within sets that had seemed largely ruined. In the following decades, Turkey Reds transitioned from bulk lots and discount bins to highly valuable individual cards. Especially popular subjects like the aforementioned rookies of McCovey, Koufax and others skyrocketed in value.
Today, Turkey Red cards are among the most visually striking and uniquely designed in the entire baseball card realm. They also carry great nostalgia for anyone collecting during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In high grades, common players can sell for hundreds while the best rookies and stars regularly break the $10,000 mark or more. Even poorly-graded examples hold value due to their intriguing historic place in the hobby. Original Turkey Red cards remain a fascination of set builders, pop art appreciators, and anyone who enjoys the bold creativity they brought to staid old baseball cards. Though different than what collectors expected at the time of issue, Topps’ Turkey Red sets deserve recognition as iconic cardboard art trying something new during a pivotal transition period in the industry.
