1955 Topps

FEATURES

Because of the great success with the dual-image concept implemented in the 1954 set, the 1955 Topps set also displays an image of a player profile with an action shot on the front of each card. While the action shot in 1954 was black and white, this year’s set features a colorized action shot. The front of the cards also shows team logo, a duplicate signature, and a colored banner at the bottom which provides player name, position, and team. On the back side of the card, there is biographical player information and statistics, a trivia question, and a summary of the player’s efforts in the preceding season.

SET SERIES

Series One: cards 1-150
Series Two: cards 151-160
Series Three: cards 161-210

BIG NAMES

The primary collector cards of the 1955 set include rookie cards of Roberto Clemente, Harmon Killebrew, and Sandy Koufax. Coinciding with the 1954 set, Mickey Mantle and Roy Campanella were not included in this set because of their exclusive contracts with Bowman. The set, however, makes up for this through the cards of Duke Snider, Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Eddie Matthews, and Jackie Robinson.

BACKGROUND

Comprised of 206 cards, the 1955 Topps set is known as the second-smallest Topps set to be created, falling behind that of 1951 Topps. These cards were 3-3/4” x 2-5/8” and the first to be oriented horizontally rather than the usual vertical orientation. This permitted larger photos and a less crowded appearance. Along with this, the 1955 set, unlike many of the previous sets, has a low number of variations; some of these include Wally Moon’s signature which can be found with or without a dot over the “e,” while Frank Sullivan can be found with or without a red dot above the “i” in his signature. Another error to be found in this set is the birth date of Hank Aaron.

SCARCITY

In the 1955 Topps set, cards numbered 161-210 (high numbers) are the most difficult to find in prime condition. In fact, several collectors and registry participants claim that these cards are the hardest to find in NM-MT condition. Similarly, cards 151-160 are also a rarity; as a result, cards of Duke Snider, Yogi Berra, and Willie Mays are lower in number than the cards of Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams. Nonetheless, this collection provides both a fair number of Hall of Famers and rookies, making the 1955 Topps set a well-sought after collection.