1957 Topps

FEATURES

The 1957 Topps set contains cards with posed action images and colorized player photographs. The images are included with player name, team, and position at the bottom of the card in small, colored font. Each card is bordered in white which is associated with centering when being graded. The border also adds to the card’s appeal; if the edges are damaged, the image still remains intact. On the back of these cards, a full set of player statistics is included, along with a narrative, biographical information, and a trivia cartoon. Like the 1956 set, 1957 Topps also incorporated a wide array of team cards. Combined player cards were also included, which had not been seen since 1954; some of the more popular combo cards are those featuring Yankees’ Power hitters (card 407-Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra) and the Dodgers’ Sluggers (card 400-Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider).

SET SERIES

Series One: cards 1-264
Series Two: cards 265-352
Series Three: 353-407

ROOKIES

Some of the most valued rookie cards are contained within the 1957 Topps set. These cherished cards include those of Brooks Robinson (328), Frank Robinson (35), and Don Drysdale (18). Other popular options are Bill Mazeroski, Tony Kubec, Bobby Richardson, Rocky Colavito, Whitey Herzog, and Jim Bunning, while the most prized cards include those of Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax.

SET ODDITIES

The 1957 set also contains Roy Campanella’s last card from his career and a reversed version of Hank Aaron’s card (20). Pertaining to card variations, there are two variants of Gene Baker (176) which includes one with a printing error on his name, “Bakep,” and the other being the corrected card. In rarity, the fourth series (of five) of the 1957 Topps set is the hardest to find, along with unnumbered checklist cards.

HISTORY

Representing a giant leap in baseball card evolution, the 1957 Topps set involves several firsts and alterations in the world of card collection. Not only does this set include numerous star rookie cards, but it also displays cards measuring in at 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”, the customary size of baseball cards today. Alongside this, 1957 Topps set is known as the first to display player statistics on the backs of the cards, taking up the entirety of the card with a full player career. This set was also the first to utilize complete color photography rather than colored player images. Because of these factors, the 1957 Topps set is one of the most sought after card sets in history.