• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Vintage Sports Card News / Old Baseball Card Sets / 1957 Topps Baseball Set Was A Whole New Ballgame

1957 Topps Baseball Set Was A Whole New Ballgame

January 2, 2015 By Aaron Wasser

Baseball and baseball cards would never be the same.  In a sense, the 1957 Topps Baseball set marks the end of an era–a seismic shift if you will–to baseball’s expansion era.

New York City, the epicenter of baseball in the 1950s, went from three teams to one following the 1957 campaign. The Dodgers and Giants headed west taking nearly 150 years of combined Big Apple baseball memories with them.

On the field, baseball was beginning to look more like it does today. In addition to teams in California,  the number of club went from 16 in 1957 to 24 just 12 years later.  TV broadcast coverage was increasing, too.

1957 Topps Baseball Cards Marked Sea Change

Topps 1957 5c Display Box & Wax PacksBaseball cards also were not immune to change. In the second year of its monopoly over the industry, Topps deviated far from all other sets it had issued to that point and introduced 1957 Topps Guild cello packessentially the template for modern baseball cards.

The 1957 Topps set marked the company’s first use of actual photographs of players rather than artist’s renderings. The backs of cards also began to resemble those of their modern descendants as complete year-by-year statistics made their inaugural appearance. 1957 also marked the first year of combination cards. Topps issued two that year, each depicting heroes from the 1956 World Series.

Inside the ’57 Set

Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra share the final card in the set, while Dodger legends Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella and Duke Snider make an appearance together on card No. 400. In what has to be two of the best deals in the decade, both cards can be found in pretty darn good shape for between $60 to just over $100 with Mantle/Berra selling for a little more than their Flatbush counterparts.

1957 Topps baseball starsAn admittedly less exciting but far less expensive combo card of league presidents William Harridge and Warren Giles is also included in the set.

New Size Became the Baseball Card Standard

By far the largest change in 1957 was only about 1/8 of an inch big. Topps modified the dimensions of its cards from the 2 5/8 x 3 3/4 size it employed in its previous five sets to the now standard 2 ½ x 3 ½. This change was made much to the delight of future collectors who could never find sleeves or pages big enough to fit their pre-1957 cards.

1957 Set’s Remarkable Star Power

The set itself has turned into something of a classic and is quite popular among collectors today despite being something of a minimalist effort from Topps. Name, Team, Position – that’s it. But what the set lacks in pizazz – which isn’t Mantle 1957 Topps PSA 9necessarily a bad thing – it makes up for in superstars.

Ted Williams, who led baseball with a .388 average in 1957, leads off the set. There are also classic cards of young legends like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron, who due to a reversed negative appears as a left-hander.

1957 Topps Brooks RobinsonIn addition to Hall of Famers, 1957 might have the best overall crop of rookies of any Topps set. Both Frank and Brooks Robinson make their first appearances as do fellow future HOFers Don Drysdale, Jim Bunning and Bill Mazeroski. Bobby Richardson and Tony Kubek, cornerstones up the middle of the great Yankee teams of the late 1950s and early 60s, also show up for the first time.

Who’s Missing?

Unfortunately like many classic 1950s sets there are a few notable absences. This was the last year Stan Musial did not appear at all in Topps’ sets and Harmon Killebrew – who spent the ’57 season in the minors – is also not included. Topps didn’t include a retiring Jackie Robinson – who hung ‘em up in December 1956 – or a true rookie card of Roger Maris who played in 116 games for the Indians in ’57.

1957 Topps Baseball Prices

The set’s manageable size of 407 cards and relatively affordable stars with a few notable exceptions make 1957 a set that can be put together even by collectors on a budget. Cards 265-352 – which include the rookie cards of Brooks Robinson, Richardson and Kubek as well as a terrific card of Koufax – are short printed although 22 of the cards in that series are listed as double prints and are a bit more affordable than their single printed brethren. Commons in this range typically sell for $5-$10.

The only major variation in the set, other than the reversed Aaron which wasn’t corrected, is that of former Cubs infielder Gene Baker. A printing flaw on the back of the card has “Baker” reading as “Bakep.” The “Bakep” variation is scarce, but you can find pretty nice examples for less than $100.

Contest Cards and Checklists

1957 Topps checklistCollecting cards 1 through 407 is one thing, but compiling a master set is another issue entirely. Difficult-to-find contest cards as well as eight very expensive checklists made even more expensive in unmarked condition make master sets a very difficult feat indeed. The four contest cards range in price anywhere from under $50 for low grade versions to $250 and up depending on condition. A lucky penny card is a little tougher to find and will probably run you $100 or more.

Checklist cards can be found with either Bazooka or Blony Gum backs. Both are very expensive. Even marked versions routinely go for $100 or more.

If you’d prefer to bit the bullet and purchase a complete set, with a little patience, you can land a nice one for between $4-$5,000 and if you are willing to compromise on condition, lower grade sets are usually available as well.

1957 was a watershed moment for baseball and baseball cards. While the game would continue to change and evolve over the coming decades, the cards, beginning with the 1957 set, started to look very much as they do today.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Recapturing Memories: The Hunt for 1957 Topps Kahn’s Baseball Cards Had A 15-Year Run Brooks Robinson rookie cardVintage Set Break of the Week: 1957 Topps Bazooka contest card 1957 ToppsRetiree Collects Topps’ Prize…59 Years Later Yankee Stadium Mickey MantleRamblings: Mantle’s Youth Lives on Through Cardboard Frank Robinson Baseball Cards Chronicle Memorable Career 1950: When Bowman Ruled the Card Kingdom Vintage Buy of the Week: All ‘7’ 1957 Topps Near Set

About Aaron Wasser

Aaron Wasser is a former sports writer and current communications director at the Washington State Senate. He is a lifelong enthusiast of our national pastime and is fascinated by baseball ephemera of all eras. His wife and young daughter tolerate his pursuits.

Filed Under: Old Baseball Card Sets, Popular Stories, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1950s baseball cards, 1957 Topps, Vintage Set of the Week

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Steve Novella Offers PSA Autographed Cards From All Sports Auction Ending Sept. 26, 2023
  • PWCC Marketplace T206 American Beauty Auction Ends October 3, 2023
  • 2023 Auction Schedule

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window