A Guide to Topps Baseball 1965-1969

Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to help familiarize consumers with the popular Topps Baseball card issues ranging from 1965 to 1969. 

The 5 main reasons that cards from the late 1960s currently make a good investment are:

• Proven market track record over the last 20 years
• Legendary players sure to increase in value (i.e. Mantle, Clemente, Mays,Koufax, Aaron, etc.)
• Affordable HOF Players and Rookies
• Popular Designs
• Deep sentimentality for the golden age of baseball

1965 Topps 

The 1965 Topps baseball set is incredibly well designed front and back, merging attractive color schemes with a simplistic design that really captures the timeless feel for the game in contrast to the avant guard period styling of the two previous sets.  The 1965 set has a proven track record in large part due to the plentiful number of HOF rookie cards within it as well as a nice selection of single printed star cards. Below is a list of key cards from the set along with NM book value and current market status.

• #3 Mantle LL NM Book $50-COLD
• #16 Joe Morgan RC NM Book $60-WARM
• #155 Roger Maris NM Book $60-WARM
• #160 Roberto Clemente NM Book $175-RED HOT
• #170 Hank Aaron NM Book $125-HOT
• #207 Pete Rose NM Book $175-WARM
• #250 Willie Mays NM Book $150-WARM
• #300 Sandy Koufax NM Book $100-HOT
• #320 Bob Gibson NM Book $50-WARM
• #350 Mickey Mantle NM Book $500-HOT
• #400 Harmon Killebrew NM Book $50-COLD
• #461 Phil Niekro/Clay Carrol RC NM Book $50-WARM
• #477 Steve Carlton RC NM Book $125-HOT
• #510 Ernie Banks NM Book $80-WARM
• #526 Jim Hunter RC NM Book $80-WARM
• #540 Lou Brock SP NM Book $50-WARM
• #581 Tony Perez RC SP NM Book $80 - HOT
• Complete Set NM Book Value $4000-RED HOT

Status Key

• HOT - Currently realizing high prices based on increased demand
• Warm - Stable - the demand may occasionally fluctuate but there has always been a steady demand
• Cold - Currently selling below the norm indicating lower popularity, however a good investment because of decreased cost

1966 Topps 

• #1 Willie Mays NM Book $250-HOT
• #30 Pete Rose DP NM Book $100-COLD
• #50 Mickey Mantle DP NM Book $300-WARM
• #100 Sandy Koufax NM Book $100-WARM
• #126 Jim Palmer RC NM Book $100-WARM
• #215 Clemente/Aaron/ Mays LL NM Book $50-WARM
• #254 Fergie Jenkins RC NM Book $60-WARM
• #288 Don Sutton RC NM Book $60-WARM
• #300 Roberto Clemente NM Book $150-HOT
• #500 Hank Aaron NM Book $125-WARM
• #526 Twins Team SP NM Book $100-WARM
• #550 Willie McCovey SP NM Book $100-HOT
• #583 Tigers Team SP NM Book $125-WARM
• #598 Gaylord Perry SP NM Book $175-WARM
• Complete Set NM Book $4000-WARM

1967 Topps 

Wide open and beautiful, the 1967 Topps set harkens back to the wildly popular 1957 Topps set while incorporating modern type faces and bright team colors to make the cards really pop.  The 1967 set is an exercise in simplicity and elegance that would be greatly borrowed from 21 years later in the 1988 Topps issue.  The set features incredibly rare and valuable high numbers, including the Carew (although Double printed strangely enough) and Seaver rookie cards as well as the extremely rare Brooks Robinson card.  The set also features an extremely rare blank back error version of the Roger Maris card that lists his team as the Yankees rather than the Cardinals.

• #45A Roger Maris Blank Back/Yankees NM Book $1000-RED HOT
• #150 Mickey Mantle NM Book $300-WARM
• #200 Willie Mays NM Book $100-HOT
• #250 Hank Aaron NM Book $80-WARM
• #355 Carl Yastrzemski NM Book $60-WARM
• #400 Roberto Clemente DP NM Book $100-WARM
• #430 Pete Rose NM Book $100-HOT
• #460 Harmon Killebrew NM Book $60-WARM
• #475 Jim Palmer NM Book $80-WARM
• #476 Tony Perez SP NM Book $60-HOT
• #569 Rod Carew RC DP NM Book $250-RED HOT
• #570 Maury Wills NM Book $80-WARM
• #580 Rocky Colavito NM Book $125-COLD
• #581 Tom Seaver RC NM Book $500-RED HOT
• #600 Brooks Robinson NM Book $250- HOT
• #604 Red Sox Team NM Book $125-WARM
• Complete Set NM Book $5000-HOT

1968 Topps 

A wildly popular set with two very hot rookie cards - Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench.  The graphic elements were so eye catching that they would be used again on the next set, along with many of the same photographs.  The 1968 Topps set featured an interesting cross-hatch pattern border that really captured the feel for the game.  One of the nicest card designs ever from Topps.

• #45 Tom Seaver NM Book $50-WARM
• #50 Willie Mays NM Book $60-HOT
• #80 Rod Carew NM Book $50-WARM
• #110 Hank Aaron NM Book $60-WARM
• #150 Roberto Clemente NM Book $80-HOT
• #177 Nolan Ryan RC NM Book $500-RED HOT
• #230 Pete Rose NM Book $60-HOT
• #247 Johnny Bench RC NM Book $125-WARM
• #280 Mickey Mantle NM Book $250-HOT
• #480 Oliva/Clemente/Cardenas NM Book $80-WARM
• #490 Killebrew/Mantle/Mays NM Book $150-HOT
• Complete Set NM Book $3000-HOT

1969 Topps 

A more conservative version of the 1968 set, using the same basic graphic elements reorganized minus the cross-hatch border.  Not much thought went into the design of this set.  The most interesting things about the set are that it features Mickey Mantle's last card and Reggie Jackson's first card as well as several white letter variations that command great interest from collectors (The most notable being the Mantle WL Variation).  The 1969 Topps set also features two of the most important insert sets in the vintage hobby - The popular decal insert set and the beautiful Deckle Edge insert set.

Great Inserts!

1969 Topps Deckle Edge Insert                         1969 Topps Decal Insert

Key cards from 1969 Topps

• #50 Roberto Clemente DP NM Book $60-WARM
• #95 Johnny Bench NM Book $50-HOT
• #100 Hank Aaron NM Book $50-WARM
• #120 Pete Rose NM Book $50-WARM
• #190 Willie Mays NM Book $80-WARM
• #260 Reggie Jackson RC NM Book $250-WARM
• #440B Willie McCovey WL Variation NM Book $100-HOT
• #480 Tom Seaver NM Book $80-COLD
• #500A Mickey Mantle NM Book $300-HOT
• #500B Mickey Mantle WL Variation NM Book $2000-RED HOT
• #553 Nolan Ryan NM Book $200-WARM
• Complete Set NM Book $2800-WARM