Topps 1969 Baseball Card Set - The Greatest Players Ever?

[DonRocks]

I was looking at some pictures of the Topps 1969 set of baseball cards, and it dawned on me that this may be the greatest year in history for quality of players:

* This is Mantle's final card (and #500 in the set). The set also includes, among other Hall of Fame players from the 1950s: Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Frank and Brooks Robinson, Kaline, Killebrew, Banks, Yastrzemski, Drysdale, Mazeroski, Aparicio, Wilhelm, etc. 

* Players entering their primes include Rose, Gibson, Carlton, Marichal, Carew, Jenkins, Santo, Flood, Oliva, Brock, McCovey, Seaver, Stargell, Palmer, Reggie Jackson, etc.

* Rookie cards include Johnny Bench and Nolan Ryan.

* Ted Williams, Leo Durocher, Earl Weaver, and Walter Alston have cards as managers. 

To think I attended the All-Star game at RFK in 1969!

[Kibbee Nayee]

On 12/27/2018 at 2:48 PM, DonRocks said:

I was looking at some pictures of the Topps 1969 set of baseball cards, and it dawned on me that this may be the greatest year in history for quality of players:

* This is Mantle's final card (and #500 in the set). The set also includes, among other Hall of Fame players from the 1950s: Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Frank and Brooks Robinson, Kaline, Killebrew, Banks, Yastrzemski, Drysdale, Mazeroski, Aparicio, Wilhelm, etc. 

* Players entering their primes include Rose, Gibson, Carlton, Marichal, Carew, Jenkins, Santo, Flood, Oliva, Brock, McCovey, Seaver, Stargell, Palmer, Reggie Jackson, etc.

* Rookie cards include Johnny Bench and Nolan Ryan.

* Ted Williams, Leo Durocher, Earl Weaver, and Walter Alston have cards as managers. 

To think I attended the All-Star game at RFK in 1969!

Mantle had an error card in that set that is worth a lot of money -- some $40K if professionally graded at NM-MT.

The Johnny Bench and Nolan Ryan rookie cards are in the 1968 Topps set. I know that because I have put together that set, plus the 1967 set. In both sets I also have the errors and variations. Plus the insert sets.

My eldest son is trying to get me to put together the 1966 and 1969 sets now, and I'm going along with it. It's a fun hobby, but the expensive cards make it more than a hobby.

 

[DonRocks]

On 1/30/2019 at 2:07 PM, Kibbee Nayee said:

The Johnny Bench and Nolan Ryan rookie cards are in the 1968 Topps set.

You're right, but for whatever reason Topps marked Bench as a rookie in 1969 also (he looks like a little kid on that 1968 card!)

NB - I always thought the 1951 Bowman Mantle was undervalued compared with the Topps 1952.

[Kibbee Nayee]

I agree about the ‘51 Bowman. Part of the attraction of the ‘52 Topps Mantle is that it’s a high number card. High numbers were short runs, as the company prepared to run the football sets.

[Keithstg]

2 minutes ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

 High numbers were short runs, as the company prepared to run the football sets.

This is fascinating - I had no idea!

[Kibbee Nayee]

Each run was a single sheet of 12x12 cards = 144. Some runs were 11x12 cards = 132 cards. Current card value includes centering and sharp edges, which relate to the production process.

Remember, for a nickel you were buying a slab of bubble gum. The cards were inserts to sell bubble gum. The companies really didn’t care about the cards.

[DonRocks]

46 minutes ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

Each run was a single sheet of 12x12 cards = 144. Some runs were 11x12 cards = 132 cards. Current card value includes centering and sharp edges, which relate to the production process.

I probably shouldn't say this, but my brother has (or had) an uncut sheet of 1952 high numbers.

43 minutes ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

Remember, for a nickel you were buying a slab of bubble gum. The cards were inserts to sell bubble gum. The companies really didn’t care about the cards.

You're right, they didn't care - and they were also notorious for reusing pictures in the late 1960s. Rod Carew's cards from 1968 and 1969:

They also weren't into the Latino thing - this is one example of many:

 <--- When I was a kid, I called this guy "Bob Clemente" (last name rhymed with "Palenti.")

[Kibbee Nayee]

13 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I probably shouldn't say this, but my brother has (or had) an uncut sheet of 1952 high numbers.

That's called a retirement plan.