1957 Topps Baseball Cards
111111111111111111111111 The first thing you will probably notice about this set is the size.1 Topps shrunk them down to dimensions which are now the standard for all baseball card sets today.1 The number of cards in the set was fairly large though.1 There were also more cards issued in this set than any set sine 1952.1 Finally the design of the cards was sleek and appealing and remains a collector favorite for many.
The amazing amount of rookie cards contained in the Topps 1957 set is one thing that has greatly enhanced its collectability.1 Future HOF inductees made their first baseball card appearances with this set including Brooks and Frank Robinson, Don Drysdal, and Jim Bunning.1 Rocco Colavito, Bobby Richardson and Whitey Herzog are some of the other important rookies cards from this set.
That simple low key design of the set is what earns the love of many fans.1 The photos were attractive as well, this was the first time Topps had featured full color player photographs and it really worked.1 The layout also went back to vertical which hadn't been seen in a few years.1
These cards are designed to let the photo be the centerpiece and let the logos and name panels remain out of the way and unobtrusive as possible.1
The fronts of the cards feature the large photo, a sharp name and team panel, and a basic white border around the edges.1 On the back, year-by-year statistics were featured, which was a first ,and a real advancement at the time.111 The familiar bio and cartoon panels were included as well.1 The card number was located in a baseball shaped logo in the upper left corner.
The team cards in this set are outstanding too.1 They feature crisp color all-team photos framed by a gold border that make the card look like a miniature plaque.1 The backs of the team cards feature trivia, stats, and a team roster.1 The 1957 set also included unnumbered checklist cards, some contest cards, and 'Lucky Penny' insert cards.1 Many of these extras were marked on or thrown away and finding them in good condition is rare.1 It is debatable whether theses cards are part of the official entire set or not.
This was also the first since since 1954 that Topps included multi-player cards in the set.1 One card featured the 2 league presidents, and other feature key star players.1 One of the finest examples of these is the Mantle/Berra multi-player card.1 After 1957 most Topps sets would include multi-player cards.
The set was released in several series as the baseball season went on.1 The scarcest series is not actually the final series in this set though.1 Instead it's the 4th series #265-352.1 That's the series with Brooks Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and other favorites.