1961 Topps Baseball Card # 103 Ruben Amaro - Philadelphia Phillies (VG)

1960-1969 Baseball Cards

Few time periods in the history of the hobby garner as much interest as 1960s baseball cards. Packed with Hall of Fame players and valuable rookie cards, these products are a set collector’s dream. Ungraded commons are still very reasonable and can be readily found at card shows and online, while high-graded stars command prices that push deep into the thousands. This decade was mostly dominated by Topps but a few popular Fleer products were released early in the 1960s that included a roster of retired players, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb.

Part of what makes 1960s baseball cards so special is the impressive lineup of players that filled the checklists. Established stars are joined by the new rookie class, which includes top players like Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, Carl Yastrzemski, and Lou Brock.

1961 Topps Baseball Trading Cards

The company’s biggest set to that point with 587 cards, 1961 Topps Baseball is led by rookie cards for Ron Santo, Juan Marichal and Billy Williams. The set also boasts a strong crop of veteran Hall of Fame cards.

Product Details

Featuring the Hall of Fame rookie cards for Juan Marichal, Billy Williams and Ron Santo, 1961 Topps Baseball is further enhanced by a deep checklist and variety of subsets. Once again, veteran stars lead the way in terms of value.

The 1961 Topps Baseball set represents yet another record-setting expansion for Topps. This was due in large part to the two new teams which were added to the American League for the 1961 season as well as multiple subsets. The set was released in seven series, but the important thing to note is that the first 370 cards are more readily available than the remaining group.

Measuring the now-standard 2-1/2" by 3-1/2", 1961 Topps Baseball features a vertical layout. The cards include portraits of the players with the player name and team displayed in a small box along the bottom. Showcasing a more basic design, many collectors will also likely notice that the team logos are not included. This was because of the uncertainty about the expansion teams and the resulting shift in players.

Continuing the the purist feel, 1961 Topps Baseball card backs do not contain any puzzles or trivia, but instead feature the player's season-by-season and career statistics. However, the cartoons that kids had become accustomed to seeing were once again included. Many consider this to be one of the true classic baseball card sets for the simplicity of design, letting the photograph and statistics stand on their own.

Presenting a great way for collectors to track down multiple card designs, subsets are plentiful in 1961 Topps Baseball. Part of the more common options, League Leaders (#41-50) cover the top statistical performers across baseball. Team managers are featured in two separate groups in the set (#131-139, #219-226). World Series Highlights (#306-313) offer a recap of the previous championship series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.

Things get a little more difficult for collectors beyond that. Baseball Thrills (#401-410) feature notable moments from the previous year. Most Valuable Player cards (#471-486) look back at the entire decade of the 1950s with the American and National League MVPs. Finally, Sporting News All-Stars (#566-589) document the previous year's All-Star squads and are part of the elusive high-number series in 1961 Topps Baseball. Also, checklist cards are found for each series and can be particularly difficult to find in an unmarked condition.

Superstars like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris will always command attention from collectors, but the 1961 Topps Baseball set was particular noteworthy for the duo. As many fans will remember, 1961 was the year of the original home run chase, with both players battling it out to break Babe Ruth's long-held, single-season record for home runs. Maris ultimately hit 61 dingers, establishing the new record, while injuries derailed Mantle, who finished at 54.

Given the number of cards included, it should not be too shocking that errors and variations are prevalent in 1961 Topps Baseball. In addition to three versions of checklist #98, there are actually two cards for #463, with both Jack Fisher and the Milwaukee Braves sharing the spot on the checklist. The Milwaukee card was intended to occupy #426. As a result, there is no card #426. There are also gaps in the checklist at #587 and #588, putting the full checklist at 587 cards.

If that is not enough to keep collectors busy, 1961 Topps Baseball also has two insert sets. Issued in panels of two, there are 208 total options, with most available with either a green or brown tint. Stamps for Al Kaline can be located in both colors. Also, Magic Rub-Offs, basically a temporary tattoo, were available in Series 1 packs. Each team has one player and a pennant available, for a total of 36 cards.

Because of the sheer number of cards in 1961 Topps Baseball, this can be a very costly set to complete. Things are further complicated for high-grade collectors as the release is notorious for having centering issues and print dots. However, because of the key rookies and numerous Hall of Fame players, it has become a favorite of vintage collectors.

How We Grade:

Gem Mint (GMT): (10.0) A flawless card. To be in Gem Mint condition, a card’s borders must have a ratio of 50/50 side to side and top to bottom. 

Mint (MT): (9.0-9.5) A perfect card. Well-centered with parallel borders which appear equal to the naked eye. Four sharp, square corners. No creases, edge dents, surface scratches, paper flaws, loss of luster, yellowing or fading, regardless of age. No imperfectly printed cards – out of register, badly cut or ink flawed – or card stained by contact with gum, wax or other substances can be considered truly Mint, even if new out of the pack. Generally, to be considered in Mint condition, a card’s borders must exist in a ratio of 60/40 side to side and top to bottom. 

Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT): (8.0-8.5) A super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may exhibit a very slight wax stain on reverse, slight fraying at one or two corners, or a minor printing imperfection. Centering must be app. 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. 

Near Mint (NM): (7.0-7.5) A nearly perfect card at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may have slight surface wear, slight fraying on some corners, slightly out-of-register picture focus, a minor printing blemish or slight wax stain on reverse. Centering must be 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent/Near Mint (EX/NM): (6.0-6.5) Card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect. A very light scratch. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may have minor wax stain on reverse, may have very slight nothing on edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent (EX): (5.0-5.5) Corners are still fairly sharp with only moderate wear. Card borders may be off center as much as 85/15. No creases. May have very minor gum, wax or product stains, front or back. Surfaces may show slight loss of luster from rubbing across other cards. Dark bordered cards may have one or two small nicks.

Very Good/Excellent (VG/EX): (4.0-4.5) Shows obvious handling, but still looks nice. Corners may be rounded or have minor creases. No major creases, tape marks or extraneous markings or writing. Surfaces does exhibit loss of luster, but the printing is intact. May have paper wrinkles. May show major gum, wax or other packaging stains. All four borders visible, though the ratio may be as poor as 95/5. Exhibits honest wear. 

Very Good (VG): (3.0-3.5) A well-worn card, but exhibits no intentional damage or abuse. May be “Mis-cut or Off-Center” with no border visible. May have major or multiple creases, however, creases are not so deep as to show the underlying paper. This card is completely readable, has not been written on, and has no tape marks or holes. Corner rounding may extend well beyond the border. 

Good (GD) (2.0-2.5) Shows excessive wear, along with damage or abuse. Will show all the wear characteristics of a Very Good card, along with such damage as thumb tack holes in or near margins, evidence of having been taped or pasted, perhaps small tears around the edges or creases so heavily as to break the cardboard. Backs may show minor added pen or pencil writing or be missing small bits of paper. Still basically a complete card. 

Poor (P): (1.0-1.5) A card that has been tortured to death. Corners or other areas may be torn off. Card may have been trimmed, show holes from a paper punch or have been used for BB gun practice. Front may have extraneous pen or pencil writing, or other defacement. Major portions of front or back design may be missing. Not a pretty sight. 

We believe that all our listings are 100% Original and Authentic unless otherwise noted. They are all covered by a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, if for whatever reason you are not happy with your purchase we will exchange it, replace it, discount it or you can return it for a full refund.

Standard/Combined 1st Class Shipping via USPS is $3.95 for the first card and $0.15 for each additional card, with a max. of (40) items per invoice. Subject to change as postal rates continue to increase. Estimated delivery is 3-5 days. Subject to change as postal delivery schedules continue to increase. Please see shipping tab for current postage rates. All cards will ship in penny sleeves, top loaders, team bag & bubble wrap envelopes.

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