The 1962 Topps baseball set continued the company’s run of large releases. While base cards of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays headline this offering, there’s a lot more here.
1962 Topps Basics
For middle-aged collectors, it’s probably difficult to look at the 1962 Topps set and immediately not think of the company’s 1987 issue. Sure, the cards look much older, but the look has the same wood-grain design as the 1987 set did 25 years later.
With 598 cards, the set was slightly larger than their 587-card issue a year earlier. Backs, as usual, included the general assortment of statistics, a card number, and a short biography of the subject.
In terms of baseball card designs from an aesthetics standpoint, they really don’t get much more bland than the 1962 Topps issue.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. The cards just have a very basic look, aside from the lower corner of the player’s picture, which ‘flips up’ to reveal his name and team.
1962 Topps Stars and Rookies
Of course, you’ll find the usual array of big names: Mickey Mantle leads the way and his ’62 Topps card is a tough one to find in high grade. Collectors interested in piecing a set together will also have to hunt down the likes of Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Carl Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson, Yogi Berra and others.
That’s not all, though. A trio of Hall of Fame rookie cards can be found. Lou Brock’s rookie card is the most desirable with cards of Cooperstown inductees Joe Torre and Gaylord Perry also sought after among vintage collectors. Beyond that trio, other notable rookie cards are found in the high numbers, including famed broadcaster and funnyman Bob Uecker. While the players themselves on those “Rookie Parade” cards are not as noteworthy, the cards hold good value as high-number editions.
In addition to those, there is the usual assortment of subsets where players are again featured. Mantle, Mays, and Aaron, for example, are all found in subsets, including League Leaders and All-Stars. Other subsets included one featuring pre-war star Babe Ruth as well as the World Series.
Green Tint Variations
Eighty-four cards in the set have a slightly different look, including some of the Ruth cards. Known as “Green Tint” variations, the cards were printed with a greenish hue to them and do carry a premium over the regular versions.
1962 Topps Prices
Prices on 1962 Topps cards aren’t outrageous. But due to the number of key rookies, the multiple Mantle and Mays cards, and other stars, a complete set isn’t dirt cheap, either. The Mantle base card #200 is the key to the set and it’s tough to find a half-decent one in VG condition under $150. Decent sets typically start around $2,000 but can run much higher based on condition.
You can see cards from the 1962 Topps baseball set including sets, lots, singles and more here.