1962 Topps
The 1962 Topps Baseball set consists of 598 cards, each measuring 2-1/2” by 3-1/2”. Cards feature a photograph set against a faux wood-grain background, with the lower-right corner designed to give the appearance that it is peeling away to reveal his name, team, and position. The set is anchored by the likes of Sandy Koufax (#5), Roberto Clemente (#10), Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays (#18) and Hank Aaron (#320). Specialty cards including statistical leaders, multi-player cards, team cards, checklists, World Series cards and All-Stars, as well as the debut of the multi-player rookie card. There is a nine-card “In Action” subset and a 10-card run of special Babe Ruth cards. Photo variations of several cards in the Second Series (#110-196) exist, with cards in that Series also found with two distinct printing types - an early printing containing a greenish tint. “Short Prints” can be found in the high numbers, including Hall of Famers Bob Gibson (#530), Willie McCovey (#544) and Hoyt Wilhelm (#545). The 1962 Topps set’s wood-grain borders are highly susceptible to chipping that the collection is difficult to find in high grade.