TOPPS 75 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AUCTION 1959
F or the end of the Fifties, Topps came up with brighter colors than they had the year before, but shrunk the player images down into a circle. After their scramble to cobble the 1958 set together, 1959 saw an increase in card count, all the way to 572, which necessitated a seventh series to fit everything. The high numbers once again brought some scarcity - not to mention a black-oriented color scheme on the reverse versus to the green seen previously - but also the rookie card of Bob Gibson, a multi-player card called “Corsair Trio” that included Roberto Clemente and the poignant “Symbol of Courage” card saluting the tragically paralyzed Roy Campanella. For the first time, Topps licensed Venezuelan production of their annual set, which saw a partial two series release. Dedicated subsets included the red-white-and-blue themed “Rookie Stars” while “Baseball Thrills” presented several highlights from past seasons involving current players. Both were new concepts, although only the rookie concept would survive going forward on an annual basis, although it was tinkered with as years passed. Once again, a subset of All-Stars finished things off. Paper inserts for the “Elect Your Favorite Rookie” contest, a Felt Pennants premium and a Bazooka Tee-Shirt offer were the “pushed” extras for 1959. The rookie contest ballot, advertising a 1959 NBC-TV air date during their “World Series Special” broadcast that would announce the winners of the contest, is especially difficult to find today. This is unfortunate as it directly relates to the launch of a series of annual banquets Topps hosted to recognize selections to their All-Star Rookie Team.
203. 1959 Topps “No Traded/Option Line” Variation Collection (5) MINIMUM BID: $100
204. 1959 Topps Complete Set (572) MINIMUM BID: $1,500
44
LOVEOFTHEGAMEAUCTIONS.COM
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online