1960s Topps

Despite a brief attempt by Fleer to sign baseball players in 1963 Topps continued its reign as the only major baseball card manufacturer in the United States. On the other hand Football had more than one professional league in operation, allowing for competing companies to co-exist by producing a major national set for each league. Topps was able to produce National Football League sets from 1960-63 while Fleer issued American Football League sets. Topps then began producing AFL sets from 1964-67 while Philadelphia Gum issued NFL sets. Production of CFL sets which began in 1958 continued until 1965. O-Pee-Chee then began producing CFL sets in 1968. Hockey provided still another arrangement. Topps was issuing hockey cards of only the U.S. based teams of the Original Six National Hockey League teams leaving Parkhurst of Canada to issue cards of the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Parkhurst eventually left the market in 1964 leaving Topps all the teams of the NHL. Topps also maintained a presence in the foreign card market which began near the end of the last decade by issuing baseball cards in Venezuela starting in 1959 and football cards of Canada's Canadian Football League as early as 1958. While there were no major Venezuelan sets produced after 1968, their partnership with London, Ontario based O-Pee-Chee to produce baseball and hockey cards which began in 1965 and 1968 respectively, lasted for many years. Before the end of the decade Topps revived their basketball issue after a ten year hiatus. The following is a list with brief descriptions of Topps sports card products for the 1960s.

Baseball

Base sets

Venezuela

During the 1960s, Topps produced Venezuelan sets only in even-numbered years except for 1967. The 1967 Venezuelan set is unique among these in that it features Venezuelan league players along with retired U.S. players in addition to the base set cards.

Football

1960

*Base set 132 cards (NFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Metallic Stickers Inserts 33 stickers Size: frac|2|1|8 x frac|3|1|16 in (5.4 x 7.8 cm)
*Topps Tattoos 70 tattoos Size: frac|1|9|16 x 3.5 in (4 x 8.9 cm)
*Topps CFL 88 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

1961

*Base set 198 cards (NFL/AFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Flocked Stickers Inserts 48 cards Size: 2 x frac|2|3|4 in (5.1 x 7 cm)
*Topps CFL 132 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*CFL Transfers 27 cards Size: 2 x 3 in (5.1 x 7.6 cm)

1962

*Base set 176 cards (NFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Bucks Inserts 48 cards Size: frac|1|1|4 x frac|4|1|4 in (3.2 x 10.8 cm)
*Topps CFL 169 cards Size: frac|1|1|4 x 2.5 in (3.2 x 6.4 cm)

1963

*Base set 170 cards (NFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Topps CFL 88 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

1964

*Base set 176 cards (AFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Pennant Stickers Inserts 24 stickers Size: frac|2|1|8 x 4.5 in (5.4 x 11.4 cm)
*Topps CFL 88 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

1965

*Base set 176 cards (AFL) Size: 2.5 x frac|4|11|16 in (6.4 x 11.9 cm)
*Magic Rub-Off Inserts 36 cards Size: 2 x 3 in (5.1 x 7.6 cm)
*Topps CFL 132 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*CFL Transfers 27 cards Size: 2 x 3 in (5.1 x 7.6 cm)

1966

*Base set 132 cards (AFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Funny Rings 24 cards (non-sport) Size: frac|1|1|4 x 3 in (3.2 x 7.6 cm)

1967

*Base set 132 cards (AFL) Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Comic Pennants 31 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

1968

*Base set 219 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Poster Inserts 16 cards Size: 5 x 7 in (12.7 x 17.8 cm)
*Stand-Ups Inserts 22 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Test Teams 25 cards Size: 2.5 x frac|4|11|16 in (6.4 x 11.9 cm)
*Test Team Patches 44 patches Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

1969

*Base set 263 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*Four-In-One Inserts 66 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm) Each of the four is 1 x 1.5 in (2.5 x 3.8 cm).
*Mini-Albums Inserts 26 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

Basketball

All basketball sets here are of NBA players.
*1968-69 Topps Test 22 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 in (6.4 x 8.9 cm)
*1969-70 Topps 99 cards Size: 2.5 x frac|4|11|16 in (6.4 x 11.9 cm)
*1969-70 Topps Rulers 23 posters Size: 2.5 x frac|9|7|8 in (6.4 x 25.1 cm)

Hockey

*1960-61 Topps
*1960-61 Topps Stamps
*1961-62 Topps
*1962-63 Topps
*1962-63 Topps Hockey Bucks
*1963-64 Topps
*1964-65 Topps
*1965-66 Topps
*1966-67 Topps
*1966-67 Topps USA Test
*1967-68 Topps
*1968-69 Topps
*1969-70 Topps

Non-sport

1960 Funny Valentines 'A'
1960 Presidents of the United States
1960 Popeye Tatoos
1960s Bazooka Joe

Confections

External links

[http://mikewheatcards.com/gallery7.htm Baseball Card Gallery]

References

* Beckett, Dr. James et al (2002). "Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide". Beckett Publications-Dallas, Texas ISBN 1-930692-17-X