The 1957 Topps baseball set was the first to decide on the now-standard card size of 2 1/2” by 3 1/2”. The standard set includes 407 cards with an array of Hall of Famers and stars difficult enough to build on its own. Adding the eight unnumbered checklists, four contest cards, the “Bakep” error and the "Lucky Penny" insert becomes a near impossible challenge for which most collectors do not have the perseverance or patience to see through to the end. This particular collector is one of those rare breeds, and his master set presents a rare gem for the hobby.
This 1957 Topps Baseball complete master set of 421 comes with 76 graded cards (75 by PSA, one by SGC) and includes all 8 checklist, all 4 Contest cards, the elusive “Bakep” error card and the Lucky Penny card. There are many Hall of Famers in this set including Mantle, Aaron, Berra, Clemente, F. Robinson, Campanella, Snider and others. Ungraded cards come primarily in mid-high grade, falling in the EX-MT to NM-MT range in opinion. Considering the SMR value is almost $11,000 for a PSA graded standard set averaging EX-MT 6, this super scarce master example has serious potential at auction. Graded card breakdown is:
SGC NM+ 7.5 (1): #361
PSA NM-MT 8 (6): #17, 73, 103, 121, 220, 319 (PD)
PSA NM 7 (57): #3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 16, 21, 22, 25 (Ford HOF), 39, 46, 52, 53, 67, 72, 100 (League Presidents), 101, 108, 119, 133, 135, 159, 165, 166, 169, 173, 176a (Baker), 191, 192, 200 (PSA 7.5), 264, 265, 274, 279, 291, 293, 294, 303, 312, 315, 323, 330, 332, 342, 344, 348, 352, 374, 383, 384, 391, 393, 394, 398, 401, 406
PSA EX-MT 6 (4): #95 (Mantle HOF), 176b (“Bakep” Error Card), 302 (Koufax HOF), 320
PSA EX 5 (1): #407 (Yankees Power Hitters - Mantle/Berra HOF)
Lucky Penny Card: PSA EX 5
Checklists
1/2 Big Blony PSA VG 3
2/3 Bazooka PSA VG 3 (MC)
4/5 Bazooka. PSA VG-EX 4
Contest Cards
May 4th PSA EX 5
May 25th PSA EX-MT 6
June 22nd PSA EX-MT 6
July 19th PSA EX 5