25 Most Valuable 1963 Topps Baseball Cards
Of all the great Topps sets of the 1960s, many collectors would argue that the 1963 Topps baseball cards have one of the most creative and colorful designs.
The large color player images on the fronts complimented by smaller, encircled black and white player images in the lower-right corner are a fantastic one-two punch.
And the rookie card and star power packed within are practically unrivaled by any other set of the decade…
Make no mistake, Topps was putting forth a great effort to deliver a high quality product to help stave off Fleer who released a set of its own in 1963.
There’s so much to love about this set and in this guide, I’ll run through the 25 most valuable.
Let’s jump right in!
1963 Topps Baseball Set Snapshot
SET DETAILS
576
Pete Rose, Willie Stargell, Tony Oliva
Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax
GRADING ANALYSIS
269,252
TOTAL GRADED BY PSA
77,527
PSA 8 Population
28.8%
PSA 8 Grade Rate
MOST GRADED CARDS
1
#200 Mickey Mantle
3.2%
8,690
2
#537 1963 Rookie Stars
2.7%
7,182
3
#173 Bombers’ Best Tresh/Mantle/Richardson
2.0%
5,320
Need Help Selling Your Sports Cards?
Fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours. No obligation.
Ross Uitts – Owner
- #1
1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 8 Value $17,000Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%)One of the key rookie cards of the 1960s, the Pete Rose rookie
kicks off our liSt. Rose may share the space with Pedro Gonzalez, Ken McMullen and Al Weis but he is clearly the star of the show here. I’ve always loved the bright colors on this card as they come together quite nicely to give this card some major eye appeal.
Rose may not be a Hall of Famer but that hasn’t stopped him from being a legend and collector favorite across the hobby.
Also, the fact that this card belongs to the scarcer high-number Series 7 (cards #523-576) makes it a bit more challenging to find and gives it an added boost in value.
Collectors will pay big bucks for these in high grade and even lower grade specimens are by no means cheap.
- #2
1963 Topps #200 Mickey Mantle
PSA 8 Value $5,500Total PSA Population 8,690PSA 8 Population 376PSA 8 Grade Rate 4.3% (Set Avg: 28.8%)It’s rare to see Mickey Mantle not be the number one card on a given set list but the Rose rookie beats him out in this case.
If I had to pick a favorite Mantle card from the 1960s, it would probably be this one as I’m a huge fan of the 1963 Topps set in general and the eye appeal here is off the charts.
Mantle picked up his third MVP award for his work during the 1962 season but his 1963 season would unfortunately be cut short due to injury and he’d play in just 65 games.
That didn’t stop him from making his 16th All-Star appearance, though.
- #3
1963 Topps #300 Willie Mays
PSA 8 Value $2,500Total PSA Population 4,154PSA 8 Population 345PSA 8 Grade Rate 8.3% (Set Avg: 28.8%)Mays was another guy who could do it all and goes down in history as arguably the greatest player who ever lived.
It’s difficult to say what the best part of his game was…
His fielding was elite as he made incredible defensive plays like “The Catch” during the 1954 World Series on his way to winning 12 Gold Gloves.
On the base paths he was extremely tough as he’d lead the league in stolen bases 4 times and crossed home plate 2,062 times.
And he was a career .302 hitter who could hit for power as he smashed 660 home runs and drove in 1,903 RBI.
The guy had no weakness…
- #4
1963 Topps #390 Hank Aaron
PSA 8 Value $2,400Total PSA Population 3,951PSA 8 Population 343PSA 8 Grade Rate 8.7% (Set Avg: 28.8%)Speaking of guys who could hit for power, next up on our list is none other than “Hammerin’ Hank”.
Easily one of the greatest hitters of all-time, if not the greatest, Aaron goes down as the career leader in RBI (2,297) and is second in career home runs (755).
And he did that all while turning in a career batting average of .305.
Hank Aaron cards are always desirable year after year and this one is certainly no exception.
- #5
1963 Topps #540 Roberto Clemente
PSA 8 Value $1,750Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%)Sadly, Clemente’s life and career were cut short when he died in a plane crash after the 1972 season while on his way to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Major League Baseball later renamed its Commissioner’s Award as the Roberto Clemente award and is given annually to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team”.
That tells you all you need to know about who he was both on and off the field.
As a player, Clemente played both offense and defense at an extremely high level as he won 4 batting titles and 12 Gold Gloves over his storied career.
- #6
1963 Topps #228 Tony Oliva Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 8 Value $1,500Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #7
1963 Topps #340 Yogi Berra
PSA 8 Value $1,500Total PSA Population 1,548PSA 8 Population 98PSA 8 Grade Rate 6.3% (Set Avg: 28.8%)Mantle’s longtime teammate and fellow Yankee legend, Yogi Berra, would play his last season with the iconic ball club in 1963.
He’d start in just 32 games at the catcher position but had also been helping the team out as a player coach, hence the “C-Coach” designation below his name on this card.
He was clearly on the decline but still performed well enough (and was still loved enough) to be named to his 18th and final All-Star game.
Although his playing days with the Yankees may have ended in 1963, he’d still appear in the 1964 Topps set the following year so this wasn’t his last card in a Yankees uniform.
- #8
1963 Topps #210 Sandy Koufax
PSA 8 Value $1,400Total PSA Population 4,230PSA 8 Population 276PSA 8 Grade Rate 6.5% (Set Avg: 28.8%)It’s not too often that you see Koufax’s name ahead of guys like Clemente, Mays and Aaron when it comes to 1960s baseball cards.
But, I think his MVP season that year may have something to do with it…
His numbers that year were jaw-dropping as he’d win 25 games, strikeout 306 batters, toss 11 shutouts and turn in a 1.88 ERA.
And he absolutely shredded the New York Yankees during the World Series that season as he pitched two complete games giving up only 3 runs and striking out 23.
He won the Cy Young, regular season MVP and World Series MVP that year in one of the finest seasons any pitcher has ever had.
- #9
1963 Topps #553 Willie Stargell Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 8 Value $1,400Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%)Willie Stargell was hitting tons of home runs in the 1960s but he really started to smash during the 70s.
In fact, no other player hit more home runs than Stargell did as he’d send 296 over the fence by the end of the decade.
His rookie card may not be the hobby icon that Rose’s is but as a Hall of Fame rookie card, this is definitely one that is consistently on collectors’ want lists.
As card #553, it’s also one of the tougher 7th Series high number cards giving it a bit more bump in value.
- #10
1963 Topps #21 Marty Keough
PSA 8 Value $1,000Total PSA Population 200PSA 8 Population 50PSA 8 Grade Rate 25.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #11
1963 Topps #325 Jack Sanford
PSA 8 Value $1,000Total PSA Population 210PSA 8 Population 54PSA 8 Grade Rate 25.7% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #12
1963 Topps #328 Dick Williams
PSA 8 Value $1,000Total PSA Population 229PSA 8 Population 60PSA 8 Grade Rate 26.2% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #13
1963 Topps #341 Jack Baldschun
PSA 8 Value $900Total PSA Population 60PSA 8 Population 25PSA 8 Grade Rate 41.7% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #14
1963 Topps #496 Rookie Stars
PSA 8 Value $800Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #15
1963 Topps #3 National League Home Run Leaders
PSA 8 Value $750Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #16
1963 Topps #250 Stan Musial
PSA 8 Value $700Total PSA Population 2,905PSA 8 Population 300PSA 8 Grade Rate 10.3% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #17
1963 Topps #472 Lou Brock
PSA 8 Value $700Total PSA Population 1,992PSA 8 Population 228PSA 8 Grade Rate 11.4% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #18
1963 Topps #120 Roger Maris
PSA 8 Value $625Total PSA Population 3,435PSA 8 Population 213PSA 8 Grade Rate 6.2% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #19
1963 Topps #173 Bombers Best
PSA 8 Value $600Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%)Fresh off being named the Rooke of the Year in 1962, Tom Tresh was featured on the beloved “Bombers’ Best” card alongside Mickey Mantle and Bobby Richardson.
It’s a fantastic card but I’ve always wondered why Topps selected these three as the trio to be featured on this card.
In 1962, the Yankees sent 6 players to the All-Star game in Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Elston Howard, Bobby Richardson, Tom Tresh and Ralph Terry.
Richardson was terrific and Tresh had just won the ROY award but I think the card could have been even better had Maris and Howard been alongside Mantle instead.
Howard been an All-Star for 6 straight seasons and would win the MVP in 1963 (I know Topps couldn’t have foreseen that) and Maris had snapped Ruth’s singe season home run record back in 1961 and won back-to-back MVPs in 1960 and 1961.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the card as-is, I just always love these nuances of the hobby that have created the cards we love today.
- #20
1963 Topps #380 Ernie Banks
PSA 8 Value $575Total PSA Population 2,279PSA 8 Population 250PSA 8 Grade Rate 11.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #21
1963 Topps #415 Bob Gibson
PSA 8 Value $575Total PSA Population 1,784PSA 8 Population 195PSA 8 Grade Rate 10.9% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #22
1963 Topps #242 Power Plus
PSA 8 Value $550Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #23
1963 Topps #1 National League Batting Leaders
PSA 8 Value $550Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #24
1963 Topps #138 Pride of National League
PSA 8 Value $475Total PSA PopulationPSA 8 PopulationPSA 8 Grade Rate 0.0% (Set Avg: 28.8%) - #25
1963 Topps #500 Harmon Killebrew
PSA 8 Value $450Total PSA Population 1,525PSA 8 Population 191PSA 8 Grade Rate 12.5% (Set Avg: 28.8%)
Ross’s Take
Clearly, there are some fantastic cards in this 576-card checkliSt. The bright colors, dual-images on the fronts, and unique design was a perfect way to showcase so many great stars and Hall of Famers of the day.
Within it, there were also several different subsets, including: 1962 League Leaders (#1-10) World Series Highlights (#142-148) Rookie Stars Player Combos (Bombers’ Best, Buc Blasters, Power Plus, Pride of N.L.) Managers Checklists This one is one of my favorite sets of the 1960s (and of the vintage era in general) and it’s always fun to go through them.
