Top Ten Complete Baseball Sets of All-Time
Set Building. It’s the foundation of card collecting.
Many of us spend countless hours in the pursuit of completion. The passionate pursuit of those final cards to complete our sets becomes a consuming mission.
It can be exhilarating just as it can be frustrating. But the rewards are well worth the efforts.
Some sets rise above others due to their composition, design, key features and rarities. These are the sets that become the ultimate treasures in the hobby.
So with no further ado, PSA Lists presents the ultimate sets from the ultimate collecting sport – baseball.
These sets are listed in reverse-chronological order and were selected based on various criteria including, but not limited to, popularity, historical importance and eye appeal.
See if you agree with our list.
Honorable Mention - 1975 Topps
The 1975 Topps baseball card set is our Honorable Mention. With all of the stellar vintage sets on the list, it was difficult to find room for a post-1970 issue but this great Topps release deserves recognition. From a design perspective, this set really exemplifies the decade. The cards are surrounded by wild, multi-colored borders and those borders are very susceptible to wear. The set itself has one of the best selections of rookie cards you will ever see. Hall of Famers like George Brett, Robin Yount, Gary Carter and Jim Rice can all be found here along with rookies of stars like Fred Lynn and Keith Hernandez. Like Ted Williams in 1954, Hank Aaron has the honor of acting as the bookend to the set with cards #1 and #660.
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains a total of 660 cards.
- The set contains many special cards such as Highlight cards that start the set and cards devoted to former MVPs.
- The Brett and Yount rookies are amongst the most valuable cards in the post-1970 era in PSA Gem Mint 10.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#10 - 1963 Topps
Going back in time to the previous decade, the 1963 Topps baseball card set takes center stage. This Topps issue was one of several very popular sets released during the 1960s but, of all the great sets to choose from, this one may be the most popular. After using a brown-border design in 1962, Topps went back to a more eye-catching look by using a solid color along the bottom or top of each card, along with three white borders. That solid, colored border did wonders for the look of each card but it certainly makes it easier for the cards to reveal wear. The set, which contains a large number of multi-player star cards throughout, features a couple of key rookies in Willie Stargell and Pete Rose on four-player formats.
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains 576 total cards.
- The multi-player cards in the set feature many of the decade’s brightest stars such as Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax.
- The #340 Yogi Berra card is a surprisingly tough card to find in PSA NM-MT 8 or better condition.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#9 - 1955 Topps
The 1955 Topps set, much like its predecessor a year earlier, is defined by awesome eye appeal and three major rookie cards. In 1955, Topps changed to a horizontal design but kept up its use of bold color. The result was one of the best-looking baseball card sets ever made. In addition, the three key rookie cards in this set belong to three Hall of Famers. Slugger Harmon Killebrew, pitching ace Sandy Koufax and 5-tool wonder Roberto Clemente are the anchors. The Clemente rookie is considered to be the toughest of the three to find in high grade. The last card in the set, while not a rookie card, is also a significant one featuring Brooklyn Dodger legend Duke Snider.
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains a total of 206 cards.
- While the set is numbered to 210, card #s 175, 186, 203 and 209 were never issued.
- If you think your eyes are playing tricks on you, they’re not. Topps reused many of the images from the 1954 set in the 1955 release.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#8 - 1954 Topps
The 1954 Topps baseball card set exhibits one of the more unique designs of the era. The cards were made without a defined top border, leaving three white borders along the bottom and to the left and right of each card image. The image contained one headshot and one smaller action pose of each player. Furthermore, the use of color was tremendous as this was one of the company's most eye-appealing releases. Ted Williams is featured as the first and last card in the set (#1 and #250), with both cards considered equally as popular. The set's biggest strength may be its three key rookie cards – those of Al Kaline, Ernie Banks and super slugger Hank Aaron.
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains a total of 250 cards.
- Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is featured on his only player card at #132.
- Card #139 features Ed and Johnny O’Brien – two brothers – on the same card.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#7 - 1953 Bowman
The 1953 Bowman baseball card set is renowned for its simplistic beauty. The fronts of the cards contain nothing but a colorful image of the player. No fancy designs and no facsimile signatures...just the players with a simple white border, which is almost the exact opposite of what we see produced today. As a result of Bowman’s decision, the 1953 set is considered one of the most desirable baseball card issues in the entire hobby. The set also contains some multi-player cards featuring popular New York Yankee players like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. While not the most valuable card in the set, the most popular image belongs to Pee Wee Reese on card #33.
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains a total of 160 cards.
- Cards 113-128 are considered the toughest series and sell for a premium.
- The most valuable card in PSA NM-MT 8 condition is #153 Whitey Ford.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#6 - 1952 Topps
This is the lone postwar baseball card set of The Big Three. Along with the 1909-11 T206 and 1933 Goudey sets, the 1952 Topps baseball card issue is one that many collectors dream of owning. Leading off with a tough #1 card in Andy Pafko, the most notable #1 card in the hobby, and ending with a Hall of Famer rookie in #407 Eddie Mathews, this set is filled with power cards. Of course, the key to the entire set is the #311 Mickey Mantle, which is perhaps the most recognizable card in the world. In addition to the large number of star cards like those of Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays, the high-number series cards sell for a premium (#s 311-407).
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains a total of 407 cards in the Basic Set.
- Cards 1-80 can be found with Red or Black backs.
- Despite the famous 1952 Topps find of the 1980s, many of the cards are found off-center, preventing them from reaching unqualified top grades.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#5 - 1951 Bowman
The 1951 Bowman baseball card set is, perhaps, the most important Bowman issue during their 1948-1955 run…a run that produced some of the most desirable cards of all-time. This colorful issue is anchored by three major rookie cards, those of Whitey Ford (#1), Willie Mays (#305) and Mickey Mantle (#253). All three men were considered among the best of the era, with endless debates about whether someone would want Mickey or Willie to patrol centerfield for their favorite team. The set also includes a great selection of stars like Ted Williams and Yogi Berra. It was the fourth consecutive year that Bowman decided to increase the size of the set.
PSA CardFacts®:
- This set contains a total of 324 cards.
- After three years using the same design size, Bowman went with new dimensions in 1951 – 2 1/16" by 3 1/8".
- Even though the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle might be his most popular card, the 1951 Bowman Mantle is his only official rookie card.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#4 - 1941 Play Ball
The 1941 Play Ball baseball card set was the third consecutive issue in the Play Ball series but, unlike its two predecessors, this set infused color into the design. As a result, this set is considered the most desirable issue during the three-year run (1939-1941). The set contains several key cards of Hall of Famers like Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg and Met Ott but the two most important cards are those of Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, who both had epic seasons that summer. Williams hit .406 and DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight games. This set also happens to feature a tough rookie card of popular Brooklyn Dodger Pee Wee Reese.
PSA CardFacts®:
- This set contains a total of 72 cards.
- This was the first Play Ball set to use color in the design.
- Despite the strong selection of Hall of Famers, the only HOF rookie card is that of Pee Wee Reese.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#3 - 1933 Goudey
The 1933 Goudey baseball card set is widely considered one of The Big Three in the hobby, along with the 1909-11 T206 and 1952 Topps baseball sets. Booming with color and featuring a huge selection of Hall of Famers, this popular gum issue is anchored by four different Babe Ruth cards (#s 53, 144, 149 and 181). The #53 Ruth is considered the toughest and most desirable of the quartet. The set also contains one of the most historically important rarities in the hobby. Card #106 belongs to Napoleon Lajoie. This card was not issued with the rest of the cards. In order to acquire it, you had to contact the Goudey company directly in 1934. The card was actually made with more of a 1934-style design than 1933. While not quite as scarce as some other noteworthy rarities, this card still commands a big premium in the marketplace.
PSA CardFacts®:
- The set contains a total of 240 cards if you include the Lajoie rarity, which most people do.
- In addition to Ruth, there are several major Hall of Famers that can be found on more than one card in the set such as Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Carl Hubbell.
- Cards from the low-number series are considered much tougher than those found in the other series throughout the set.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#2 - 1915 Cracker Jack
The 1915 Cracker Jack baseball card set contains some of the most popular cards in the hobby. In addition, the simple design is part of its strength. Each card contains a bold red background, which really helps make this issue eye-catching. The set, a follow-up to the 1914 issue, could be acquired as part of a mail-in offer during the time. In exchange for 100 coupons or one coupon plus 25 cents, a collector could receive the entire set. This is why a decent amount of high-grade examples exist today. The set is filled with Hall of Famers like Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb but the Shoeless Joe Jackson remains the most desirable card in the entire set.
PSA CardFacts®:
- There are 176 total cards in the set.
- The 1914 set could not be acquired via mail-in offer, which is why that set is so much tougher to find than the 1915 issue.
- In addition to the set, a collector could also send away for a custom album to store and display the cards. That is why the reverse of the cards was printed upside down… so they could be displayed and read while in the album.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
#1 - 1909-11 T206
The 1909-11 T206 baseball card set, often referred to as The Monster, is considered by many to be the premier set in the entire hobby. Loaded with Hall of Famers, rarities and possessing an absolutely beautiful design, the collector can find plenty of reasons to take on this challenging issue. Of course, beyond the huge selection of stars like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Cy Young, a few major rarities steal the show. In terms of sheer value, the three top spots belong to Eddie Plank, the Joe Doyle (NY NAT’L, Hands over Head) error and the king of all baseball cards – the T206 Honus Wagner, which is still considered the Mona Lisa of baseball cards.
PSA CardFacts®:
- There are 76 different cards featuring Hall of Famers.
- There are 16 different tobacco ads that can be found on the reverse.
- There are 524 cards needed to complete the Basic Set, but thousands of cards are required if you want to collect every tobacco back and every factory/series/district/state combination.
Get full details, including the set checklist, expert narratives and more, on PSA CardFacts®.
Conclusion
Learn more about collecting complete sets at PSA CardFacts® or start your own set building adventure at PSAcard.com/PSAsetregistry
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