Manufacturer: Topps
Set Size: 340 Cards
Card Size: 2-5/8” x 3-3/4”
Set Notes: 1956 Topps Baseball did not have the rookie card power of previous releases, but with Topps having acquired Bowman the previous year, for the first time collectors did not have to choose between manufacturers. This year marks the beginning of Topps’ monopoly over the baseball card industry all the way until 1981. If you wanted baseball cards Topps was what you got. The fronts of these cards were similar to the previous year with the horizontal design, large player head photo with additional action shot. Player name, position and team name are in a multicolor banner at top. The background usually featured the ball park or field in some way. Backs are multicolor just like the previous year featuring stats, player information and cartoon.
Key Rookies From 1956 Topps: | 8 – Walt Alston | 292 – Luis Aparicio
Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information.
(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
(–) : No Pricing Data Available | ($) USD Price Value | (¢) USD Price Under $1
1956 Topps Rookie Card Prices
(Prices shown are for gray backs only. No values for variations shown or white back cards.)
| Rookie | Card # | Raw | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Negray | 7 | $3 | - | $15 | $30 | $40 | $60 | - |
| Walt Alston | 8 | $14 | $30 | $40 | $45 | $135 | $170 | - |
| Hector Lopez | 16 | $4 | - | $20 | $30 | $50 | $90 | - |
| Nelson Burbrink | 27 | $3 | - | - | $20 | $30 | $145 | - |
| Pedro Ramos | 49 | $5 | - | $25 | $30 | $60 | $70 | - |
| Ernie Oravetz | 51 | $3 | - | - | $35 | $30 | $115 | - |
| Duke Maas | 57 | $5 | - | - | $25 | $30 | $60 | - |
| Jose Santiago | 59 | $3 | - | - | $15 | $35 | $70 | - |
| Roger Craig | 63 | $6 | - | $25 | $30 | $75 | $175 | $1,000 |
| Luis Arroyo | 64 | $4 | - | - | $25 | $40 | $60 | - |
| Bob Speake | 66 | $2 | - | $11 | $20 | $35 | $70 | - |
| Jim King | 74 | $3 | - | $20 | $25 | $30 | $135 | $330 |
| Babe Birrer | 84 | $4 | - | - | $25 | $40 | $65 | - |
| Johnny Kucks | 88 | $4 | $10 | $25 | $30 | $50 | $200 | - |
| Gail Harris | 91 | $2 | $11 | - | $20 | $35 | $65 | - |
| Larry Jackson | 119 | $4 | - | - | $23 | $42 | $120 | - |
| Jim Brady | 126 | $3 | $20 | - | $45 | - | $80 | - |
| Jake Martin | 129 | $3 | $10 | - | $40 | $45 | $100 | - |
| Bob Roselli | 131 | $5 | $10 | - | $20 | $32 | $100 | - |
| Al Silvera | 137 | $3 | $10 | - | $16 | $60 | $325 | - |
| Herb Score | 140 | $5 | $20 | $40 | $55 | $65 | $160 | $2,800 |
| Leroy Powell | 144 | $3 | - | $30 | $35 | $40 | $150 | $518 |
| Bob Nelson | 169 | $3 | $10 | $30 | - | $50 | - | $863 |
| Frank Torre | 172 | $5 | - | $20 | $35 | $50 | $105 | - |
| Glen Gorbous | 174 | $3 | - | - | $17 | $50 | $140 | $620 |
| Don Bessent | 184 | $5 | $20 | $25 | $54 | $70 | $260 | - |
| Art Swanson | 204 | $4 | - | $15 | $25 | $32 | - | $900 |
| Jim Small | 207 | $5 | $10 | - | - | $45 | $100 | - |
| Jerry Schoonmaker | 216 | $4 | - | $20 | $32 | $70 | $130 | - |
| Bob Hale | 231 | $4 | $12 | $15 | $32 | $75 | $100 | - |
| Jose Valdivielso | 237 | $5 | - | $20 | $35 | $75 | $100 | - |
| Ray Monzant | 264 | $3 | $20 | - | $25 | $35 | $130 | - |
| Jack Meyer | 269 | $4 | - | - | $30 | $42 | $115 | - |
| Foster Castleman | 271 | $4 | - | $15 | $30 | - | $400 | - |
| Frank Kellert | 291 | $5 | - | - | $25 | $57 | $118 | - |
| Luis Aparicio | 292 | $55 | $105 | $195 | $220 | $465 | $1,500 | $5,650 |
| Don Blasingame | 309 | $4 | $15 | $25 | $30 | $32 | $113 | - |
| Jack Crimian | 319 | $3 | $15 | - | $20 | $45 | $125 | $1,370 |
| Connie Johnson | 326 | $6 | - | $15 | $25 | $30 | $300 | - |
| Bob Wiesler | 327 | $3 | - | $15 | $20 | $30 | $65 | $435 |
| Lou Berberet | 329 | $5 | $10 | - | $20 | $35 | $190 | - |
| Rance Pless | 339 | $3 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $32 | $350 | - |
| Data Updated: April 2026 | ||||||||
Overview of 1956 Topps Baseball Cards
The 1956 Topps baseball card set is a highly popular and aesthetically pleasing vintage issue, widely considered one of the most beautiful sets of the 1950s. It continued the horizontal design introduced in 1955 but refined it, creating a truly classic look that collectors still admire today.
Distinctive Design: Each horizontal card features a large, vibrant, hand-colored portrait of the player, overlaid with a smaller action shot in the background. This dual-image approach, combined with a bold white border and the player’s name and team in the upper left, gives the cards a timeless appeal.
Set Size: The set consists of 340 cards, a significant increase from the 1955 set, reflecting Topps’ growing dominance in the card market after Bowman’s exit. It was issued in four series, with cards #181-260 being slightly more difficult to find.
First Team Cards: 1956 Topps was the first Topps baseball card set to include team cards as part of its regular issue. Some of these team cards have variations (dated, undated, centered name, left-aligned name), adding a layer of complexity for master set collectors.
Condition Sensitivity & Gray vs. White Backs: Cards #1-180 can be found with either white or gray cardstock backs, with varying degrees of rarity depending on the series. The cards’ borders and the quality of the card stock can make finding high-grade examples challenging, increasing the value of well-preserved specimens.
Key Rookie Cards: While the 1956 set is renowned for its established stars and second-year cards, its rookie card crop is not as deep as some other vintage sets. The most notable Hall of Fame rookie card is Luis Aparicio #292, a legendary White Sox shortstop. The 1956 Topps set remains a perennial favorite among vintage collectors due to its aesthetic appeal and historical significance.
Top Rookie Cards From 1956 Topps Baseball
