Manufacturer: Topps
Set Size: 598 Cards
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Set Notes: The 1968 Topps baseball set while iconic, also gets mixed reviews from collectors. Aside from the set containing the rookie cards of Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench, most either love or dislike the boarder pattern. The fronts of the cards contain an all around boarder of a tan dot or burlap pattern. There is either a large player photo or headshots as seen on the “Rookie Stars” cards. A color circle houses the team name with player name at bottom. The first series cards feature a framed design with less dots and later cards have a more filled-in look. Backs are similar to 1967 Topps but have a gold/orange color instead of the 1967 green.
Key Rookies From 1968 Topps: | 16 – Lou Piniella | 177 – Nolan Ryan | 274 – Johnny Bench
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
1968 Topps Rookie Card Prices
| Rookie | Card # | Raw | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Hartenstein | 13 | $2 | $13 | $26 | $83 | - |
| Indians Rookies - Piniella / Scheinblum | 16 | $4 | $15 | $45 | $180 | - |
| Pirates Rookies - Moose / Robertson | 36 | $2 | - | $20 | $55 | - |
| Orioles Rookies - Leonhard / May | 56 | $2 | $8 | $12 | $71 | - |
| Dick Kenworthy | 63 | $2 | $12 | $15 | $55 | - |
| Vern Fuller | 71 | $2 | - | $10 | $50 | - |
| Braves Rookies - Britton / Reed | 76 | $2 | $11 | $20 | $130 | - |
| Don Wilson | 77 | $2 | - | $23 | $90 | - |
| Ted Kubiak | 79 | $1 | $12 | $15 | $40 | - |
| Jim Ollom | 91 | $2 | - | $13 | $20 | $111 |
| Senators Rookies - Coggins / Nold | 96 | $1 | $8 | $20 | $175 | - |
| Tigers Rookies - Matchick / Patterson | 113 | $2 | $12 | $25 | $180 | $1,500 |
| Bobby Etheridge | 126 | $2 | $12 | $32 | $50 | - |
| Astros Rookies - Dukes / Harris | 128 | $2 | $10 | $40 | $210 | - |
| White Sox Rookies - Bradford / Voss | 142 | $1 | - | $18 | $40 | $450 |
| Cardinals Rookies - Gilson / Torrez | 162 | $2 | $15 | $35 | $110 | $220 |
| Mets Rookies - Koosman / Ryan | 177 | $700 | $4,450 | $11,300 | $105,000 | - |
| Bill Stoneman | 179 | $2 | $10 | $15 | $100 | - |
| Bill Landis | 189 | $2 | - | $25 | $56 | - |
| Danny Frisella | 191 | $1 | - | $20 | $115 | - |
| Gary Nolan | 196 | $2 | $15 | $32 | $125 | $465 |
| Athletics Rookies - Rodriguez / Osteen | 199 | $2 | $15 | $20 | $52 | - |
| Mike G Marshall | 201 | $2 | $10 | $32 | - | - |
| Cal Ermer | 206 | $1 | $10 | $13 | $25 | $213 |
| Yankees Rookies - Bahnsen / Fernandez | 214 | $2 | $11 | $26 | $75 | - |
| Jim Hardin | 222 | $1 | $10 | $12 | $37 | $150 |
| Dodgers Rookies - Billingham / Fairey | 228 | $2 | $15 | $20 | $85 | $150 |
| Dave Baldwin | 231 | $2 | $11 | $13 | $32 | $152 |
| John Donaldson | 244 | $1 | - | $12 | $27 | - |
| Reds Rookies - Bench / Tompkins | 247 | $150 | $700 | $2,125 | $7,000 | - |
| Manny Sanguillen | 251 | $5 | $25 | $70 | $280 | - |
| Cubs Rookies - Arcia / Schlesinger | 258 | $2 | $12 | $20 | $63 | - |
| White Sox Rookies - Abarbanel / Carlos | 287 | $2 | $10 | $13 | $32 | - |
| Twins Rookies - Mitterwald / Renick | 301 | $2 | $10 | $18 | $80 | - |
| Red Sox Rookies - Rohr / Spriggs | 314 | $2 | $22 | $27 | $80 | - |
| Angels Rookies - Vinson / Weaver | 328 | $2 | - | $15 | $55 | - |
| Phillies Rookies - Colton / Thoenen | 348 | $2 | $10 | $17 | $45 | $154 |
| Jackie Hernandez | 352 | $1 | $12 | $20 | $33 | - |
| Reds Rookies - Henry / McRae | 384 | $3 | $45 | $150 | $900 | $3,000 |
| Orioles Rookies - Peters / Stone | 409 | $2 | $16 | $22 | $40 | - |
| Indians Rookies - Davis / Vidal | 432 | $2 | $18 | $30 | $75 | $550 |
| Rick Joseph | 434 | $1 | $10 | $23 | $50 | $346 |
| Tigers Rookies - Korince / Lasher | 447 | $3 | $15 | $53 | $150 | - |
| Clarence Jones | 506 | $3 | $25 | $30 | $32 | $215 |
| Bruce Von Hoff | 529 | $2 | $12 | $26 | $75 | - |
| Major League Rookies - Ray / Ferraro | 539 | $4 | $25 | $34 | $85 | - |
| Orioles Rookies - Motton / Nelson | 549 | $2 | $20 | $25 | $40 | $338 |
| Pirates Rookies - Taylor / Walker | 559 | $4 | $10 | $50 | - | - |
| NL Rookies - Murrell / Rohr | 569 | $4 | $15 | $23 | $130 | - |
| Don Bosch | 572 | $4 | $16 | $20 | $45 | $255 |
| NL Rookies - Hisle / Lum | 579 | $5 | $15 | $62 | $85 | $380 |
| Larry Shepard | 584 | $2 | $10 | $15 | $62 | $200 |
| Twins Rookies - Clark / Ogier | 589 | $2 | $10 | $16 | $48 | $473 |
| Data Updated: April 2026 | ||||||
Overview of 1968 Topps Baseball Cards
The 1968 Topps baseball card set is a classic issue from the late 1960s, highly sought after by collectors for its distinctive design and, most notably, two of the hobby’s most iconic rookie cards.
Design: The most recognizable feature of the 1968 Topps set is its unique “wood grain” or “burlap” border. Each card features a large color photograph of the player, surrounded by this speckled, textured border. The player’s name is located below the photo, with their team and position within a colored circle in the lower right corner.
Variations in Borders: Interestingly, cards from the first series (#1-109) have a lighter, wider mesh background compared to the darker, finer mesh pattern used in later series.
Set Size: The complete set consists of 598 cards. It was the last Topps set before the expansion of MLB in 1969.
Card Backs: The card backs are printed in a light orange color with black text, featuring biographical information and career statistics.
Notable Rookie Cards in the 1968 Topps Set: The 1968 Topps set is primarily famous for housing two monumental rookie cards, both featuring Hall of Fame players.
Nolan Ryan / Jerry Koosman (#177): This dual-player card features two legendary pitchers. While Koosman had an excellent career, it’s Nolan Ryan, the “Ryan Express” and all-time strikeout king, who makes this one of the most valuable and sought-after baseball cards of the entire vintage era.
Johnny Bench (#247): The rookie card of the Hall of Fame catcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Bench is widely considered the greatest catcher in baseball history, making his rookie card a cornerstone for any serious vintage collection.
Centering: Like many Topps sets of this era, centering issues are common, making high-grade examples (especially PSA 8 or higher) significantly more valuable.
Chipping: The distinctive “wood grain” borders are prone to chipping and wear, which can affect the card’s condition and value.
High Numbers: Cards in the high-number series (generally #458-598) are typically more difficult to find and thus more valuable.
The 1968 Topps baseball set remains a favorite among collectors due to its unique design and the undeniable appeal of the Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench rookie cards.
Popular Rookies From 1968 Topps Baseball
