Topps Number Ones: 1952-2010
Update: 12/25/10
The “Topps Number Ones” is an on-going project to obtain the first card in each Topps set, beginning in 1952. This project began in December 2008 and was “completed” in December 2010. Additional cards will be added to the Project each year.
1952 Red Back
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
cardboardicons.com 
January 23, 2009 at 4:40 pm
[…] Another addition to my Topps Number Ones project. The card is horribly off-center, but you know I don’t mind much at this point. I […]
September 5, 2009 at 6:20 am
I think one of the toughest #1’s to find in decent condition is the 1966 Willie Mays. When we are buiilding sets, that card always seems to be at least one condition lower.
The 1952 Topps Pafko is tough, buy at least he was Pafko and not super star – which would have driven up the price.
November 9, 2009 at 9:58 am
[…] a good thing. But when I came across this card on eBay last week, I knew I had to have it for my Topps Number Ones […]
November 30, 2009 at 9:31 am
[…] Number Ones new additions As some of you know I’m working on a special project to obtain the first card from every Topps baseball set from 1952 through present. It’s a […]
May 22, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Over the course of 58 years you’d think Topps would’ve found a way to put Al Kaline #1. But that would be asking way too much, wouldn’t it.
January 4, 2011 at 9:24 am
Great set! I like so many of them, so I’ll just mention a couple preferences and a couple dislikes. Starting the set with record breakers, highlights, league leaders and team cards (champions) is always a good thing to me. It emphasizes that the sets’ core purpose is to chronicle the season just completed. I prefer that approach over any attempt to preview the season to come because it avoids air-brushing, and because it’s more coherent than sets which capture some trades / free agents but ignore others.
I have to mention a few that I really hate. Worst of all is the 1996. Why was that card even made? I also don’t like the 2010. Yes, it’s a regular player card, but it is among the most juvenile cards ever made.
Generally, I’d like to see Topps abandon its practice of annointing a star for card #1. Topps has always had a credibility issue with their collation, so I’d like to see a more random distribution.
Question…my 1999 Clemens has a reversed back; i.e., when you flip it to view statistics, his and a few others are upside down. I never knew whether there were correct variations of those cards. Does anyone know?