1958 Topps Football Set Guide: Key Cards, Rookies, and Checklist

The 1958 Topps football set is relatively basic, besides the fact that is contains a rookie card of one of the greatest running backs of all time: Jim Brown.  The set has fairly simple design (same as 1959 Topps baseball) with solid color backgrounds on the front of the card with oval images of the player in the middle.  The players name, position, and team appear along the bottom border. The backs contain a biography, stats, and a scratch cartoon.  The cards were released in a single series. As a result there are no short prints.  Out of the 132 total cards in the set, 34 are Hall of Famers. Second year cards of Unitas and Starr are nice, but none are as desirable and valuable as the #62 Jim Brown rookie card. This card is hampered by centering issues.  The black background color also shows any surface damage or scuffing.  A PSA 9 example sold for $336,000 in 2017.

Set Information

Manufacturer: Topps

Year: 1958

Cards in Set: 132

Card Size: 2-1/2" by 3-1/2"

Series

Series 1: 1-32

Notes

• 1958 Topps is notorious for centering and 

  surface scuffing, making high grades extremely valuable (especially the Jim Brown rookies)
• Cards were released in one series; as a result there are no short prints

Key Rookie Cards

• Jim Brown (#62)

• Sonny Jurgensen (#90)

Errors and Variations