1957 Topps FB

Not many vintage football card sets can boast a better rookie crop than the 1957 Topps set. Consisting of 154 newly standard-sized 2-1/2” by 3-1/2” cards a player portrait is placed side-by-side with an "action" scene on the front of each horizontally oriented piece, with the athletes' names, teams and positions also identified. The set is anchored by depictions of George Blanda, Frank Gifford, Bobby Layne and Y.A. Tittle, with the rookie cards of Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas and Paul Hornung among the most powerful group of debut collectibles in any sport, and other first-year Hall of Famer appearances include cards of Raymond Berry, "Night Train" Lane and Tommy McDonald. Topps released its 1957 set in two series: the first group of 88 cards was followed by a smaller, 66-card run of "High Numbers, " with the latter containing the “big three” of the rookie crop. Although 1957 Topps "Highs" as a category are not excessively difficult to find, certain numbers in that run were short printed and are correspondingly elusive. Many remember this set for contributing two specialty elements to the hobby: the "Error Card" and the "Checklist." The former is occasionally observed on card #58, which features the Rams' Willard Sherman. In a very few instances, the team name (which should occupy the caption block at the card's right side) was left unprinted. Sherman is left soaring in a midair "action" portrayal on these rare "Error" pieces, and the cards look strangely incomplete. Checklist cards were produced in two different color schemes but sparingly placed into card packs.