The Most PSA-Graded Football Cards of the 1950s

Plus highlights from current auctions

Author

Marc From Drawn to Cards
October 13, 2025

In less than a week, I’ll run my second half marathon, a phrase I don’t think I’d ever expected to say. While card collecting and drawing are reflective of activities from my childhood that I’ve returned to, running is not. What’s been fascinating about this last 18 or so months is how much of a mental challenge running is, especially as I try to not put limits on myself, like when I’m deep into a long run and walking (or lying down) feels like the much better option. In fact, Vintage Card Voyage and Drawn to Cards, paired with running, have been incredibly instructive for me regarding self-imposed limits and how ridiculous they are. We really can do more than we think. I also learned how card collecting can be informed by running, which I wrote about here earlier this year.

I mention all of this because I have no idea how I’ll feel after the race on Sunday, the day I typically do most of my work on the newsletter, so if it’s a bit shorter, you’ll know why.

In this issue you'll find:

  • Top lists of PSA-graded football cards of the 1950s

  • Dennis Eckersley’s rookie card and player profile

  • Highlights from current auctions

  • News in the hobby

  • Recent Vintage Card Voyage videos

Let’s get into it.

Hobby Thoughts: The Most PSA-Graded 1950s Football Cards

This week’s findings continued the theme from the last two weeks about the number of football cards being graded relative to the number of baseball cards being graded (you can see the 1950s baseball results here). The 1950s, admittedly, were the golden age of baseball, while I think pro football was still finding its footing in the American psyche - and the same could likely be said with baseball cards vs. football cards - and, due to that, football’s print runs were likely substantially smaller than baseball’s, along with having smaller set sizes. And like with baseball cards, the ‘50s were a period of transition from Bowman to Topps for football cards.

Here’s the list of the most-graded card each year:

Year

Player

Total Graded

1950 Bowman

Otto Graham

1,059

1951 Bowman

Tom Landry

905

1952 Bowman Large

Frank Gifford

550

1953 Bowman

Frank Gifford

353

1954 Bowman

George Blanda

1,220

1955 Topps All-American

Jim Thorpe

1,985

1955 Bowman

Frank Gifford

1,068

1956 Topps

Lenny Moore

1,013

1957 Topps

Johnny Unitas

4,657

1958 Topps

Jim Brown

5,821

1959 Topps

Jim Brown

3,240

Other than Frank Gifford (1953 and 1955), Jim Thorpe (1955), and Jim Brown (1959), every other card was a rookie card. I’d also be interested to see what the print runs were like for the last three years of Topps relative to the rest of the decade, to see if it’s print runs determining the number of cards being graded or the popularity of Unitas and Brown - or both.

Here’s the top 10 list by total cards graded:

Year

Player

Total Graded

1958 Topps

Jim Brown

5,821

1957 Topps

Johnny Unitas

4,657

1959 Topps

Jim Brown

3,240

1957 Topps

Bart Starr

2,569

1957 Topps

Paul Hornung

2,140

1957 Topps

Bart Starr

2,112

1955 Topps All-American

Jim Thorpe

1,985

1958 Topps

Johnny Unitas

1,829

1959 Topps

Bart Starr

1,726

1958 Topps

Sonny Jurgensen

1,711

Legends throughout, and, other than Jim Thorpe (who played decades earlier), all were members of the Hall of Fame All-1960s team. And, of course, Thorpe’s card was the only one prior to 1957.

Some other observations:

  • Despite the obvious tilt toward the later years in the above list, the number of total cards in the 1955 Topps All-American set’s top 10 list (12,049) was actually 72 percent higher than the list for the 1956 Topps set (6,993), with seven different cards (Thorpe, The Four Horsemen, Red Grange, Knute Rockne, Don Hutson, Otto Graham and Sammy Baugh) having so far been graded more than 1,000 times, compared to one (Lenny Moore) in the 1956 set. Admittedly, the lack of a big rookie card in 1956 (Lenny Moore is a HOFer, but he isn’t like a Jim Brown or a Johnny Unitas in the mind of the general pubic) probably played a part.

  • Like in other decades, a few players showed up a lot. Otto Graham and Frank Gifford did so every year of their playing career (as did Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr, but only the last 2-3 years of the decade), while Y.A. Tittle, George Blanda and Bobby Layne showed up most years.

  • The 1953 Bowman set, with a top 10 list only graded a total of 2,775 times, was the smallest set of the decade, coming in at only 96 cards. Meanwhile, the second-smallest set was the 1955 Topps All-American set, which, at 100 total cards, has been graded nearly 3.5 times more often.

  • The set with the most cards, 1959 Topps, had 176 total cards. The set with the fewest cards in the 1950s baseball sets I tabulated in my earlier analysis was 1953 Bowman Color, at 160 total cards, while the set with the most cards, 1959 Topps, had 572 total cards.

Vintage Hall of Fame Rookie: 1976 Topps #98 Dennis Eckersley

During the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, Dennis Eckersely was THE dominant closer. From 1988 to 1992, he recorded 220 saves and had a minuscule 1.90 ERA, finishing in the top six in both Cy Young and MVP votes four of those five seasons, winning both in 1992.

Dennis Eckersley - SP/RP

HOF Induction in 2004 - Named on 421 of 506 ballots (83.2%)

  • Only player to record at least 100 career complete games and 100 career saves

  • Eight different seasons with 30+ saves (and a ninth with 29)

  • Ninth-most saves (390) in MLB history

  • One of three pitchers in MLB history to win the Cy Young and MVP the same season (the others being Rollie Fingers in 1981 and Guillermo “Willie” Hernandez in 1984)

  • Career WAR - 62.1

1976 Topps #98

Grade

PSA Pop Count

SGC Pop Count

BVG Pop Count

10

9

0

0

9

188

12

5

8

1,269

89

57

7

1,501

217

105

PSA 10: $40,800 - Heritage Auctions on December 7, 2024

PSA 9: $2,524 - eBay auction on October 4, 2025

SGC 10: No sales history

SGC 9.5: $3,840 - REA auction on April 28, 2025

SGC 9: $1,125 - eBay auction on August 25, 2025

BVG 10: $68 - eBay auction on July 4, 2023 (Editor’s Note: This has to be an error)

BVG 9.5: $1,364 - eBay auction on December 8, 2016

BVG 9: $1,009.99 - eBay auction on October 4, 2022

Some Current Auction Highlights

Listed in order by closing date (with bid prices as of Sunday evening PT)

Goldin Weekly Auction (closing October 16)

1984-85 Star #195 Michael Jordan RC BGS 7 - $3,250

1972 Topps #595 Nolan Ryan PSA 8 - $358

1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson BGS 6.5 - $10

1909 E92 Nadja Caramels Honus Wagner Batting SGC 3 - $16,602

1939 Play Ball #26 Joe DiMaggio PSA 3.5 - $1,552

1910 T206 Christy Mathewson White Cap Piedmont 350/25 SGC 1 - $67

REA October 2025 Auction (closing October 19)

1915 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Shoeless Joe Jackson BGS 4.5 - $38,000

1948 Bowman Basketball #69 George Mikan RC PSA 4 - $3,000

1969-70 Topps Basketball #56 Wes Unseld RC PSA 2 (MC)/Auto 10 - $20

1953 Topps #220 Satchel Paige SGC 8 - $5,900

1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folder Moriarty/Cobb Ty Cobb Steals Third PSA 5 - $800

1976 Topps #148 Walter Payton RC PSA 3 - $85

Fanatics Collect Weekly Auction (closing October 19)

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC 3 - $26,000

1933 Goudey #160 Lou Gehrig PSA 3.5 - $4,600

1909-11 T206 #350 Addie Joss Pitching Sweet Caporal PSA 2.5 - $8

News Briefs

Vintage Card Voyage: Recent Videos

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