1963 Topps Baseball
The 1963 Topps baseball card set is one of the most sought-after 1960's sets for collectors.
There are 576 cards in this set. Card fronts feature two player photographs, one large main photo, with a smaller player photo in a circle at the bottom right. Player name and team are in a thick colored border at bottom. Card backs again feature career stats, short biographical info, and cartoon.
There are somewhat fewer 'specialty' cards in this set: standout rookies, World Series highlights, and statistical leaders.
About 10% of the price of this set is devoted to a single card, the Pete Rose rookie, card #537 (which he shares with Pedro Gonzalez, Ken McMullen, and Al Weis). Despite Rose's professional indiscretions, collectors still value and seek out his rookie card in great numbers, making it one of the most desirable such cards of that decade.
Prominent players (besides Rose) include Al Kaline, Carl Yastzemski, Roger Maris, Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Don Drysdale, Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson, Bob Clemente, and Willie Stargell (rookie).