Welcome to the first in what we’re hoping will become a series of articles putting the spotlight on some of the iconic rookie cards of Hall of Famers from the post-war vintage era of the 1950s through the 1970s.
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Today we’ll look at the rookie card of one of the best pitchers of not just his era, but any era, Steve Carlton. But who is Carlton? What is his rookie card? What can a look at PSA populations and recent comp prices tell us?
Steve Carlton was, quite simply, one of the best pitchers ever. He pitched in parts of an amazing 24 seasons, from 1965 to 1988. Carlton was the first pitcher in history to ever win 4 Cy Young Awards in their career.
“Lefty” Carlton was a 10-time All-Star and finished his career 329-244 with a 3.22 ERA (115 ERA+). Those 329 career wins ranks 11th all time. Steve Carlton stuck out an amazing 4,136 strikeouts, 4th all time.
He is the last NL pitcher to win over 25 games in a season and the last pitcher to throw 300 innings in a season. His 90.2 career WAR ranks 15th all-time among starting pitchers.
Despite not speaking to the media from 1976 through the rest of his career, Steve Carlton was elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers in his first year of eligibility in 1994 with 95.82% of the vote.
Steve Carlton’s trademark season was 1972. After being traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies, he put up a season for the ages, starting 41 games, completing 30 of those, and going 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA. He pitched 346.1 innings, with 310 strikeouts.
He won the pitching Triple Crown that year and the NL Cy Young award. Pitching for a terrible Phillies team, he won a record 46% his team’s 59 victories.
Steve Carlton has his rookie card in the classic 1965 Topps set, on the “Cardinals Rookies” card number 477 that he shares with Fritz Ackley. The card appears in the 6th of the 7 series that were released by Topps in 1965, making it a semi-high number.
The combo rookie card was fairly standard for that era, and surely is a cause of exacerbation for Fritz Ackley fans. Add in the touch of airbrushing on Ackley’s hat, and you get a card that is very much of the era. Between the black border of the card and the black hats on the players, it is a nice looking card.
PSA has graded the card a total of 7,545 times. Of those, there are only 7 that exist in PSA 10 slabs. The last sale of a PSA 10 was back in September of 2021, for a whopping $93,868.
PSA 9s are a bit easier to find with PSA having graded a total of 227, and prices have been in the $2,700-3,000 price range. PSA 8s at 1,176 and PSA 7’s at 1,345 bring larger populations, but still sell strongly for $700 and $300-375, respectively.
From there prices drop, from around $200 for a PSA 6 to around $100 for a PSA 3. Regardless of your collecting budget, there’s a chance to get a Steve Carlton rookie card. Considering how iconic of a card it is, and how great a pitcher Carlton was, that’s pretty awesome.
Card | PSA Grade Pop | Recent Sale Price |
---|---|---|
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 10 | PSA 10 = 7 | PSA 10 = $93,000 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 9 | PSA 9 = 227 | PSA 9 = $2,700-2,900 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 8 | PSA 8 = 1,176 | PSA 8 = $700 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 7 | PSA 7 = 1,345 | PSA 7 = $300-375 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 6 | PSA 6 = 1,258 | PSA 6 = $200 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 5 | PSA 5 = 1,034 | PSA 5 = $130-150 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 4 | PSA 4 = 988 | PSA 4 = $115-135 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 3 | PSA 3 = 461 | PSA 3 = $100 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 2 | PSA 2 = 207 | PSA 2 = $80 |
1965 Topps Cardinals Rookies Steve Carlton / Fritz Ackley #477 PSA 1 | PSA 1 = 51 | PSA 1 = $35-75 |
Topps didn’t produce a card of Carlton in 1966, so his first solo appearance on a Topps (and O-Pee-Chee) card was in 1967 Topps on card #146. In a PSA 8 slab, of which there are 353 copies, the card will set you back $200-250.
It wouldn’t be until 1988 that a Topps flagship release wouldn’t include a card of Carlton (who actually appeared in 1988 Fleer, his final card as an active player).
Steve Carlton’s rookie card is an iconic rookie card from one of the classic vintage sets of the mid 1960’s. In rare higher grades, it’s an expensive gem. But in lower grades, it falls to prices that are attainable to most hobby budgets.
As he approaches 80 years old, Carlton’s legacy will continue to be reflected upon by fans and collectors alike.
What’s your thoughts on Steve Carlton’s rookie card? Do you own one? Covet one? Or do you prefer one of the over 7,000 other cards Carlton has appeared on since 1965? Tell us what’s on your mind at Cardlines on Twitter.
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