I’ve written about 1957 Topps a bit before on the blog. First, when I talked about the 4 Contest Cards, and a few months later, the 1957 Topps Cello Pack came up in a conversation about wrappers used in cello packs between 1957 and 1961. With the set’s popularity, it’s no surprise the unopened wax packs from the era command huge prices and are therefore out of reach of many collectors. So I thought it would be cool to look at all the 1957 Topps baseball wax wrapper variants since vintage wrapper collecting, while a bit of a hobby niche, is a bit more affordable, and wax wrappers, stored in binders, present well.
First, I was motivated to put this article together when a collector shared the image below of the 4 1957 Topps 5-cent wrappers. I’ve heard hobby historians say that the generic baseball images Topps used, and the color choices, really fit the art style of the age between the mid-50s and early 70s. I agree, and the 1957 Topps wrappers are some of the best from the “golden age of Topps baseball wrappers.”
After a bit of research, there is also a variant of one of the wrappers and the penny pack wrapper that a collector would need to finish a complete 1957 Topps baseball wrapper run.
The most common 5-cent wrapper is the “Now! Get Started in the Bazooka Baseball Contest” one. However, it’s been found with a black bar (upper left side of the wrapper) and a black/red bar variety.
The next most common wrapper appears to be the “You’ll Love Blony” 5-Cent wrapper.
I’ve rarely seen the “Young America’s Favorite Bubble Gum” wrapper over the years.
And the 5-cent wrapper that is the hardest to come by is “You’ll Love New Twin Blony.”
I suspect the “You’ll Love New Twin Blong” wrapper was used later in the baseball print run since the “You’ll Love New Twin Blony” is the 1957 Topps Football wrapper I see in authenticated packs, and football cards followed baseball card season. However, this is simply a guess; I have no data to confirm it.
The 1957 Topps 1-Cent wrapper has a similar look to the 5-cent varieties with the sliding player and alternating yellow/red colors.
Unfortunately, while cheaper than full wax-packs, these wrappers, because 1957 Topps is still so popular, still aren’t that cheap. In May 2021, a pair of 1-cent wrappers sold for ~$330 each. In July 2021, a Bazooka (Now! Get Started) 5-cent wrapper sold for $264. And a few years ago, in August 2017, 4 5-cent and a 1-cent wrapper lot sold for $801. Since I haven’t seen a sale and can only find the single example of the “TWIN BLONY” wrapper, I presume a sale of that wrapper today would be significantly higher than any of those previously listed items.
Wrapping up, it would take 6 wrappers to complete a 1957 Topps baseball wrapper run. And while it will still cost over $1k, I’m not sure an unopened pack run with all the wrappers is even possible. So if you’re a collector of the 1957 Topps baseball set or just looking for a new hobby endeavor, these colorful vintage wrappers would be a worthy and difficult pursuit.
If you have a picture of the 1957 Topps Baseball “You’ll Love New Twin Blony” wrapper, I’d love to see it and would appreciate it if you would reach out to me. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for more hobby talk.
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