The 1960 Topps Dallas Green rookie card (#366) is a familiar piece of an iconic set. But the original artwork Topps used to create it is something else entirely, a small, 4” x 4½” painted portrait bursting with brightness and detail that never made it to print.
The first thing that stands out is just how much richer and more vivid the original art is compared to the final card.
Topps’ printed version mutes the color palette, significantly flattening its depth. The painting’s background, filled with warmth and nuance, is nearly lost on the cardboard.
Even more striking is how much of the artwork Topps cropped out. What collectors see on the card is just a fraction of the full composition. It’s another reminder of how much artistic craftsmanship often ended up on the cutting room floor.
The card itself isn’t particularly high-profile, though it’s notable as Green’s rookie. There’s only one PSA 10 example, which sold through PWCC for $1,785 in June 2019.
As for the man, George Dallas Green had a long and multifaceted career in Major League Baseball, serving as a pitcher, manager, and executive. He’s perhaps best remembered for leading the Phillies to their first World Series title in 1980 and later building the Cubs team that won the NL East in 1984.
Although the photo Topps used for the card’s secondary shot hasn’t yet surfaced, I believe this is a crop of the original image source for the flexichrome painting (from SABR).
The preserved artwork itself stands as a vibrant reminder of the artistic roots behind so many classic cards.
Happy collecting!
Check out The Original Artwork Archive for more!
P.S. In 2020, items from Green’s estate were sold through Lelands, here’s one of the bigger lots.
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