1953 Topps Satchel Paige

This 1953 Topps Satchel Paige baseball card is the only regular issue Topps card of the legendary Negro League pitcher ever released. Coming from the rookie deficient 1953 Topps baseball card set, this card is one of the most sought after cards of the set. Since cards from this set were created by painting black and white pitchers of the athletes, and these painting were of remarkably high quality for the era (look at this 1951 Bowman Whitey Ford rookie card for comparison), cards from this set have a look like no other which make them very collectible. One of the most expensive cards in this set despite the fact that Topps spelled his name wrong, most collectors have never even seen this card. Though he was 46 years old the year that this card was released, Paige was named an All Star in 1953. His talent is legendary, but Paige was never able to test his skill against major league players until he was in his forties because of the color barrier. Paige was deservedly inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. This card is simply one of the top cards any 1950s era baseball card collector can own.