1955 Topps #72 Karl Olson
1955 Topps #72 Karl Olson
About Karl Olson
Karl Olson was a right-handed outfielder born July 6, 1930, in Ross, California (d. 2010). An all-star at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, he was signed by Red Sox scout Charlie Wallgren in June 1948 at age 17 and given a Triple-A contract, then developed in the minors, breaking out at Birmingham in 1950 with a .321 average, 23 home runs, and 100 RBIs. Boston called him up in July 1951, but his career was interrupted by Army service during the Korean War (1951-1953), where he played ball at Fort Ord and Camp Drake in Japan rather than seeing combat. Converted from the infield to the outfield, he played six major-league seasons for the Boston Red Sox (1951, 1953-1955), Washington Senators (1956-1957), and Detroit Tigers (1957), batting .235 with 160 hits, 6 home runs, and 50 RBI over 279 games. Among his oddities, he hit into two triple plays and opened the 1956 season by homering twice off Don Larsen. This 1955 Topps card is a standard Series 1 single (no error or rookie-card designation). After baseball he worked as a contractor for 25 years.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 561 | 0 | 3 | 83 | 137 | 187 | 74 | 77 | 0 |
| SGC | 47 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 11 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1955 Topps Karl Olson card?
It is card #72 of 206 in the 1955 Topps set - Topps' first fully horizontal design. It pictures the Boston Red Sox player.
Is the 1955 Topps Karl Olson valuable?
Value depends on grade. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.