1956 Topps #336 Ellis Kinder
1956 Topps #336 Ellis Kinder
About Ellis Kinder
Ellis Kinder was a right-handed pitcher whose late-blooming career made him one of the most durable arms of the 1950s. A native of Atkins, Arkansas, he signed with the Jackson, Tennessee club of the Class D Kitty League in 1939 and toiled for years in the minors before reaching the majors as a 31-year-old rookie with the St. Louis Browns in 1946. Over 12 big-league seasons with the Browns, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox, Kinder went 102-71 with a 3.43 ERA, 749 strikeouts, and 104 saves in 484 games. His finest year came in 1949, when he went 23-6 for Boston and was named The Sporting News American League Pitcher of the Year. Converting to relief around 1950, he became an early ace reliever, leading the AL in saves in both 1951 and 1953. Nicknamed "Old Folks" for his effectiveness at an advanced age, he was sold to the Cardinals in December 1955 and pitched for St. Louis in 1956, the season this Series 4 high-number card depicts. Kinder was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006 and died in 1968.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number (Series 4)
Cards 261-340. Unlike most vintage sets, the 1956 high numbers carry NO series premium - they were distributed in similar quantities to the rest of the set.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 615 | 0 | 14 | 177 | 171 | 137 | 77 | 39 | 0 |
| SGC | 46 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-30. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
More St. Louis Cardinals cards
- Ken Boyer
- Nelson Burbrink
- Alex Grammas
- Wally Moon
- Luis Arroyo
- Harvey Haddix
- Larry Jackson
- St. Louis Cardinals Team
- Joe Frazier
- Red Schoendienst
- Bill Virdon
- Vinegar Bend Mizell
- Tom Poholsky
- Rip Repulski
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1956 Topps Ellis Kinder card?
It is card #336 of 340 in the 1956 Topps set - Topps' first set after buying out rival Bowman, and one of the most attractive issues in the hobby. It pictures the St. Louis Cardinals player.
Is the 1956 Topps Ellis Kinder valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back or front variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, BaseballCardPedia, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data, images & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.