1956 Topps #118 Nellie Fox
1956 Topps #118 Nellie Fox
About Nellie Fox
Jacob Nelson "Nellie" Fox signed with Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics as a 16-year-old in 1944 after his mother wrote a letter to Mack, and the diminutive 5-foot-9 left-handed hitter reached the majors in 1947. Traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1950, the second baseman became the sparkplug of the "Go-Go" Sox over 14 seasons on the South Side, closing his 19-year career with Houston (1964-65). A superb contact hitter who was nearly impossible to strike out (just 216 whiffs in his career), he batted .288 with 2,663 hits and led the AL in hits four times. Fox was a 15-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves (1957, 1959, 1960), and captured the 1959 AL MVP while sparking Chicago to its first pennant in 40 years, batting .375 in a six-game World Series loss to the Dodgers. Nicknamed "Nellie" at the start of his pro career (as a boy he was "Pug"), he was instantly recognizable for the wad of chewing tobacco bulging in his cheek. He died of cancer in 1975 at age 47 and was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1997, twelve years after falling one-third of a percentage point short on the writers' ballot. On card #118, a second-series card, collectors will find the white/gray back-stock variation common to the set's lower numbers.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
White Back / Gray Back Series 1 & 2 (cards 1-180)
Every card #1-180 exists with the reverse printed on white/cream card stock OR on gray card stock. Cards #181-340 are gray-back only. The scarcity FLIPS at #100: on cards 1-100 the gray back is slightly scarcer (a modest premium); on cards 101-180 the gray backs are far more common (about 12-15 to 1), so the WHITE back is the scarce, premium variation - often +50% or more, and disproportionately so in high grade, since the white-stock cards tend to be more brittle.
- White Back: Printed on white/cream card stock. The standard/common look on cards 1-100; the SCARCE, premium variation on cards 101-180.
- Gray Back: Printed on gray card stock. The scarcer variation on cards 1-100 (modest premium); the common look on cards 101-180; the ONLY back on cards 181-340.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,141 | 2 | 25 | 283 | 446 | 428 | 384 | 573 | 0 |
| SGC | 496 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 53 | 81 | 100 | 225 | 12 |
PSA by variation: Gray Back 1,950 · White Back 191
SGC by variation: Gray Back 445 · White Back 51
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1956 Topps Nellie Fox card?
It is card #118 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 Chicago White Sox player.
Does the 1956 Topps Nellie Fox have back variations?
Yes. Every card #1-180 exists with the reverse printed on white/cream card stock OR on gray card stock. Cards #181-340 are gray-back only. The scarcity FLIPS at #100: on cards 1-100 the gray back is slightly scarcer (a modest premium); on cards 101-180 the gray backs are far more common (about 12-15 to 1), so the WHITE back is the scarce, premium variation - often +50% or more, and disproportionately so in high grade, since the white-stock cards tend to be more brittle.
Is the 1956 Topps Nellie Fox 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.