1957 Topps #338 Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning's rookie card — the future Hall of Famer (and U.S. Senator), in the scarce fourth series.
Scarce fourth series: #265-352 is the tough run of the 1957 set — roughly twice as hard to find as the other series ("tough, not rare"). No documented reason survives; the best-researched account is that Topps printed the hastily assembled final series in quantity and left Series 4 with the shortest run.
About Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning was a right-handed pitcher who signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1950 out of Xavier University and reached the majors on July 20, 1955. He pitched for Detroit from 1955 through 1963, then the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Los Angeles Dodgers, retiring after 1971. A nine-time All-Star, Bunning led the American League with 20 wins in 1957 and won three strikeout titles. On July 20, 1958, he no-hit the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park for the Tigers, and on Father's Day, June 21, 1964, he threw a perfect game for Philadelphia against the New York Mets, becoming one of the few pitchers with no-hitters in both leagues. He finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts. After baseball, Bunning served Kentucky in the U.S. House and, from 1999 to 2011, the U.S. Senate. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996 by the Veterans Committee. This is his Topps rookie card, one of the set's key rookies and a scarce fourth-series entry.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,239 | 0 | 25 | 291 | 455 | 543 | 347 | 575 | 3 |
| SGC | 800 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 87 | 118 | 209 | 342 | 17 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded (the +/Q qualifier rows are excluded).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Jim Bunning card?
It is card #338 of the 1957 Topps Baseball set - the 407-card, 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch set that was Topps' first at the modern standard card size, with full-color photography and complete career stats on the back. It pictures Jim Bunning, Detroit Tigers.
Is the 1957 Topps #338 hard to find?
It is part of the scarce fourth series (#265-352), the toughest run of the set - roughly twice as hard to find as the other series. It is tough, not rare; there is no documented distribution reason, only that Series 4 had the shortest print run.
Is the 1957 Topps Jim Bunning #338 a rookie card?
Yes - it is his Topps rookie card and one of the nine key rookies in the 1957 set.
How many cards are in the 1957 Topps set?
407 numbered cards. Collectors usually count 408 because #176 Gene Baker exists in an error ('Bakep') and a corrected back. The PSA master set adds the 8 checklists, 4 contest cards and the Lucky Penny for 421 items.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Beckett, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (Net54 / Topps Archives). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-10.