Joe Collins - 1957 Topps #295
1957 Topps #295 Joe Collins
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.
Double print (traditional designation): one of the 22 Series 4 cards Beckett lists as double prints. Press-sheet research (Net54 2025 / Topps Archives 2026) shows the 22 occupy exactly two full 11-card press rows and were NOT actually printed in greater quantity — the "DP" label is a catalog tradition kept because collectors expect it.
About Joe Collins
Born Joseph Edward Kollonige in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe Collins signed into the Yankees organization in 1939 and, after a long minor-league climb interrupted by service as a Navy aviator, debuted in September 1948. The left-handed-hitting first baseman spent all ten of his big-league seasons (1948-1957) in pinstripes, batting .256 with 86 home runs and playing in seven World Series, five of them won by New York. October brought his biggest swings: a seventh-inning go-ahead homer in Game One of the 1953 Series and two home runs off Don Newcombe in the 1955 opener. Teammates who kiddingly credited him with 97 different batting stances dubbed him "Old 97," as if he were a steaming locomotive. This scarce fourth-series card captures what proved his final season: sold to Philadelphia in March 1958, Collins retired on the spot — "if I had to leave New York, I would quit." Union, New Jersey, where he became a longtime trucking executive, named Joe Collins Park in his honor in 1985.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 630 | 0 | 9 | 118 | 190 | 186 | 75 | 51 | 1 |
| SGC | 61 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 0 |
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 Joe Collins card?
It is card #295 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 Joe Collins, New York Yankees.
Is the 1957 Topps #295 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 #295 really a double print?
Beckett lists it among 22 Series 4 double prints, but press-sheet research shows those 22 form two full press rows and were not actually printed in greater quantity. The 'DP' tag is a catalog tradition; population and pricing show no real abundance.
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.