1957 Topps #302 Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax — NOT a rookie card (his RC is 1955 Topps #123) but a scarce-series Beckett DP and one of the set's key cards. Some checklists mislabel it RC.
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 Sandy Koufax
Brooklyn-born Sandy Koufax signed with his hometown Dodgers in December 1954 as a $14,000 "bonus baby," jumping straight to the majors without a minor-league game. The left-hander battled wildness through 1960, then — after catcher Norm Sherry's 1961 advice to ease up and trust his curveball — became baseball's most dominant pitcher. From 1962-66 he went 111-34 with a 1.95 ERA, led the NL in ERA all five seasons, threw four no-hitters capped by a 1965 perfect game against the Cubs, and fanned a record 382 that year. A seven-time All-Star, he won three unanimous Cy Youngs (1963, 1965, 1966), the 1963 NL MVP, and two World Series MVPs — famously skipping Game 1 in 1965 for Yom Kippur, then blanking Minnesota in Game 7 on two days' rest. Arthritis forced retirement at 30; in 1972, at 36, he became the Hall of Fame's youngest inductee yet. This scarce Series Four card, often mislabeled a rookie (that's his 1955 Topps #123), is a key to the 1957 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 4,012 | 1 | 11 | 195 | 549 | 909 | 736 | 1,593 | 18 |
| SGC | 1,552 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 94 | 184 | 362 | 843 | 49 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Live auctions Buy It Now Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
More Brooklyn Dodgers cards:
- #5 Sal Maglie
- #18 Don Drysdale
- #30 Pee Wee Reese
- #45 Carl Furillo
- #53 Clem Labine
- #80 Gil Hodges
- #115 Jim Gilliam
- #130 Don Newcombe
- #147 Al Walker
- #170 Duke Snider
- #173 Roger Craig
- #178 Don Bessent
- #190 Randy Jackson
- #201 Sandy Amoros
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Sandy Koufax card?
It is card #302 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 Sandy Koufax, Brooklyn Dodgers.
Is the 1957 Topps #302 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 #302 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 2026-10-13.