1960 Topps #543 Elio Chacon
About Elio Chacon
Elio Chacón Rodríguez, born in Caracas, Venezuela, signed with the Cincinnati Redlegs organization as an amateur free agent and reached the majors on April 20, 1960, making his 1960 Topps #543 issue — a short-printed high number in the scarce #507-572 series — his recognized rookie card. A slick-fielding second baseman and shortstop, Chacón became a valuable reserve on the pennant-winning 1961 Reds, hitting .265 while starting 34 games; in Game 2 of that year's World Series he lined a key bloop single off Ralph Terry and scored the Reds' only victory over the Yankees. Selected by the expansion Mets in the October 1961 draft, he led New York's inaugural 1962 club in stolen bases. His frequent outfield mix-ups with center fielder Richie Ashburn, resolved by his shouting the Spanish phrase ¡La tengo! (I've got it), later inspired the name of the band Yo La Tengo. His major-league career ended after 1962, though he continued playing winter ball in Venezuela into the 1970s; he died in Caracas in 1992 at age 55.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 299 | 1 | 8 | 111 | 98 | 47 | 18 | 15 | 1 |
| SGC | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-20. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The Venezuelan issue, the 1960 Topps Tattoos and Bazooka are separate products and are not counted here.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #543 card?
It is card #543 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Elio Chacon.
Is 1960 Topps #543 a rookie card?
Yes - #543 is the 1960 Topps rookie card of Elio Chacon.
Why is #543 harder to find?
It sits in the high-number series, #507-572, printed last and distributed late in the 1960 season when fewer packs were bought. Those 66 cards are the toughest run in the set and carry the twenty Sport Magazine All-Stars.
How many cards are in the 1960 Topps Baseball set?
572 cards, numbered 1-572, issued in seven series - the last Topps flagship printed entirely horizontally. Cards #375-440 exist on two back stocks, white and gray, which collectors chasing every printed variety count as 638 pieces of cardboard in all.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-20.