6 Sandy Koufax Must-See Cards for Any Collector

Sandy Koufax is the most unhittable pitcher of all time. He led the National League in ERA for five consecutive seasons from 1962 through 1966. During this unprecedented peak, he secured three unanimous Cy Young Awards, an NL MVP, and two World Series MVPs. He also established a nearly unbreakable record by throwing a no-hitter in four consecutive seasons.

Amazingly, this legendary stretch of pitching almost never happened. After a frustratingly mediocre 1960 season, Koufax threw his glove and cleats in the trash. He was ready to quit baseball to pursue a career in the electronics industry.

Fortunately for the baseball card collectors, Koufax changed his mind. After refining his control, he embarked on the most impressive run of pitching the sport has ever seen.

Koufax basketball — Koufax was actually a standout basketball player before he thought about pursuing baseball. Here he is (top row, second from right) with his college basketball teammates at the University of Cincinnati. | Society for American Baseball Research

What is truly extraordinary is that Koufax almost never played baseball at all. He went to the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship and only decided to play baseball because his coach (who coached both basketball and baseball) planned a trip to New Orleans. Koufax was such an outstanding basketball player that he played in an exhibition game vs. the New York Knicks. He even dunked twice in the game.

Thankfully for those in the hobby, Koufax quit the hardwood for the mound. He is one of the most collected baseball players ever, despite an abrupt end to his career. Koufax retired at just 30 years old in 1966, despite winning 27 games and a Cy Young in his final season. Despite his relatively short career, Koufax's cards remain some of the most iconic and sought-after in the hobby. Below are his seven best.

6. 1967 Venezuela Topps Sandy Koufax #162 PSA 7

1967 Venezuela Topps Koufax — Card Ladder

Sold for: $37,200 on November 17th, 2023 (Population Count: 3, none higher)

Why this Koufax is Iconic: This Koufax card is viewed as a post-retirement tribute card from a rare set of cards that were distributed in Latin America. The 1967 Venezuelan set includes Koufax in a special 50-card "Retirado" (Spanish for "retired") subset, honoring him and other Hall of Fame legends like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. Koufax did not have a traditional player card in the 1967 U.S. Topps set, so this is viewed by many as the last Koufax card.

5. 1964 Topps Sandy Koufax #200 PSA 10

Sold for: $37,200 on June 17th, 2020 (Population Count: 4)

Why this Koufax is Iconic: Koufax earned the nickname the "Left Arm of God" because of the way he was pitching during the stretch from 1962 to 1966. The 1964 season was right in the middle of the historic stretch, and during the '64 season he threw his third no-hitter and maintained an ERA of 1.74. The 1964 Topps Koufax has just four PSA 10 copies.

4. 1956 Topps Sandy Koufax (Gray Back) #79 PSA 9

Sold for: $51,240 on July 12th, 2025 (Population Count: 9, only one higher)

Why this Koufax is Iconic: This card features a young Koufax in his second year for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 1956 Topps set is highly regarded for its attractive and iconic horizontal design. For the 1956 Koufax cards, the gray back version is considered slightly rarer than the white back version and there is only one PSA 10 copy of the card.

3. 1963 Topps Sandy Koufax #210 PSA 9

Sold for: $73,200 on Jan 31, 2026 (Population Count: 20, none higher)

Why this Koufax is Iconic: 1963 is when Koufax’s immense potential was finally realized. Koufax won the NL MVP in 1963 and he captured his first pitching Triple Crown, leading the league with a 1.88 ERA, 25 wins, and 306 strikeouts. This card in a PSA 9 is extremely rare as none are graded higher by the grading giant.

2. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax Rookie #123 PSA 9

Sold for: $396,000 on November 18th, 2022 (Population Count: 25, only three PSA 10s exist)

Why this Koufax is Iconic: This is the only mainstream Koufax rookie card. It is the most recognizable baseball card of the legendary lefty, and the most iconic card from the 1955 Topps set. Only three PSA 10 copies of this card exist, but a PSA 10 has not been sold publicly.

1. 1958 Topps Sandy Koufax #187 PSA 10

Sold for: $449,390 on May 21st, 2022 (Population Count: 1)

Why this Koufax is Iconic: This card is iconic mostly because of it’s extreme rarity in a PSA 10. It is also the first card to feature Koufax in his Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, as the team moved from Brooklyn before the 1958 season.