1955 Topps Doubleheaders Jackie Robinson & Don Hoak: A Great Vintage Card
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When it comes to the more unique vintage baseball card sets of the 1950s, the 1955 Topps Doubleheaders set stands out among the rest because of its crisp design and its under-radar-affordability. The cards, which feature a fold-out format of two players on each card, created a feel that collectors had never seen before.
For example, these cards included such player combinations as Ted Williams/Hal Smith and Al Kaline/Corkey Valentine but the one combo (and second most sought-after) that sticks out for me is that of Jackie Robinson/Don Hoak.
The Robinson/Hoak card is certainly a special piece and there are a few things about the card that stand out to me. On the one hand you have baseball’s greatest trailblazer and on the other hand you have an up and coming prospect, and deep down I think this particular doubleheader represents a proverbial passing of the torch.
We all know that Robinson’s cards command premium prices, especially those from the 1950’s, however this particular piece remains somewhat of an affordable alternative given both Hoak’s presence and the potential functionality (for lack of a better word) of the card.
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When it comes to the graded card aspect of things, the 1955 Topps Doubleheaders don’t see nearly as much transactional volume or even the prices (when comparing apples to apples, or in this case PSAs to PSAs) especially since PSA 6s and 7s can be acquired for a few hundred bucks whereas the PSA 6s and/or 7s of the right player in the 1955 flagship set can be purchased in the high hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
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Based on the PSA metrics related to the Robinson/Hoak card we can see that although there are 361 total cards that are graded by PSA, there is only 1 PSA 9, 14 PSA 8s, and 49 combined PSA 7s & PSA 7+s that exist. From a value perspective, the PSA 9 stands at roughly $7500, the PSA 8s stand at roughly $3,000 and the PSA 7s (Including the PSA 7+s) stand at roughly $1,000.
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There’s no doubt that cards like the 1955 Topps Doubleheaders continue to draw the attention of both seasoned vintage collectors and folks that are brand new to the hobby especially since this creates an opportunity to own a piece of baseball history without breaking too much of the bank.
They also remind us that although baseball cards continue to evolve and become more and more innovative, its actually been going on long before the color variations and serial numbers of today’s chase cards ever came into play.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
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