The Five Impossible Baseball Cards of Hank Aaron

Whether one collects strictly vintage (i.e., 1980 and earlier) baseball cards or focuses much more heavily on modern releases, one fact remains immutable. Cards of Henry Aaron are always welcome additions to the collection. Even as he no longer holds the career home run mark, "Hammerin'" Hank resides practically alone within the game's highest echelon of baseball greatness. He was a true a five-tool threat who exemplified character, dignity, consistency, and longevity.

Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron talks baseball during a press conference at Fisk University Feb. 23, 1973. Hammerin' Hank is in Nashville to promote the Friends of Fisk program, which he is an honorary chairman. His daughter, Gaile, is also a student at the school. | Frank Empson / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Almost any way you slice it, collecting the Hammer is a daunting task. For one thing, he has nearly 8,000 different cards. For another, his iconic 1954 Topps rookie card, the de rigueur anchor of many Hank Aaron collections, is fairly pricey in just about any grade.

Hank Aaron's career in baseball cards, 1954-1976 | Author's personal collection

The Aaron rookie, however, is hardly his toughest card. Head to eBay any day of the week, and you're certain to find any number of 1954 Topps Aaron cards for sale, usually in a range of grades. Not so with these five cards that elude even the most ambitious Hammer collectors as the Five Impossible Baseball Cards of Hank Aaron.

1959 Home Run Derby Hank Aaron

Many seasoned collectors remember or have heard about the "Home Run Derby" television show, but fewer know about the set of promotional cards that accompanied it in 1959. Regardless of player, these cards are TOUGH! Now add to the fact that the player in question is Henry Aaron and you're looking at a card that may stay on your want list for years if not forever.

1960 Lake to Lake Dairy Hank Aaron

In 1960, Lake to Lake Dairy put out a set of Milwaukee Braves cards that were only issued locally. Beyond just scarcity, nearly all these cards top out in PSA 1 for a couple reasons. First off, they were stapled to milk cartons, automatically ensuring the cards had either staple holes or (more typically) tears, depending how quickly kids wanted to remove the cards from their cartons. Second, the cards were part of a larger redemption offer where any cards redeemed for prizes were returned to collectors with holes punched in them.

1974 Topps Puzzle Hank Aaron

Several of Aaron's toughest cards come from Topps "test issues," sets that Topps released for only a limited time and/or with limited geographical distribution. One such test issue is the 1974 Topps Puzzle, a 12-card set that, as advertised, takes the form of a jigsaw puzzle. As a bit of trivia, the card features an image shot by legendary Topps photographer Doug McWilliams of Aaron signing autographs at Candlestick Park. Expert Hammer collectors might recognize the same image, but in black and white, was used on another very tough test issue the same year.

1977 Calbee Sadaharu Oh Road to 756 Hank Aaron

Apart from ultra-modern one of one cards, it may be surprising that one of Hank Aaron's toughest cards is a post-career issue. Indeed, however, that is the case. In the run-up to Japanese slugger Sadaharu Oh's assault on Aaron's home run record, Calbee released a 96-card set of Oh cards, one of which featured the two home run legends together. (Trivia: The photo was taken in November 1974 when Hank Aaron traveled to Japan for a home-run hitting contest against Oh.) The Oh/Aaron card virtually never surfaces, and of course when it does it commands a mint.

1952 Indianapolis Clowns Hank Aaron Postcard

At the end of the day, there is impossible and there is impossible. Of course, there are also collectors who defy the impossible. The oldest known Hank Aaron card, technically a pre-rookie card though its designation could change if MLB ever extends its "major Negro Leagues" cut-off by four years, is this postcard of the young Hammer issued by the Indianapolis Clowns in 1952. Perhaps surprisingly, the collector who now owns the card is barely older than Aaron was in the photo, not to mention $275,000 poorer than he was a week ago. That said, if you're going to spend $275K on cardboard, why not make it count!