Roberto Clemente Card Value: 1955 Topps Rookie to 1973 Final

A genuine 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card, #164, sells for about $1,400-2,800 in PSA or SGC 1 to 1.5 as of November 2026, about $2,200-4,500 in PSA 2 to 2.5 and roughly $17,000-25,000 in PSA 7, based on sales recorded by SportsCardsPro. His final card, the 1973 Topps #50, is common: about $5-40 raw and $150-250 in PSA 7.

Between those two sit seventeen years of Topps cards, and value falls steeply as the years go on, because later cards survive in far larger numbers: a worn 1967 Topps #400 sold for $20-90 on eBay in September and October 2026. The year and card number on the back tell you which card you have; the grade decides the rest.

Quick answer

• 1955 Topps #164 rookie: PSA or SGC 1 to 1.5 about $1,400-2,800; PSA 2 to 2.5 about $2,200-4,500; PSA 7 about $17,000-25,000; PSA 8 $73,200-122,000 at Heritage.
• 1956 Topps #33: about $300-480 in low grades; PSA 7 about $1,800-2,900; PSA 8 about $7,700-12,800.
• 1957 Topps #76: guide value about $105 in grade 1 and $960 in PSA 7. 1967 Topps #400: worn raw copies $20-90. Topps cards from 1957 to 1969 name him "Bob Clemente".
• 1972 Topps #309: about $33 raw; PSA 7 about $230-350.
• 1973 Topps #50, his final card: about $5-40 raw; PSA 7 about $150-250; PSA 8 about $450-560; PSA 9 about $2,000-3,300.

Which Clemente card do you have?

His rookie card is the 1955 Topps #164, from his first season with the Pirates. Work out the year and number first, then the condition.

1. Read the back. The card number and the year are printed there. #164 in a 1955 Topps set is the rookie; #33 is his 1956 Topps card, #52 his 1958 Topps card, #309 his 1972 Topps card and #50 his 1973 Topps card.
2. Check the orientation and size. The 1955 and 1956 Topps cards are horizontal and measure about 2 5/8 by 3 3/4 inches. From 1957 on, Topps cards are 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, the modern size. A 1955 design on a 2.5 by 3.5 inch card is a later reprint or tribute card.
3. Look for a later copyright line. Topps has reissued the 1955 rookie several times, including a 1998 Clemente tribute set, and Topps Finest reprints of his cards have a shiny metallic front. Reissues say so on the back.
4. On a 1956 card, check the back stock. The 1956 Topps #33 comes with a white back or a gray back. SportsCardsPro lists them separately; gray-back copies trade less often and sell close to white backs in most grades.
5. Test the stock. Original 1950s cards are grey cardboard with a matte front, and they stay dark under a black light. A bright white core or a blue-white glow under UV means modern paper.
6. Then judge condition. For the 1955 card, grade is everything: a PSA 1 usually sells for $1,600-1,800 and a PSA 7 for about $20,000. For 1970s cards, only sharp copies are worth grading.

What is a 1955 Topps Clemente worth?

About $1,400 for the lowest numbered grade, roughly $3,000 at PSA 2, about $20,000 at PSA 7 and $73,000-122,000 at PSA 8. The table uses realized sales recorded by SportsCardsPro from eBay and Heritage Auctions, checked on November 2, 2026, with guide values labelled as such.

Apart from the named Heritage and Robert Edward Auctions (REA) results, these ranges come from SportsCardsPro alone, and the PSA 7.5 and PSA 8 figures rest on a few sales each. REA sold only two of each grade in 2024-2025, for less: $28,200-31,200 in PSA 7.5 and $52,800-72,000 in PSA 8.

The gap between PSA 7 and PSA 8 is the widest in the table, about five times. That is where centering and corners matter most, and why a sharp raw 1955 Clemente should be graded rather than sold raw.

What are his later cards worth?

Far less, and the drop is steep after 1956. These are sales and sales-based guide values recorded by SportsCardsPro in 2025 and 2026. His Topps cards from 1957 through 1969 name him "Bob Clemente" on the front, while the 1955, 1956 and 1970 to 1973 cards say Roberto. SportsCardsPro catalogs the 1957 and 1967 cards under "Bob", so search both names when you look up sold prices.

Mercari sales agree on the two 1970s cards: raw 1973 #50 copies mostly sold there for $15-32 and raw 1972 #309 copies for $15-48, as of November 2, 2026.

Why does the 1973 card matter?

It is his last. Clemente was killed on December 31, 1972, when the heavily loaded plane taking him and relief supplies to earthquake survivors in Nicaragua crashed off Puerto Rico. Topps' 1973 set came out the following spring, so the #50 card reached packs after his death, and Baseball Card Pedia lists it among the set's final cards for major stars. The set was printed in huge numbers, which is why a typical copy sells for $5-40. The value is in sharp, centered copies: PSA 9s sold for about $2,000-3,300 in 2026, and SportsCardsPro's guide value for a PSA 10 is about $91,500, a grade almost no copies reach. Our guide to Topps baseball cards explains why 1970s Topps cards are common.

Why is Clemente in demand?

For his play and for what he stood for. The National Baseball Hall of Fame records exactly 3,000 hits, a .317 career average, four batting titles, the 1966 NL MVP award and 12 straight Gold Gloves in right field. After his death, the Hall changed its rules so he could be inducted in 1973 without the usual waiting period, making him the first Latino player in the Hall. His standing in Puerto Rico and across Latin America adds a base of collectors that most players of his era do not have. For how his rookie ranks against the Aaron, Mays and Mantle cards, see our list of the most valuable baseball cards and our Hank Aaron card value guide, which covers the 1954 rookie of his near-contemporary.

A worked example

Say you find two Clemente cards in a binder. One is horizontal, about 2 5/8 by 3 3/4 inches, and the back says 1955 Topps, #164. The corners are rounded and there is a soft crease, but the picture is bright. The other is a vertical 1973 Topps #50 with sharp corners but visibly off-center.

The 1955 card looks like a genuine rookie in roughly PSA 2 condition, where 2026 sales ran about $2,200-4,500, so grading it is worth the fee: PSA's fee schedule as of November 2026 lists $199 per card for declared values up to $2,500 and $349 up to $5,000. The 1973 card is worth about $10-40 raw. Off-centering would likely hold it below PSA 8, and a PSA 7 at about $150-250 barely covers a $59.99 grading fee plus shipping, so it is better sold raw or kept.

How to sell a Roberto Clemente card

The 1955 Topps #164 is never sold raw. If it measures 2 5/8 by 3 3/4 inches, is horizontal, has no later copyright line and stays dark under a black light, send it to PSA or SGC first: $199 per card for a declared value up to $2,500 and $349 up to $5,000 as of November 2026, against a card worth $1,400-2,800 even in grade 1. The 1960s and 1970s cards, including the 1967 #400 and the 1973 #50, sell raw as they are; a PSA 7 1973 at $150-250 barely covers the $59.99 fee.

Where to sell:

• eBay for raw 1960s and 1970s cards and graded cards up to a few thousand dollars, at 13.25 percent of the sale up to $7,500 plus $0.40 per order.
• Heritage, Goldin or Fanatics Collect for a 1955 rookie in PSA 6 or better; Heritage handled both PSA 8 sales at $73,200 and $122,000.

Photograph the front flat in daylight with all four edges in frame, the back with the year, card number and any copyright line readable, the card beside a ruler, each corner and any crease lit from the side, and the slab label if graded.

Ship in a sleeve and toploader inside a rigid mailer, insured for anything graded.

Say a Bob Clemente card is the normal card, not an error. Do not call the 1973 rare, do not describe a 1998 reprint as a 1955, and declare a trimmed or cleaned card, which grades Authentic and sells for about $1,200-2,200.

Common mistakes

• Calling a 1956 Clemente the rookie. Only the 1955 Topps #164 is.
• Assuming the 1973 card is rare because it is his last. It was printed in large numbers; only sharp copies are valuable.
• Grading a worn 1970s Clemente. The fee usually eats the gain.
• Missing "1998" or a reprint line on a 1955 design. Tribute reprints look convincing at arm's length.
• Trimming or cleaning a 1955 card to tidy it. Altered copies come back "Authentic" and sell for about $1,200-2,200, below a PSA 1.

How WorthPic reads Roberto Clemente card photos

WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From photos of the front and back it reads the card number, the year, the design and orientation, and any reprint or later copyright line, which separates the 1955 Topps #164 from the 1956 card, the 1970s cards and the tribute reprints. It looks at corners, creases, centering and surface, places a card in a likely grade range and gives an honest value range from recent sales, with a most likely figure. What it cannot know from a photo is the exact size, how the stock reacts under UV light, or whether an edge has been trimmed. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise. For a likely 1955 original, PSA or SGC settles it.

What to photograph

• The front, flat in daylight, with all four edges in frame.
• The back, with the year, card number and any copyright line readable.
• The card next to a ruler.
• Close-ups of the corners and any crease, lit from the side.
• For a 1973 card you hope to grade, a straight-on photo that shows the border widths, so centering can be judged.
• For a graded card, the label and serial number.

When to get it looked at in person

Any horizontal 1955 Clemente that measures right and has no later copyright line is worth an expert look, because even a worn original is a four-figure card. A reputable vintage dealer or a card show with an on-site grading service can give a quick read, and PSA or SGC settles authenticity and grade. For PSA 6 and up, Heritage, Goldin and Fanatics Collect reach the strongest buyers; Heritage handled both of the PSA 8 sales above. Our guide on how to sell sports cards compares those with eBay. A worn 1970s Clemente needs no expert; it sells well on eBay as it is. For how vintage and modern trading cards are valued across the board, see our category page.

Sources

• Robert Edward Auctions archive: realized prices for the 1955 Topps #164 in grade 7, PSA 7.5 and PSA 8, 2024-2026.
• SportsCardsPro: Roberto Clemente 1955 Topps #164: recorded eBay and Heritage sales by grade and the sales-based guide values.
• SportsCardsPro: Roberto Clemente 1956 Topps #33, white back: sales by grade, with the gray back listed separately; the 1972 Topps #309 page gives that card's figures.
• SportsCardsPro: Bob Clemente 1957 Topps #76 and 1967 Topps #400: guide values by grade and recent raw eBay sales.
• Cardboard Connection: top Roberto Clemente cards: Topps switched to "Bob Clemente" on the 1957 card and kept it until the 1970 set.
• eBay selling fees: final value fees for sports trading cards.
• Mercari sold listings: 1973 Topps Clemente #50 and 1972 Topps #309: raw copies at $15-32 and $15-48, checked November 2, 2026.
• SportsCardsPro: Roberto Clemente 1973 Topps #50: raw and graded sales and the PSA 10 guide value.
• Baseball Card Pedia: 1973 Topps: the 660-card set, its series and Clemente's final card.
• National Baseball Hall of Fame: Roberto Clemente: hits, average, batting titles, MVP award and Gold Gloves.
• PSA trading card grading services: per-card fees by declared value as of November 2026.