Worst set for Hall of Famers

[darkhorse9]

I was leafing through my 1959 Topps set and noticed there didn't seem to be a lot of Hall of Fame players in it. There are roughly 25 such players in the entire set.

It got me to thinking, which Topps set has the fewest Hallof Fame players included in a year?

[swarmee]

1951 would seem to be obvious. Seems like something you could find easily by flipping through a price guide.

[rats60]

1955 topps has 17, 1954 topps has 17 players but has several coach cards. 1951 Topps has 13. For prewar t207 only has 13.

[tulsaboy]

Which one has the most? 1986 Topps has something like 43 with Ted Simmons' recent election. Also, which has the most by percentage of the set being HOFers?
kevin

[tulsaboy]

Or percentage of cards that feature HOFers? For instance, the 1986 set has 57 cards featuring HOFers, when you include All Star cards, Record Breakers (Niekro,) Team Leaders (Carlton and Dawson,) and Turn Back the Clock cards (Frank Robinson, Mays, and Seaver.) That results in a 7.2% rate for HOF cards in the 1986 Topps set. How do other more vintage sets compare?
kevin

[almostdone]

1956 Topps has 340 cards with 34 being HOFers. 1 out of 10 is the highest for a main stream Topps set I believe.
1963 Fleer has 66 cards (not including the unnumbered checklist) with 11 being HOFers so 1 out of 6
1954 Red Heart has 33 cards with 11 being HOFers. 1 of 3 is the highest percentage I’ve seen or come across for any set that was made up of current (at the time) players that eventually were induct in the hall.

Originally Posted by tulsaboy

Or percentage of cards that feature HOFers? For instance, the 1986 set has 57 cards featuring HOFers, when you include All Star cards, Record Breakers (Niekro,) Team Leaders (Carlton and Dawson,) and Turn Back the Clock cards (Frank Robinson, Mays, and Seaver.) That results in a 7.2% rate for HOF cards in the 1986 Topps set. How do other more vintage sets compare?
kevin

[tulsaboy]

Thanks for the response, Drew. Good information! 1/10 for a Topps mainstream issue is crazy. Especially when they weren't artificially trying to increase the number of star cards with things like record breakers, turn back the clock cards, etc.
kevin

[Seven]

Originally Posted by almostdone

1956 Topps has 340 cards with 34 being HOFers. 1 out of 10 is the highest for a main stream Topps set I believe.
1963 Fleer has 66 cards (not including the unnumbered checklist) with 11 being HOFers so 1 out of 6
1954 Red Heart has 33 cards with 11 being HOFers. 1 of 3 is the highest percentage I’ve seen or come across for any set that was made up of current (at the time) players that eventually were induct in the hall.

Berk Ross's 1952 set comes close IIRC. 23 Hall of Famers in that set of 72.

[Jason19th]

Originally Posted by almostdone

1956 Topps has 340 cards with 34 being HOFers. 1 out of 10 is the highest for a main stream Topps set I believe.
1963 Fleer has 66 cards (not including the unnumbered checklist) with 11 being HOFers so 1 out of 6
1954 Red Heart has 33 cards with 11 being HOFers. 1 of 3 is the highest percentage I’ve seen or come across for any set that was made up of current (at the time) players that eventually were induct in the hall.

Actually the highest topps would be the 1951 red backs - 8/52 are in the hall - 15%

[JLange]

The 1948 Cleveland Indians Picture Pack has 9 HOFers out of 30 subjects, for a cool 30% HOFer rate!

Lou Boudreau,
Larry Doby,
Bob Feller,
Joe Gordon,
Hank Greenberg GM,
Bob Lemon,
Bill McKechnie CO,
Satchel Paige,
Bill Veeck Owner

The 1949 Cleveland Indians Picture Pack gets to 30% also with 9 HOFers out of 30 subjects again. Same list as above, but adding Early Wynn and dropping Bill McKechnie CO.

[bnorth]

The greatest set of all time is 100% a HOFer 1959 Fleer. It even has Ted Williams Baseballs Greatest on all 80 cards.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by bnorth

The greatest set of all time is 100% a HOFer 1959 Fleer. It even has Ted Williams Baseballs Greatest on all 80 cards.

The set has 5 Hofers Ruth, Foxx, Collins, Cronin and Williams.

[campyfan39]

This is why IMHO the 56 topps set is the greatest of all time. Not only did it have all the stars (except Musial) but the design is flawless.

Originally Posted by almostdone

1956 Topps has 340 cards with 34 being HOFers. 1 out of 10 is the highest for a main stream Topps set I believe.
1963 Fleer has 66 cards (not including the unnumbered checklist) with 11 being HOFers so 1 out of 6
1954 Red Heart has 33 cards with 11 being HOFers. 1 of 3 is the highest percentage I’ve seen or come across for any set that was made up of current (at the time) players that eventually were induct in the hall.

[bobsbbcards]

Here are the percentages for the baseball sets I collect (the PSA sets don't include executives such as Harridge and Giles, so that's why '56 shows only 32).

1948-49 Leaf HOF 98 20 20.4%
1963 Fleer HOF 67 11 16.4%
1953 Bowman Color HOF 160 26 16.3%
1962 Topps HOF 598 82 13.7%
1961 Topps HOF 587 80 13.6%
1951 Topps HOF 104 13 12.5%
1973 Topps HOF 660 78 11.8%
1975 Topps HOF 660 78 11.8%
1968 Topps HOF 598 70 11.7%
1959 Topps HOF 572 64 11.2%
1958 Topps HOF 494 53 10.7%
1950 Bowman HOF 252 26 10.3%
1963 Topps HOF 576 59 10.2%
1960 Topps HOF 572 58 10.1%
1969 Topps HOF 664 67 10.1%
1976 Topps HOF 660 66 10.0%
1952 Bowman HOF 252 25 9.9%
1964 Topps HOF 587 58 9.9%
1974 Topps HOF 660 65 9.8%
1972 Topps HOF 787 77 9.8%
1954 Bowman HOF 225 22 9.8%
1949 Bowman HOF 250 24 9.6%
1956 Topps HOF 340 32 9.4%
1951 Bowman HOF 324 30 9.3%
1967 Topps HOF 609 56 9.2%
1970 Topps HOF 720 65 9.0%
1965 Topps HOF 598 53 8.9%
1957 Topps HOF 407 36 8.8%
1955 Bowman HOF 320 27 8.4%
1954 Topps HOF 250 21 8.4%
1955 Topps HOF 206 17 8.3%
1979 Topps HOF 726 59 8.1%
1977 Topps HOF 660 53 8.0%
1953 Topps HOF 274 22 8.0%
1966 Topps HOF 598 47 7.9%
1971 Topps HOF 752 59 7.8%
1978 Topps HOF 726 54 7.4%
1952 Topps HOF 407 26 6.4%
1960 Leaf HOF 144 8 5.6%
1991 Topps Desert Shield HOF 792 41 5.2%

[Mark]

Originally Posted by campyfan39

This is why IMHO the 56 topps set is the greatest of all time. Not only did it have all the stars (except Musial) but the design is flawless.

Greatest! (post war).

[ALR-bishop]

The Topps 1948 Magic Photos set includes a baseball subset of 19 cards that includes 14 HOFers , although 2, Tinker and Evers, appear on one card

[rats60]

Originally Posted by bobsbbcards

Here are the percentages for the baseball sets I collect (the PSA sets don't include executives such as Harridge and Giles, so that's why '56 shows only 32).

1948-49 Leaf HOF 98 20 20.4%
1963 Fleer HOF 67 11 16.4%
1953 Bowman Color HOF 160 26 16.3%
1962 Topps HOF 598 82 13.7%
1961 Topps HOF 587 80 13.6%
1951 Topps HOF 104 13 12.5%
1973 Topps HOF 660 78 11.8%
1975 Topps HOF 660 78 11.8%
1968 Topps HOF 598 70 11.7%
1959 Topps HOF 572 64 11.2%
1958 Topps HOF 494 53 10.7%
1950 Bowman HOF 252 26 10.3%
1963 Topps HOF 576 59 10.2%
1960 Topps HOF 572 58 10.1%
1969 Topps HOF 664 67 10.1%
1976 Topps HOF 660 66 10.0%
1952 Bowman HOF 252 25 9.9%
1964 Topps HOF 587 58 9.9%
1974 Topps HOF 660 65 9.8%
1972 Topps HOF 787 77 9.8%
1954 Bowman HOF 225 22 9.8%
1949 Bowman HOF 250 24 9.6%
1956 Topps HOF 340 32 9.4%
1951 Bowman HOF 324 30 9.3%
1967 Topps HOF 609 56 9.2%
1970 Topps HOF 720 65 9.0%
1965 Topps HOF 598 53 8.9%
1957 Topps HOF 407 36 8.8%
1955 Bowman HOF 320 27 8.4%
1954 Topps HOF 250 21 8.4%
1955 Topps HOF 206 17 8.3%
1979 Topps HOF 726 59 8.1%
1977 Topps HOF 660 53 8.0%
1953 Topps HOF 274 22 8.0%
1966 Topps HOF 598 47 7.9%
1971 Topps HOF 752 59 7.8%
1978 Topps HOF 726 54 7.4%
1952 Topps HOF 407 26 6.4%
1960 Leaf HOF 144 8 5.6%
1991 Topps Desert Shield HOF 792 41 5.2%

What you the percentages look like for unique players? Clearly in 1962 Topps some players have multiple cards included in those numbers.

[Gr8Beldini]

Originally Posted by almostdone

1956 Topps has 340 cards with 34 being HOFers. 1 out of 10 is the highest for a main stream Topps set I believe.

This is why I love '56 so much. Every page I turn there are two or three great players. Even the Non-Hofers... there are a ton of them (Gilliam, Hodges, Skowron, Sievers, Minoso, Pierce, Burdette, Adcock, Klu, Newk, Bauer, Larsen, Oiersall, Score, Wertz. McDougald, Billy Martin, Elston, Virdon, Dark, Furillo, Kuenn, McMillan, etc. etc... more stars in that set than commons.