Vin Scully Autographs in 2016 Topps The Mint Baseball
By Ryan Cracknell | Hobby Editor
As his 67-year broadcasting career comes to a close, there’s going to be plenty of well-deserved tributes heading Vin Scully’s way over the next couple of months. But one of those tributes that has been sparse is in the form of baseball cards. Let’s face it, save for a couple of broadcasters, there’s not a lot of widespread appeal for them in the hobby outside of hometown fans.
Vin Scully is different. He’s not just the voice of the Dodgers. He’s the voice of baseball.
As a result, don’t be surprised if one of the biggest cards in 2016 Topps The Mint Baseball belongs to the sportscaster. This is just the third time Vin Scully autographs have been included in a set of baseball cards.
Scully is one of nine players in The Mint’s Gem 10 Autographs. Although we won’t know exactly how many there are until the set releases, it doesn’t look to be a huge number. 2016 Topps The Mint Baseball is the company’s most expensive set ever coming out of the gate.
If Scully isn’t a short print, he’ll have a serial-numbered base autograph as well as Blue (/50), Green (/20) and Red (1/1) parallels.
Other than cut signatures, the only other times Vin Scully autographs have been released as cards was in 2012 Panini Cooperstown Baseball and 2012 Panini Prime Cuts. The Cooperstown autograph has 100 copies. Prime Cuts has just 49. Neither have parallels, either. Supply for both has dried up on the online secondary market meaning they don’t show up often.
A 2012 Panini Cooperstown Vin Scully autograph sold for $400 on eBay on July 1. A pair of 2012 Prime Cuts Significant Signatures Vin Scully cards sold in May, 2016 for $295 and $350.
Besides these cards, Scully’s autograph has also appeared on a limited number of cut signature cards from Leaf, Panini and In the Game.
Although both of Panini’s autographs are licensed by the Baseball Hall of Fame, 2016 Topps The Mint Baseball marks the first time Scully’s signature has appeared in set licensed by MLB. It’s also possible that this opens up the opportunity for Topps to include more Vin Scully autographs in future products.
2016 Topps The Mint Baseball releases Wednesday, August 17.
Comments? Questions? Contact Ryan Cracknell on Twitter @tradercracks.
Topps should have included Vin in a lower-priced product such as Ginter, in addition to The Mint. Putting his autographs only in a super-high-end product means most collectors are shut out from even considering to buy one.