Harmon Killebrew Baseball Card: 1955 Topps Rookie Value

Harmon Killebrew's rookie card is the 1955 Topps #124, his first card (Baseball Almanac). It shows him as a first baseman for the Washington club, then also called the Nationals (Rookie Card Prices). The 1955 Topps set has 206 cards in a horizontal format measuring 3-3/4 by 2-5/8 inches, and its key rookies are Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax and Killebrew (Old Sports Cards).

Old Sports Cards notes that, like the other 1955 Topps cards with yellow backgrounds, Killebrew's card has strong color, which helps it stand out among the set's cards.

Rookie Card Prices (data updated April 2026; values collected from recent sold listings and other price sources):

• Ungraded: $110.
• Grade 4: $270.
• Grade 5: $360.
• Grade 6: $640.
• Grade 7: $2,000.
• Grade 8: $3,720 (Old Sports Cards, updated June 18, 2026, gives $3,700 for PSA 8).
• Grade 9: $31,720.

The price jumps more than eightfold from grade 8 to grade 9, which reflects how few high-grade copies exist: of 7,840 copies PSA has graded, 264 are PSA 8, a 3.4% rate (Old Sports Cards). Before paying for grading, check corners, edges and centering with our grade-your-own checklist.

Baseball Almanac's checklist shows more than 100 Killebrew cards from 1955 to 2005: Topps base cards through his playing years, plus Bazooka, Post Cereal and Kellogg's issues, 1960 Topps Tattoos, 1964 Topps Coins and Giants, All-Star and league-leader cards, heritage reprints and autographed cards issued in 1991, 1995 and 2004. The 1955 Topps #124 is the one most collectors look for. We could not read SportsCardsPro's prices for his later Topps cards, such as the 1961 Topps, on Sept. 25, 2026.

We could not open a dated sale record or price guide for Killebrew-signed baseballs, so we do not give a number. The price depends mostly on whether the signature is authenticated by a recognized third party, how clean the ball and signature are, and any inscription. Signed cards are a separate market: Baseball Almanac lists certified autographed Killebrew cards from 1991, 1995 and 2004.

No single card is worth $1,000,000 by default; a card reaches that level only in a top grade and only if it is one of the hobby's key cards. Baseball cards that have sold for about $1 million or more, from Wikipedia's list of most expensive sports cards:

• 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311, SGC 9.5: $12,600,000, Heritage Auctions, Aug. 28, 2022.
• 2013 Bowman Chrome Aaron Judge, BGS 9.5: $5,200,000, March 12, 2026, a record for a modern baseball card.
• 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout, BGS 9: $3,936,000, Goldin, Aug. 23, 2020.
• 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle, PSA 9: $3,192,000, Memory Lane, Dec. 3, 2022.
• 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente, PSA 9: $1,107,000, June 3, 2021.
• 2024 Topps 50/50 Shohei Ohtani, PSA 9: $1,067,500, Heritage Auctions, March 29, 2025.
• 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson, PSA 10: $1,005,600, Heritage Auctions, Feb. 28, 2021.

• Born June 29, 1936, in Payette, Idaho; nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon" (Baseball Almanac).
• Signed as a bonus baby in June 1954 and debuted June 23, 1954, at 17 (Baseball Almanac; Wikipedia). The two sources give different bonus amounts: $50,000 in Wikipedia, $30,000 in Baseball Almanac.
• Hit 573 home runs, fifth all-time when he retired in 1975 (Rookie Card Prices), and 393 in the 1960s, more than Aaron, Mantle, Maris or Mays in that decade (Old Sports Cards).
• 1969 American League MVP with 49 home runs and 140 RBIs; 13-time All-Star (Wikipedia).
• Played for the Senators/Twins from 1954 to 1974 and the Royals in 1975; the Twins retired his number 3 (Wikipedia; Rookie Card Prices).
• Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984 on his fourth ballot with 83.1% of the vote; died May 17, 2011 (Wikipedia).

• Format: the card is horizontal, 3-3/4 by 2-5/8 inches (Old Sports Cards). A card of another size is not an original.
• Number: the back shows card number 124.
• Color: the 1955 Killebrew has a yellow background (Old Sports Cards).
• Print and stock: compare the print dots, the card stock and the back color with a common 1955 Topps card. Blurry type or glossy modern stock points to a reprint.
• Graded copies: check the certification number on the grader's website, and see our PSA slab page for signs of a fake holder.

Take one straight, flat photo of the front in daylight with all four corners visible, then one of the back so the year, set name and card number can be read. For chrome and refractor cards, add a second front photo tilted toward the light so the finish shows. StarLens reads the player, set and card number from the photo; use the checks on this page to confirm the exact version before you trust a price.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every price names its source and the date it applies to. SportsCardsPro and eBay refused automated access on Sept. 25, 2026. Where that left a gap, the page says so instead of guessing. Prices change; treat them as a reference, not an offer. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.