1958 Topps TV Westerns: A Collector's Guide

Seventy-one cards from the golden age of the TV Western, with Steve McQueen among the stars.

In the late 1950s, Westerns ruled prime time. In 1958, Topps captured the moment with a 71-card set covering 11 shows, from Gunsmoke to Wanted: Dead or Alive. It's a time capsule of 1950s television and a set that's still very possible to complete. It also includes a card of a future Hollywood legend.

The Set at a Glance

• Issuer: Topps.

• Cards: 71, standard 2½ by 3½ inches.

• Fronts: Color photos from the shows, with a large red box carrying the show name over a black caption box.

• Backs: A drawn wood-grain background, with a white box showing the card number and a show-specific number, a write-up and an ad for the show.

The Shows

Gunsmoke gets the most cards with 15. The Californians gets the fewest with three.

The Key Cards

Each show opens with a star card, and those are the singles collectors want most:

• #21 Steve McQueen as Josh Randall (Wanted: Dead or Alive). McQueen went on to film stardom, which makes this the card with the broadest appeal in the set.

• #1 James Arness as Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke). The first card in the set, featuring the era's biggest Western star, and condition-sensitive like every #1.

• #26 Richard Boone as Paladin (Have Gun, Will Travel).

• #16 Robert Culp as Hoby Gilman (Trackdown).

• #46 Ward Bond and #47 Robert Horton (Wagon Train).

• #57 Dale Robertson as Jim Hardie (Tales of Wells Fargo).

Condition Issues to Inspect

• Corner wear and rounding, common on cards kids flipped and traded.

• Centering. 1950s Topps cuts were inconsistent.

• Creases across the photos.

• Gum and wax stains on the wood-grain backs.

• Print registration and color. Color photos from the era can look muddy or faded.

Building the Set

It's achievable. The set is still readily available, so a complete run is a realistic goal, even if condition makes it a challenge.

Build show by show. The checklist groups cards by show, which gives you natural milestones. Many collectors start with Gunsmoke or Wanted: Dead or Alive.

Lock in the stars. Prioritize the McQueen card and the star card for each show.

Pick a condition band. A clean VG to EX set displays beautifully. Higher grades take patience.

Grade selectively. The McQueen card and the strongest star cards are the natural candidates for grading. Most others can stay raw.

Who Buys TV Westerns Today

Westerns cards have a loyal but mostly older buyer base, many of whom grew up watching these shows. The McQueen card is the exception: it draws film collectors and McQueen fans of every age. For a seller, that means the star cards move steadily, and complete sets appeal to collectors building a nostalgia display.

Related Sets

Topps and others issued plenty of Western and TV-themed cards in the 1950s, including the 1956 Davy Crockett sets. A British company, A&BC, also issued a TV Westerns set in 1958. If you're building the U.S. Topps set, check the back for the issuer.

Storage and Display

Standard vintage sleeves and toploaders fit these cards. Nine-pocket pages organized by show make the set easy to browse. For display, the star cards from each show make a striking frame.

What the Backs Tell You

Each back carries two numbers: the card's number in the full set and its number within its show. That makes sorting a mixed lot easy, and it helps when you're building show by show. The ads on the backs promote the shows themselves, a reminder that the set doubled as TV marketing in its day.

Pricing the Set

Most cards in the set are affordable, and the price gaps come down to two things: star power and condition. The Steve McQueen card is the clear outlier, followed by the star cards for each show. For commons, clean centering and sharp corners matter more than which show the card comes from. When you research prices, compare raw cards with raw sales and graded cards with graded sales. The difference between a typical card and a sharp, well-centered one is larger than many new collectors expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cards are in the 1958 Topps TV Westerns set?

Seventy-one, covering 11 different TV Westerns.

Is there a Steve McQueen card in the 1958 TV Westerns set?

Yes. Card #21 shows Steve McQueen as Josh Randall from Wanted: Dead or Alive.

Which show has the most cards?

Gunsmoke, with 15 cards (#1–15).

Are 1958 TV Westerns cards hard to find?

Not especially. The set is readily available, so the challenge is finding well-centered, sharp copies rather than finding the cards at all.

Did A&BC make TV Westerns cards too?

Yes. A&BC issued its own TV Westerns set in Britain in 1958, so check the issuer on the back when buying.

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