Bubbles Inc (now Topps) released 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards, which would become incredibly popular. We’ll take a look at how these cards came to be, card details, checklists, prices, population, recommendations, and more.
If you took a look at the current music charts, you would have a difficult time picking out a single artist that might still be around and popular 10 years from now. Stretch that number to 50 years and the task becomes totally impossible. The music business has changed dramatically in recent years, with more and more artists becoming one hit or one album wonders. The internet has made new music easy to find, which means thousands of artists to choose from. That was not the case back in the 50’s, which was when Elvis Presley was the King.
Almost 60 years later, fans still flock to Graceland, the home of Elvis, and look for all kinds of souvenirs and paraphernalia with his name and image attached. There was no bigger music star than Elvis back in the day, so it isn’t really a surprise that a trading card set was produced that celebrated his music and film career. Banner Bubbles Inc. delivered 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards, taking a bit of a different approach to the Elvis collection than other card makers did with non-sports cards. The Elvis Presley set was one that was definitely made with the fans in mind.
About 1956 Elvis Presley Trading Cards
The 66 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards measured 3.5″ x 2.5″.
The cards in this set were essential split into two, with the first 46 all devoted to the music career of the Elvis. The front of each card had a color photo of Elvis, complete with a cool caption housed inside a red guitar.
Fans of The King loved the information on the back of the cards, as it was delivered in a way that made it appear as though Elvis himself was involved. The little blurbs came in the form of a fan question that was answered as though by Elvis himself. There really is no evidence that Elvis was ever posed or answered these questions.
It was around this time that Elvis made the leap from music to film, which is what the final 20 cards in the set were dedicated to. The movie celebrated in the card set was “Love Me Tender,” which was the first that Elvis ever appeared in. The pictures on these cards were also in color and featured a shot from the movie. Instead of the red guitar that was featured on the music themed cards, these 20 featured a red clapboard. The back of the card explained the picture, whilst also giving the plot of the movie.
The Elvis Presley cards also featured a blue banner that showed the number of the card in the set. That made it easy for collectors to know which cards they needed to finish their collection off. One thing that makes this set different from so many others is that fans will gladly take a card in less than perfect condition if it means they can complete the full set of 66. I think it’s fair to say that no music stars of today will ever get a card set of their own in the way that Elvis did.
1956 Elvis Presley Checklist
Here, you’ll find each of the 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards numbered:
| 1 Go, Go, Go Elvis 2 Elvis Presley 3 Relaxing at Rehearsals 4 Love Me Tender 5 Soft and Mellow 6 Elvis and His Fans 7 Presley Press Conference 8 Singing with the Heart 9 Time Out Between Shows 10 America’s Singing Idol 11 Don’t Be Cruel 12 Pickin’ Out a Tune 13 Steve Allen and Elvis 14 Down on the Farm 15 Judging His Record 16 Vacation Fun 17 Studying the Script 18 Signing Session 19 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You 20 A Tux for TV 21 Elvis Presley 22 The Fan’s Friend 23 Ready to Ride 24 Elvis’ Movie Debut 25 Elvis’ Motorcycle 26 Hound Dog 27 Swinging Low 28 Acting Outdoors 29 Facing the Cameras 30 Elvis the Actor 31 At the Keyboard 32 Tuning Up for the Show 33 A Show for the Home Town | 34 Taking It Easy Between Scenes 35 Elvis at 17 36 Chow Time on the Movie Set 37 Strumming for Fun 38 Elvis’ Escort 39 Lights, Camera, Action! 40 Serenade to a Pooch 41 Rockin’ on the Stage 42 Radio Broadcast 43 Recording Session 44 Elvis’ Special Shirt 45 Preparing to Go on Stage 46 America’s Top Singer 47 Clint and Cathy Reno 48 Farm Chores 49 New Member of the Family 50 Hard Work 51 Happy Homecoming 52 Porch Performance 53 “I Want an Honest Answer” 54 Heading for the Fair 55 Singing Up a Storm 56 Bad News 57 “I’m Going to Vance” 58 Rescue Ride 59 Clint’s Plan 60 “Don’t Try to Stop Me” 61 Fighting Mad 62 Two Against One 63 Setting the Trap 64 “Let Him Have It, Clint” 65 Clint Takes Aim 66 “Go Back to Vance” |
Values and Population
If you’re looking to learn more about 1956 Elvis Presley card values and population, take a look at these references:
Key Cards
These are the 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards that you’ll want to focus on as an investor:
1 Go, Go, Go Elvis
2 Elvis Presley
11 Don’t Be Cruel
16 Vacation Fun
17 Studying the Script
19 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
57 “I’m Going to Vance”
60 “Don’t Try to Stop Me”
66 “Go Back to Vance”
If you really want something special, there are some sales samples out there that are pretty rare.
Recommendations
As always, look for key cards if possible. The sales samples would also be a great addition to a collection due to the rarity. Always try to get as high of a grading as possible. I would suggest NM-MT or better for this set.
If you enjoyed learning about the 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards, you might also find these sets to be interesting:
- 1959 A&BC Elvis Presley (Sister set in the UK)
- 1978 Donruss Elvis
If you’re looking for other sets from this era, you’ll want to check out these sets:
- 1956 Topps Davy Crockett (Orange or Green)
- 1956 Topps Flags of the World
If you’re looking to buy 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards, check out ebay.
Collectible Resource is always looking to buy 1956 Elvis Presley trading cards here.