1952 TOPPS Baseball Cards
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Win a free photo poster of the 1952 Topps complete 407 card set.
In 1952, Topps
came out with the largest baseball card set of the time. There were a total of 407 cards
to the set ( The Bowman 1951 set consisted of 324 cards and the Bowman 1952 card set numbered 252 ). The Topps set was issued in two series. The first series were numbered
1-310 and the second series were numbered
311-407. (Series and Prints)
Developed by Sy Berger, the Topps 1952 set was made up of the first "modern baseball card," complete with player image, team logo, vital statistics, and a full playing record. The cards measured 2 5/8 in. x 3 3/4 in. and featured colorized black and white photos of the players. Although Berk Ross came out with a 1952 Joe DiMaggio card, Joe announced his retirement prior to the start of production on the 1952 Topps cards, so he is not included in the 1952 set.
Rookies Mickey Mantle
( card #311 ) and Willie Mays
( card # 261 ) made their Topps debut in this 1952 set. A rookie who almost didn't make it was Braves slugging
third
baseman Ed
Mathews. He has the distinction of being on the last card of the
set ( card # 407). Because kids would rubber band their collection together, thus causing
the first and last cards in the stack to be more suseptable to damage, the Mathews card
and the #1 card ((Andy Pafko )
are a little more difficult to find in the better grades. Other rookies making their first
appearance in this Topps set are, Pete Runnels
( card # 2 ),
Billy Loes(
card # 20), Orestes
(Minnie) Minoso ( card # 195 ), Ralph Houk
( card # 200 ),
Bob Friend
( card # 233 ) and Dick Groat
( card # 369 ). Other stars in the set include
Phil Rizzuto
( card #11 ), Ted Kluszewsky
(card # 29 ), Warren Spahn
( card # 33 ),
Gil
Hodges ( card # 36 ), Duke Snider
( card # 37 ), Robin Roberts (card
# 59 ),
Billy
Martin ( card # 175 ), Yogi Berra
( card # 191 ), Richie
Ashburn (card # 216 ),
Jackie
Robinson ( card # 312 ), Roy
Campanella ( card # 314 ), Pee Wee Reese
( card # 333 ), Hoyt Wilhelm
( card # 392 ), Bill Dickey
( card # 400 ). Because of other contractural obligations, three of the biggest names in
baseball are missing from the set,
Ted Williams Stan Musial Ralph Kiner.
Satchel Paige Whitey Ford Carl Furillo Nellie Fox
Hal Newhouser Casey Stengel Marty Marion Sal Maglie
In The Works: Vic Raschi
Rumor confirmed: Chuck Connors (The Rifleman) on a 1952 Topps style baseball card.
Click Here
Is that Mantle card authentic, click here.
*1952 Topps Christmas Rack Packs*
There are a few noticeable traits pertaining to the Topps 1952 baseball cards. Cards 1-80 can be found to have either Red Backs or Black Backs. The second series ( 311- 407 ) came out very late in the season and Topps had a hard time selling them. 1952 second series cards were even inserted into packs of 1953 Topps baseball cards sold in Canada. They still had so many left over that they chartered a boat and dumped thousands of these second series cards into the ocean. And yes, that did include a heep of Mantle cards. Because so many of the second series was destroyed, they now carry a premium as they are the scarcer of the two series. Late in the series run, Topps considered production of a card album to hold up to 100 cards. The plan made it to the design stage, but never made it into production.
Manufacturing such a large set of cards didn't come without its share of mistakes. Besides the always present possibility of buying your pack of cards, opening them up, only to find only one or two out of the pack actually had the ballplayers picture reasonably centered on the card (uncut sheets), you also had the possibility to find a few cards that were double printed, or had different colored backgrounds. Joe Page ( card # 48 ) and Johnny Sain ( card # 49 ) each had the other players biography on the back of their early released cards. Just when you thought you had the whole set, the Frank Campos #307 card.
All in All, when it's all accounted for, errors, double prints, triple prints, late release dates, etc., the 1952 Topps Baseball card set is still the best set of baseball cards that were ever produced. A true American Classic. Take a look for yourself.
Click on 1952 Topps Wrapper
to start viewing the complete set of 1952 cards.
Click on Logo for Appraisal
Information.
