1952 TOPPS 75 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AUCTION
A fter their stutter steps in 1951, Topps went all-in for 1952 and released a classic 407 card series of color cards that remains among the most popular sets ever issued. Black-and -white photographs were colored in a laborious “Flexichrome” process and the result of all this handiwork was a lengthy series of gorgeous cards, many with subtle hues or jazzy looking backgrounds, produced in a large format Topps called Giant Size. The first 80 cards can be found with black or red backs, with only the latter continuing through the end of the set. The first four series sold well but a fifth, known today as the semi-highs, was produced in far lesser quantities and faltered a bit in the marketplace. Nonetheless, Topps executive Sy Berger, who had helped design the set with Woody Gelman, had to then convince his bosses to issue a final, sixth series (the high numbers as we know them today) which, as hobby lore has it, sold poorly and remain highly coveted by collectors. These high numbers have greatly contributed to the set being considered one of three iconic, foundational sets in the hobby, along with T206 and 1933 Goudey. The ninety-seven high numbers include the second most famous baseball card of all time in #311 Mickey Mantle (a double print) and Jackie Robinson (also double printed, as was 1951 playoff hero Bobby Thomson), along with a hefty dose of Hall-of-Famers, concluding with Eddie Mathews at #407. Berger made hay over the years detailing how he repeatedly tried to sell off a massive excess stock of high numbers before burying them at sea, but that story may or may not be accurate in whole or in part. Additional rarities can be found in the third series (spanning #131-190), where gray-backed cards, incorrectly ascribed to a Canadian release in some quarters, were produced in miniscule quantities and are highly prized today. There are additional variations and anomalies throughout the set, which has been intensely studied for decades, as befits its classic status.
60. 1952 Topps Five-Cent Wax Pack - PSA NM 7 MINIMUM BID: $25,000
59. 1952 Topps Black Back Complete Set w/Page & Sain Variations (82) MINIMUM BID: $500
61. 1952 Topps Print Variations Collection (57) MINIMUM BID: $500
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