Zach I hope you don't mind..I copied and pasted a posted from a previous thread of why it makes sense to me in my mind that 1953 Rails and Sails could be one of the ways the Grey/Gray backs were distributed. Here is the post I found from a previous thread from Ted...
"Zach
None the guys who shared their experience collecting 52T cards in 1952 were from Canada. I have heard of rumors that the 52T mid-series gray-backs
originated from Canada. I have not seen any evidence of this.
I have also heard that 54T - 1st series (#1-50) cards that have gray-backs originated from Canada. I think this fact has been supported by at least 2
Canadian finds of 54T cards. I have a 54T Eddie Lopat gray-back as a type card.
Finally, one of the guys, who recalls getting 52T gray-backs as a kid, remembers buying Rails & Sails packs that included one (or two) 52T gray-backs.
Now, the Rails & Sails cards were issued in 1955, and that suggests, if this was so, it may have been an anomaly.
TED Z"
While most Rails and Sails packs I see are said to be 1955 Topps Rails and Sails..I do in fact have a 1953 Rails and Sails pack that says it was made in London, Ontario via O-Pee-Chee and Printed in Canada. I believe if the above fella that said he remembers pulling 52 Gray backs from Rails and Sails in 52/53..that maybe he had a 1953 Rails and Sails pack that he pulled them from. This could also support the above statement/theory that the 52' Grey Backs originated from Canada. Obviously this is all speculation on my part, but it is fun playing detective and trying to solve this mystery.
|