I just blogged on the Non-Sport Doeskin cards and after doing so I am skeptical the 52 Baseball cards were issued with Doeskin. I'm about to spoil my next blog post but so be it as I think there are three reason the 52 grays are not Doeskins.
1) It seems Doeskin was rebranding or relaunching around 1955 (the doe logo on the packs was trademarked Feb. '55) and I don't think they ran a set promotion in 1952 even though the Wings cards are from the 52/53 era. For the reason in #2 below I don't think they would have been issued in the smaller tissue packs. Wings and Rails & Sails are extant (a wink to JVB!) in unopened tissue packs with the doe logo trademarked in 1955, so the dating is solidly early 1955 or after.
2) The Doeskin Wings and Rails & Sails cards were elongated to make a perfect fit inside a purse sized tissue pack. The 52 grays are regular sized cards.
3) Doeskin cards are just that. They have "Doeskin" on the reverse where "T.C.G." appeared on the originals. The '52 grays have the "T.C.G." indicia.
Could they have been distributed in a different Doeskin (or other brand) product? Yes but I think they could have been the result of high demand necessitating an additional printer pump out an experimental run for vending-type machine or something similar. First series 52's went through at least three printings and flew off the shelves. Demand must have been insane in some areas so finding an alternate source of printing may have been a natural reaction by Topps.
Here is my link:
http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/20...e-ah-choo.html