[Brianruns10]

The vaunted 52 highs...their origin is something that has perplexed me. The accepted story is that they were a last minute decision, because the previous series sold so well, Topps figured why stop there and "rushed" out an additional 97 players in the fall of '52. The sales were mediocre as we all know, due to waning interest as the season was winding down. Most went unsold, were dumped by various means, and now they're prized.

But I have my doubts about the origin story, and maybe you all can confirm it, or set me straight in the error of my ways.

First off, if indeed the last series was a last minute deal, why is it full of so many bankable names which would have presumably been issued in earlier series? If they hadn't planned the last series, why wait to release Campanella, Reese, Thomson, Robinson, Mantle..., who were all either bankable names or fast up and comers who would've been known to the kids. If indeed the high series was a last minute job, I'd expect it to be chock full of rookies and commons and mediocre players, not some of the biggest players of the 40s and early 50s.

Secondly, there is the artistry. For the sixth series being a "turned around quickly" according to Sy Berger of Topps, I think those 97 cards are the most accomplished, fully formed, beautiful examples of the 52 set. I mean, without know the cards' number, you can just TELL you're dealing with a high number, because the coloration is more expert, more varied, more subtle. Just compare the washed out flesh tones of earlier examples in the set, to the Durocher or the Milt Stock. They look far less handcolored and more painterly and Technicolor. For me, the last series stands out so much it looks like they hired a new set of artists to do the work, even though the accepted story has been that Berger and his associates did much of the work themselves. If that is the case, the sixth series bears all the hallmarks of the skill gained with practice as they became more accomplished at coloring the images over the previous 310 cards.

For me, the sixth series feels much less an afterthought or late addition, than it does the climax to arguably the most beautiful set of ballcards ever produced.

What are your thoughts?