1952 Topps complete set

[flkersn]

delete

[CobbSpikedMe]

I must say to those who have this set complete or even near complete that I am very impressed. I don't see myself ever going after this one. I've just heard too much about the difficulty and money spent to start it. Maybe I'll go after the low number set and leave it at that though.

Best regards.

AndyH

[ALR-bishop]

flkersn--would be interested in trading info with you on variations/oddities/print defects you have accumulated in your set. If interested you can pm or email me
.
Al

[baseballfan]

i have mine started, i have started the low numbers and will go from there. i have other set im working on so i pick them up when i can as lot or individual cards. i still need 117 for the low in vg/vg+/ex and have some doubles to trade.

i fugured i have time so i started this and pick some t206 when i can, its a journey not a sprint.

[ksfarmboy]

I have at least half the set that I got as a kid in the 80's. Only have three High #'s though. What #'s are the grey back variations? I never really looked for those and I might have some by chance.

[ALR-bishop]

# 131 -190--3d Series. Sometimes referred to as Canadians because at one point some thought they originated in a separate printing process there.

[ksfarmboy]

Thanks Al, I'll check them out.

[flkersn]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

flkersn--would be interested in trading info with you on variations/oddities/print defects you have accumulated in your set. If interested you can pm or email me
.
Al

Here is what I have (although some of these "variations" may be failing eyesight!). These are variations NOT recognised by PSA

10 Rosen Black has pink by hat
26 Irvin Black has dark brown and light tan background on front
30 Parnell Black has red line on hat brim
42 Kretlow Black has yellow and peach backgrounds
43 Scarborough Red has Peach and light Peach background (Eyesight??)
43 Scarborough Black has yellow and peach background
54 Kiely Black orange and beige background
55 Boone Black dark olive and light green background
55 Boone Red dark olive and light olive background
80 Wehmeier Black red-yellow and red-orange background
88 Feller clear slats and hazy background
99 Woodling frame break lower left
116 Scheib frame break lower left
121 Niarhos pink dot by ear
146 House Cream yellow logo and many variations in between
162 Crandall Cream orange and red background
181 Swift Cream split PP in TOPPS on back
225 Baumholtz tan and light brown background (eyesight?)
276 Wilson frame break lower right
295 Cavaretta yellow spot in background
307 Campos partial black star
307 Campos frame break upper left
307 frame break upper left, partial black star
311 Mantle arrows left and right
312 Robinson arrows left and right
313 Thomson arrows left and right
314 Campanella missing "R" in "MAJOR" on back

That's it, with one exception. I believe that the gray back seriws 131-190 has a version that has a white border on the front. I cannot explain it, but i has several examples and I do not believe it is a matter of aging or uneven discoloration of the card stock. But what do I know?

I welcome hearing about any other variations.

Bill

[tedzan]

My goal is to complete a master set of 554 cards. I currently have 510 cards.

The following lists what I consider a master set of 1952 Topps cards..............

407 different Red Backs
...3 double prints (Mantle, JRobby and Thomson)
..80 Black Backs
...2 Page and Sain error cards
...2 Boone and Campos printing variations
..60 Cards #131 - 190 Gray Backs
----
554 = Total


These five Hi # cards were in the very last pack that I bought as a kid in the Fall of 1952.




Need 44 more of these Gray Backs to finish this adventure.







TED Z

[ALR-bishop]

Ted-- I have all on your list but for all the gray backs. Only have 10 of them and not really pursuing them. I continue to admire your pursuit of them

Bill- great list. Beyond Ted's list I will post the color variant and border oddities I have tomorrow. I do have several on your list, including Woodling, Scheib and the border break Campos as well as the black star.

I have both 311-313 versions, the Kretlows, 2 Houses, and the 2 Campys. In the first 80 it has been my view that many of the front differences are consistent with red versus black backs, like Glaviano , but I have 3 distinct Boones. I have never been able to find what I felt were 2 distinct Fellers or Crandalls, although have heard about them for some time. Will finish up tomorrow when back home

[ALR-bishop]

By the way, in it's last editions SCD included the stitching variations in the Standard Catalog , and all 3, particularly the Mantle have front differences as well

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Ted-- I have all on your list but for all the gray backs. Only have 10 of them and not really pursuing them. I continue to admire your pursuit of them

Al

Back in the 1980's, we used to shuffle thru "tons" of 1952T cards looking for Gray Backs. Occasionlly, we would find some, and you could buy them for the cost
of a common. Now, as you well know, they are priced ridiculously high. I had quite a few more of them (lower condition than the ones shown in my above post)
and I sold them. At these current prices, why hold on to them


The only 1952T color printing flaw that I once has was Munger with a bright yellow background (instead of it's normal green). I traded it for the Billy Martin gray
back (shown in my above post).

I was really happy about that trade....but, sometimes I wish I still had that yellow Munger card. As, I've seen very few 1952T color printing flaws.

Have you ?

TED Z

[sycks22]

Originally Posted by tedzan

My goal is to complete a master set of 554 cards. I currently have 510 cards.

The following lists what I consider a master set of 1952 Topps cards..............

407 different Red Backs
...3 double prints (Mantle, JRobby and Thomson)
..80 Black Backs
...2 Page and Sain error cards
...2 Boone and Campos printing variations
..60 Cards #131 - 190 Gray Backs
----
554 = Total


These five Hi # cards were in the very last pack that I bought as a kid in the Fall of 1952.




Need 44 more of these Gray Backs to finish this adventure.







TED Z

Great looking Mantle Ted.

[ALR-bishop]

Always nice to have more input Thomas. I know there are several front differences in my 2 Loes cards but assumed they were always consistent with whether it was a red or black back. My black back has different color shading around the stars and along his out stretched arm...lower arm too.

While there are definite color differences on the fronts of some of the first 80 cards, like on Kretlow, Glaviano, Scarborough, Kiely, Boone and Wehmeier, all of which I have, I was under the impression they just ran with the red and black back differences.

I have never found what I consider a really different Feller or Crandall. I see some shading differences in scans but nothing distinctive. But those two are often discussed and I would love to see scans of the differences together.

The Woodling and Scheib while interesting to me, are print defects ( I did get them) and not variations. I tend to think of variations as intentional changes made to cards and view the others as print defects...but I still collect them :-).

I did pick up the 2nd House's and Bob Lemke was leaning toward it being a variation in his SCD article on it.

I picked up a 2nd Houk where the background it more white than pink, but consider it just a printing issue.

My 3d Campos, with the border missing in the upper left ( also written up in SCD, as were the Scheib and Woodling), is also a print defect, but then again so is my black star.

I think my 311-313 cards are variations, with both front and back differences. Not really intentional that they are there, but intentional that they were double printed.

The second Campanella is also a print defect but felt the need to get it. Some of the hobby's most iconic "variations", the 58 Herrer, the 57 Bakep and 52 black star are in my mind all just print defects. And border breaks , border irregularities and color flaws abound in every Topps set.

Bill---I have seen the partial black star but do not have one...missing link you think ?

I have heard there are gradations of the House...does this mean it is a printing defect rather than a variation ?

I will need to look for the Swift and Wilson. Swift will be hard on ebay since it is a back issue. How uncommon is the Wilson ?

I need to check my set more closely to see if the other front differences you mention in the first 80 correspond to my red and black backs.

Ted---I think the gray backs are real variations and envy your pursuit of them.

With the list of SCD variations apparently closed due to Bob Lemke's retirement, I assume Beckett and the PSA master registry list, which I do not really follow, will be the main arbitrators of what variants/oddities go mainstream and pick up value. That part does not matter to me since it has always just been a hobby to me. I sure have enjoyed all the input so far in this thread

[flkersn]

I posting this list of variations months ago, I failed to give credit to Mr. Thomas Killeen, who has conducted years of research on 1952 Topps and helped discover some of these variations. He is, perhaps, best known for his discovery of the yellow logo Frank House.

Originally Posted by flkersn

Here is what I have (although some of these "variations" may be failing eyesight!). These are variations NOT recognised by PSA

10 Rosen Black has pink by hat
26 Irvin Black has dark brown and light tan background on front
30 Parnell Black has red line on hat brim
42 Kretlow Black has yellow and peach backgrounds
43 Scarborough Red has Peach and light Peach background (Eyesight??)
43 Scarborough Black has yellow and peach background
54 Kiely Black orange and beige background
55 Boone Black dark olive and light green background
55 Boone Red dark olive and light olive background
80 Wehmeier Black red-yellow and red-orange background
88 Feller clear slats and hazy background
99 Woodling frame break lower left
116 Scheib frame break lower left
121 Niarhos pink dot by ear
146 House Cream yellow logo and many variations in between
162 Crandall Cream orange and red background
181 Swift Cream split PP in TOPPS on back
225 Baumholtz tan and light brown background (eyesight?)
276 Wilson frame break lower right
295 Cavaretta yellow spot in background
307 Campos partial black star
307 Campos frame break upper left
307 frame break upper left, partial black star
311 Mantle arrows left and right
312 Robinson arrows left and right
313 Thomson arrows left and right
314 Campanella missing "R" in "MAJOR" on back

That's it, with one exception. I believe that the gray back seriws 131-190 has a version that has a white border on the front. I cannot explain it, but i has several examples and I do not believe it is a matter of aging or uneven discoloration of the card stock. But what do I know?

I welcome hearing about any other variations.

Bill

[ALR-bishop]

I mentioned this in the other thread, I think all these and maybe a couple more are reflected in the H&S check list for the Super 52 set it recently sold. I think there is still a link to that checklist in the 52 Loes thread now in this forum

[tombocombo]

Bill Fulkerson, thank you so much as you have been instrumental and supportive of me throughout the process of the1952 topps discoveries and research.

[hangman62]

I took on the 52T set a few yrs ago...then chickened out and ignored the high#s. Just felt it would have been a lifetime quest.

It was still a challenge..even in beat up shape....finished it...looked at it... decided I wasnt really "in love" with it....sold it to another collector and moved on to something else

RalphG