1952 topps house gray/yellow

[Cliff Bowman]

I saw the card on sold listings on eBay, and I believe it is a mistake by PSA (which isn't rare). It looks like a normal cream back to me. They probably meant to put yellow logo rather than gray back.

[Cliff Bowman]

Photo of the front.

[ALR-bishop]

I did finally find the auction and could not tell from the scan if back was gray for sure. The yellow House and the grays in general both go for large premiums but the amount paid on this one would seem to indicate some master set collector considered it both gray and yellow. Maybe someone who posts on 54 ?

[flkersn]

Sure does look like a cream back. I have heard of PSA mislabeling grays for creams, but not the other way around.

[Cliff Bowman]

The same seller sold another 1952 Topps gray back of #147 Bob Young at the same time and the back scan is similar to the 1952 Topps Frank House. I guess the jury is still out.

[Republicaninmass]

That's a gray back, and was very interesting. I haven't formulated an opinion how it happened

[flkersn]

Maybe feeding alternating cream and gray stock into the same print mechanism with failing red ink?

[Cliff Bowman]

The top scan is the gray back 1952 Topps Frank House, the bottom scan is a normal 1952 Topps Frank House cream back. Either I am color blind or I am ignorant about 1952 Topps gray backs, I don't see a discernible difference. If anything the bottom scan looks darker to me.