Info on print runs for 1952 topps?

[journeyto407]

I did a search to try and find the print runs for 52 topps and came across a post at old baseball cards that I wanted to understand, but the terminology and math got lost on me. Couple of questions I walked away with:

- what does it mean if a card is a single or double print? I'm assuming that means there would be more of a double print card than of a single print...right!?

- I searched probably 20 different sites trying to find even a decent estimate of the number of printed cards in the 52 topps set (i.e. there are 10,000 of each card, or 20,000 of the low numbers and 5,000 of the high numbers, etc.). Does anybody know if articles like this are out there...I certainly didn't find anything.

Thanks!

[ALR-bishop]

I do not have any print run numbers for the 1952 set. A double print card is one that appeared twice on a full print run of a particular sheet, so there were originally more of them than single print cards.

The high number cards in the 1952 set tend to be the most expensive cards to aquire ( putting aside the "Canadian" gray backs or the Campos or House variants). There were probably fewer of them made and or sold since they were released late in the season. Legend has it that many unsold cards were dumped/destroyed.

Three fortunate DP high numbers are the Mantle, the Robinson and Thompson. But because of their star status or popularity all 3 are in high demand and expensive. And, as is often true of DPs, they differ is small ways from each other and are thus variations, such that you need two of each for a master 1952 set

[autograf]

I don't think you'll ever see any print runs on many cards unless it's new stuff that's numbered......I don't even know how you'd throw some number at the 1950's and 1960's Topps but I can assure you that if the number of dealers at the National with those cards is any indication, there were bazillions of 1950's/1960's Topps cards printed. Remember, they were effectively the only game for many of those years other than the Bowman run and the Fleer foray in the early 1960's. All the way up until 1981.

Newer Topps cards were printed on sheets of 132 cards....not sure about the larger 1952-1956 format. With 132 cards per sheet, you have 132,264,396,528,660,792,etc. Any time you had a different number than that in a set, you had either blank cards or Topps would duplicate a card in that blank spot to fill up a full 132 card sheet. Many of the 1970's sets had 660 cards in them. Earlier Topps sets were put out in series--like 5,6,7 series that typically had 66 or 132 cards in a series. In a 66 card series, you'd have two of each card on the sheet. In a 132 card series, one of each card on a sheet.

A lot of research has gone into price guides identifying which cards are double-prints and how many cards were printed within series, etc. Most of the work was done from finding full sheets of cards from those respective years and probably people looking through Topps or Gelman's archives out there.

[Republicaninmass]

I always thought based on simple math the first series has 80 cards so a possible 3 to a sheet, would give a total of 240 cards. The 3rd series has 60 cards would be four to a sheet giving the same total 240 count. I guess I didn't account for dp or sp cards?

[steve B]

Except the sheets were 100 card sheets, and maybe printed an actual two sheets wide so 80 with 20 double prints, or a total of 200 with 80 double prints and 20 triple prints.

They went to 110 card sheets by 56, and double wide 132 card sheets 57-58 (Not sure about 57)

Steve B

[parkerj33]

check out this article: http://www.oldbaseball.com/refs/5253printing.html

[Bestdj777]

If you look at some of the 1952 Topps double prints (i.e., the Mantle), you'll notice minor differences between the cards. My understanding is that when Topps printed that series, each printing run (not sure how's my sheets it took for each series) would contain 2 Mantles on it and one of the single print cards. So, if the series was printed on one sheet, Mantle would appear in two locations on the sheet while others only once. Theoretically, there should be exactly twice as many of each double print made as a result.