1952 Topps Images of All Variations <Rolling Thread>

[Zach Wheat]

I thought it might be fun to have a thread on 1952 Topps Variations keep a list of all the known variations in once place. 1952 Topps has often been compared to a post-war equivalent of the Monster - the T206 with a total of 407 cards - but many more variations are known and now are at 650+. "Old Timers" that collected this set considered a card to be a true variation if they could find 10 cards with the same variation - and their list of the complete set had over 700 cards! Completing a set with all variations - red & black back, mid-series gray backs, high # double printed left & right arrow cards, yellow House variations, Campos red star/black star variations as well as the various print variations makes it quite a challenge to complete - and a significant challenge to even the experienced collector.

I thought it would be helpful to keep a running list of all of the cards/variations in the set. In the Higgins & Scott auction, they listed a total of 579 cards which they noted was the most complete set at the time. The link to the auction is here (thanks Al-R):

http://aug13.hugginsandscott.com/cgi...l?itemid=59354

PDF of variations in auction (thanks Irv):
http://aug13.hugginsandscott.com/pdf/1952_topps.pdf

However, the "complete" set with all variations comprises many more cards. Here is the original N54 thread with some of the variations:

https://net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=294679

One PSA registry collector has a good list of most variations here:

https://www.psacard.com/psasetregist...gegallery/5747

1952 Topps The 22 Red Strip Cards Article (Thanks Patrick):
https://oldbaseball.com/m/refs/1952_...ed_Stripes.pdf

N54 1952 Topps Campanella thread:
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=132556

However, none of these sources are complete. For future reference, and perhaps to get the grading companies to recognize some of the variations I thought it would be helpful to the newer collectors to keep a repository of all known variations. Variations = print variations, paper variations, color toning variations from using different ink and state errors, wrong back errors, printing errors, etc.

So let's get rolling and add images on a rolling list of all the unique variations.

Rolling List of 1952 Topps Variations - Card & Variations Count ***650 Cards in Master Set*** - Updated 12/19/23
Set Card Count - 407 cards
PSA Master Set - 491 Cards
PSA Super Set - 551 Cards
Huggins & Scott Master Set - 579 Cards
Current Master Set Count - 650 Cards
#1-80a Red Back
#1-80b Black Back
#42a Kretlow - Post #23 Red Back, Orange background
#42b Kretlow - Post #23 Black Back, yellow background
#42c Kretlow - Post #23 Red Back, peach background
#43a Scarborough - (No Pic) Red Back, Light Peach background
#43b Scarborough - (No Pic) Black Back, Light Peach/Yellow background
#43c Scarborough - (No Pic) Black Back, Peach background
#55 Boone - Post #23 Red Back, light olive background
#55 Boone - Post #23 Red Back, dark olive background
#55 Boone - Post #23 Black Back, light olive background
#55 Boone - Post #23 Black Back, dark olive background
#57 Lopat, Ed - Post #5 Red Back; Red Blob, below right eye
#77 Kennedy, No (or partial) Bottom Border, Red Back
#116 Scheib (Red Back only) - Partial Frame Break, lower left vertical frame
#131-190 Tan Back
#131-190 Gray Back
#146 House, Tan Back
#146 House, Gray Back
#146 House, Tan Back Yellow Tiger
#146 House, Tan Back Yellow Tiger, Green Neck
#146 House, Gray Back Yellow Tiger (No red in on tongue to be considered a Yellow House)
#162 Crandall, print mark (circular area, missing red ink)
#191 Berra - Red Stripe (right side)
#196 Hemus - red stripe right shoulder (left side of card)
#200 Houk Post #29 light pink background, normal tint
#200 Houk Post #29, dark pink background, red facial tint
#200 Houk - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#201 Berra - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#205 King- Red Stripe top right border Post #66-68
#206 Ostrowski - Red Stripe left side Post #66-68
#210 Fowler - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#211 Coleman - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#215 Bauer - Red Stripe (Top Right Corner) Post #66-68
#216 Ashburn - Red Stripe right shoulder
#220 Presko - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#221 Hamner - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#225 Baumholtz (Horizontal card) Red Stripe on bottom border Post #66-68
#226 Philley - Red Stripe, right shoulder Post #66-68
#230 Batts - Red Stripe (left third) Post #66-68
#231 Zoldak - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#235 Dropo - Red Stripe (bottom) Post #66-68
#235 Dropo - Print Blob, right side of face on green background, Post #75
#236 Fitzgerald - Red Stripe, right shoulder Post #66-68
#240 Phillips - Red Stripe (left third) Post #66-68
#241 Byrne - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#245 Robertson - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#246 Kell - Red Stripe (right side) Post #66-68
#250 Erskine - Red Stripe (left third) Post #66-68
#295 Cavarretta, Post #52 red print mark near right edge
#306 Sleator Post #37, green oblong slash on right arm
#307 Campos Post #31, 34, 43 regular card
#307 Campos Post #31, red-star, black-star on reverse
#307 Campos Post #31, red-star, partial black-star on reverse
#307 Campos Post #31, 34, 43 partial top border break
#307 Campos Post #31, 34, 43 top border break corrected
#307 Campos Post #31, partial red-star, black-star (no pic)
#314 Campanella Post #49, Missing R in "Major" (and part of line above) on reverse of card in "Major League Batting Record"
#327 Wilson Post #5 - Green Blob, left eyebrow
#358 Kucab Post #14, (unverified, no pic) fingerprint on image
#358 Kucab Post #45, Scratched printing plate, bottom front

I will update the list from information provided below when time permits.

[ALR-bishop]

What are the ground rules ?

[jayshum]

There are already a lot of them posted in this thread:

https://net54baseball.com/showthread...+topps+gallery

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

What are the ground rules ?

Good Question. The intent was to have this thread be a reference for the less common variations. Some are posted in the other N54 thread mentioned above. Master set collectors - in general - recognize the "master set" as consisting of the original 407 cards + 80 red back/black back 1st series cards + 60 mid-series gray backs + 3 left/right arrow high # double prints = 550 recognized card variations as part of the "master set". Post any of these "rare" variations if you have them. It is always nice to see the left & right arrow double prints.

As previously noted, Huggins & Scott counted 579 cards as part of the most complete master set (so 29 more variations). I believe there are others. By my count, there are close to 600+/- cards and variations in the master set.

It would be great to have a running thread that emphasizes these 50 +/- remaining variations as well as any new variations found.

[irv]

Here are couple of new ones I pointed out to Al in the 52 thread but I'm unsure if these went anywhere?
Green splotch over Archie Wilson's left eyebrow (High Number Card #327) and a red splotch under Ed Lopat's right eye. (Card #57) I did a search and some have these marks and others don't but I don't know if those signify a variation or not? (Ed Lopat is a red back card. I have not seen this on black back cards))

[irv]

A few of my variations.
My Frank House Yellow Tiger card (Card #147) does not have Frank with the greenish neck which seems to be the norm with these Yellow Tiger cards.
I believe, according to some on here, this is the more tougher one of the 2 Yellow Tiger cards?

[ALR-bishop]

Zac---had not seen the PSA link. It has a couple I had not seen. I have never added the ones in the 52 Gallery thread you posted that are not in the H&S list of 579 ( like a couple Dale posted), so do not have a list of 600 plus. I assume if you do it is "proprietary" for now ? Seems to me if we are going to catalog what is out there it would be best to go 1-407 and let people identify anything they have for each number.

For example for #1 Pafko would be two ? ( red and black).

[Zach Wheat]

Irv,

I was not aware of the Wilson or Lopat variations. The House yellow Tiger variation comes in both a normal tan back and gray back. The House yellow Tiger version appears to have a green neck version, similar to the one you posted but more pronounced. Your thoughts on rarity of this version are consistent with my understanding, although I am certainly not an expert.