1952 Topps Baseball Set Stands Test of Time

1952 Topps baseball cards have reached almost iconic status among sports collectors.

The set has a number of factors working in its favor. It marked the young company’s first attempt at creating an all-encompassing baseball card set featuring players of the day. Topps didn’t skimp, creating 407 cards over three series.

The cards were of a size that hadn’t been seen before. The early Bowman sets were small, likely so they would be a comfortable fit in the hands of kids. But Topps took the ‘bigger is better’ approach and found a welcoming audience. That hasn’t changed. The full color ’52 Topps set is still regarded as one of the most beautiful sets ever produced.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the third series includes what many regard as the Mickey Mantle rookie card. Actually, Mantle appeared on the last series of 1951 Bowman, but it was his first appearance on a Topps card and so few exist today because of what the company did with its leftover cases of third series cards.

They dumped them into a watery grave.

It’s one hobby legend that is actually true. No one can remember whether it was into the ocean, the harbor or the Hudson River, but Topps unceremoniously disposed of a few hundred cases of the product to make room in its warehouse. The cards didn’t sell late in the year and Topps couldn’t even give them away, so overboard they went. It’s hard to believe today, but in the early 50s, cards were just kid stuff and if kids weren’t interested….

The infamous 1952 Topps dump is why any third series card—not just the Mantle rookie—is hard to find. Those in high grade are extremely expensive, even common cards.

A complete master 1952 Topps set was sold for $1.053 million earlier this year. Each was graded PSA 8. The Mickey Mantle card (#311) drew the highest bid. With a 17.5% buyer\'s premium tacked on, the winner paid $98,177 for the Mantle card. It\'s likely the second highest price ever paid at public auction for a Mantle in that grade.

Another popular card in the set is the 1952 Topps Andy Pafko. Few #1 cards in vintage sets survive in high grade, partly because they were usually on top of a stack and thus were subject to rubber band indentations and a lot of handling.