1952 Topps

1952 · Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY)

Topps' first major baseball release — 407 cards across 6 series. Includes the iconic Mickey Mantle #311 high number.

Key Facts

Release: 1952
Manufacturer: Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY)
Distribution: One card plus a slab of bubble gum per nickel pack, sold throughout the 1952 baseball season
Card stock: Color-tinted cardstock with red and black design elements, 2⅝″ × 3¾″ — the modern standard
Printer / Designer: Sy Berger (Topps) — the man who designed the modern baseball card layout
Series: Six series — the final high-number series (#311–407) was famously dumped in the Atlantic Ocean after poor sales
Total cards: 407

Mickey Mantle (#311)
The Holy Grail of post-war cards — first card in the dumped-at-sea high-number series. Mantle's first Topps issue.
Willie Mays (#261)
Say Hey Kid in his sophomore season, shortly before his two-year military service.
Jackie Robinson (#312)
Robinson in the legendary high-number series — short-printed alongside the rest.
Yogi Berra (#191)
Berra coming off his first MVP season — Topps's classic head-on-bat pose.
Roy Campanella (#314)
Campy in the dumped-at-sea high-number series — among the toughest Hall of Fame catcher cards.
Duke Snider (#37)
The Silver Fox during the Dodgers' first-half-of-the-decade dynasty.
Bob Feller (#88)
Rapid Robert during his post-military prime — coming off his sixth 20-win season.
Warren Spahn (#33)
Spahn during his Boston Braves tenure, two years before the team moved to Milwaukee.
Pee Wee Reese (#333)
Captain of the Dodgers — high-number short print despite his everyday-superstar status.
Phil Rizzuto (#11)
Scooter coming off his 1950 MVP-led pennant runs as the Yankees' starting shortstop.
Larry Doby (#243)
First African-American player in AL history; Indians' All-Star outfielder.
Early Wynn (#277)
Gus — anchor of the Indians' Hall of Fame rotation with Feller, Garcia, and Lemon.