Everyone loves the premier set of Topps Baseball cards, but not everyone knows who the best baseball cards from 1952 Topps Baseball are, so we’re here to help!
This first set from the greatest Baseball card manufacturer was a landmark one, of course, not just because of the amazing Hall of Famers that dot its checklist, but also because of the beauty, the rarity and the prestige it carries with it.
Bowman was still the king of cards at this point, but Topps would eventually overthrow Bowman by 1956, which started with this 1952 Topps Baseball set.
It would still be a few years before Topps used actual photographs for their cards, these colorized images are iconic in ways we’re still appreciating nearly a century later. Look at cards of Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays and you’ll appreciate the pure artistry of this set.
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Remember that there were only 16 teams in the majors in 1952, which is a little different from the 30 teams we see today. Since nearly 20% of these teams hailed from New York City, it stands to reason many of the best baseball cards from 1952 Topps Baseball are of players on New York teams, like the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees.
Speaking of the Yankees, stick around to the end of this article when we share a great piece of Yankees trivia!
This was the year Gene Kelly was “Singin’ in the Rain,” Billie Holliday and Satchmo were on our radios, and it was one of the most important years for television ever. “I Love Lucy” ruled, while “Adventures of Superman,” “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” “American Bandstand,” and “The Today Show” all debuted in 1952.
In this post-war era, the Baby Boom generation was in its adolescence, the economy was booming, and baseball was king! Young boys everywhere were turning their attention to these cardboard pieces of art, which would later symbolize their childhood.
The Yankees won their 15th World Series, the Detroit Lions won their first NFL championship in 17 years, and Minneapolis Lakers won their third NBA championship in that league’s infancy.
For our card value rankings, we’re only talking about PSA 5 slabs of these cards, and we used the values from PSA’s online price guide. The card images are provided by BuySportsCards.com. We’re not going to share weird, random cards that are expensive because of a variation.
1. Mickey Mantle, N.Y. Yankees #311 (HOF) – $125,000
Without question, the ’52 Topps Mantle card is one of the most iconic cards in sports card history – yet, it’s not even a rookie card. Mantle’s Bowman card is iconic as well, but the ’52 Topps card is more valuable.
Mantle is the most collectable player in baseball history. Peroid. Any year, any set. The guy even shows up on Derek Jeter’s 2007 Topps SP card and boosts its value! Mantle makes people want to name their kids after his jersey number.
View 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay!
2. Willie Mays, N.Y. Giants #261 (HOF) – $14,000
Mays will always be tied to Mantle, which is a great thing for both players. Like Mantle, Mays’ rookie card came out the year before in the 1951 Bowman set. But like Mantle, his 1952 Topps card is more sought after. With close to 2,400 of the 1952 Topps Willie Mays cards graded at PSA, there has only been one that received a gem-mint 10 grade.
View 1952 Topps Willie Mays Cards on eBay!
3. Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers #312 (HOF) – $14,000
One of my favorite artistic cards ever, of one of my most favorite players ever. As great as it is, it also brings to mind how much we missed out on. We missed out on years of Robinson’s play because of World War II. We missed out on more years of Robinson’s play because of the color barrier. Finally, we missed out on many great baseball cards of Robinson because of the lack of production by card manufacturers. This card might not be his 1948 Leaf rookie card, but it’s no doubt prettier, and more iconic.
View 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson Cards on eBay!
4. Eddie Mathews, Braves #407 RC (HOF) – $8,500
Thankfully, Mathews came through as a great Hall-of-Fame baseball player whose rookie card the is most valuable rookie card in this landmark baseball card set. How great is a set of cards when a Hall-of-Fame hitter’s rookie card ranks fourth on a list of the best baseball cards from 1952 Topps!?!
Weirdly, Mathews’ card is the last in the set, No. 407, which meant collectors who stored their cards in order, would likely wrap a rubber band around Mathews’ backside. This made it difficult on grading, so of the 800 or so that have been graded at PSA, less than 50 were graded at a PSA 7 or better.
View 1952 Topps Eddie Mathews Cards on eBay!
5. Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers #314 (HOF) – $1,150
“Campy” was the National League counterpart to Yogi – the catcher and leader of a New York baseball club, who would go on to win three MVP awards and one World Series (1955). Sadly, racial barriers kept most Americans from enjoying the Philadelphia native for nine professional seasons when he played in the Negro Leagues, Mexican and Venezuelan leagues.
While any card collector would love to own this card, he certainly highlights the list of great cards of catchers, with Johnny Bench and Berra.
View 1952 Topps Roy Campanella Cards on eBay!
6. Andy Pafko, Brooklyn Dodgers #1 – $1,100
While Pafko made five All-Star appearances in the majors, the real reason he’s ultra collectable is because this was the very first card in the very first trading card set from the very best baseball card manufacturer.
Since it was No. 1 on the checklist, he was first on the uncut sheets, which affected his corners/edges. Also, many card collectors would put their cards in checklist order, which means Pafko was the guy on the front, facing rubber band damage on his face and edges. It’s difficult to find Pafko cards in great condition, much less great.
Many consider this card the most valuable common card ever. Of the close to 2,000 Pafko cards sent in for PSA grading, there is only one that has been graded a 10 – and none have a 9 rating.
View 1952 Topps Andy Pafko Cards on eBay!
7. Yogi Berra, N.Y. Yankees #191 (HOF) – $750
Berra’s first Topps card should be much more celebrated, at least more than Pafko’s! Considering Berra is just one of two players, along with Joe DiMaggio, to have smashed 350 home runs in their careers, with fewer than 500 strikeouts!
You think that’s a great trivia nugget? We have an even better Yogi Berra piece of trivia at the end of this article, in connection with another player whose card is among the best baseball cards of 1952 Topps!
View 1952 Topps Yogi Berra Cards on eBay!
8. Tony Bartirome, Pittsburgh Pirates #332 (RC) $750
Bartirome’s only season in the majors was 1952, but he would end up joining the U.S. Army for the next 13 years. He would return to the Pirates as a trainer, and then assistant coach later on in his career. He hit just .220 in 1952, but he is a beloved Pirates player.
View 1952 Topps Tony Bartirome Cards on eBay!
9. Pee Wee Reese, Brooklyn Dodgers (HOF) #333 – $700
The shortstop-counterpart to Jackie Robinson’s play at second base, Reese was instrumental in the acceptance of Robinson by both teammates and baseball fans. Reese was the captain of the Dodgers through their seven pennants and one World Series.
His real name was Harold Henry Reese, but “Harold” Reese’s card wouldn’t have ranked among the best baseball cards from 1952 Topps, in my opinion.
View 1952 Topps Pee Wee Reese Cards on eBay!
10. Bill Dickey, N.Y. Yankees #400 (HOF) – $500
Dickey’s entry on this list isn’t surprising, but his entry on the 1952 Topps checklist might have been, considering he retired from baseball about six years earlier. (Dickey even missed two years of baseball because of military service in 1944 and 1945.)
Check out the great piece of Dickey/Yogi trivia we placed at the end of this article!
View 1952 Topps Bill Dickey Cards on eBay!
Other Great Cards From 1952 Topps Baseball to Consider:
OK, we promised a great piece of Yankees trivia, specifically surrounding both Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey!
Did you know that Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra are the only two Yankees players with the same retired jersey number? (Mariano Rivera’s No. 42 jersey is retired, along with Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, but Robinson never played for the Yankees.)
Dickey was the catcher during the days of Murderer’s Row, with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri, and he helped the Bronx Bombers transition over to Joe DiMaggio’s team.
Berra would eventually take the backstop baton from Dickey, and Berra would similarly help the Yankees transition from DiMaggio’s team to Mantle’s.
Dickey and Berra were with the Yankees together in 1946 (Dickey’s last season and Berra’s first), but they never played in a game together. They would, however, both have their No. 8 jerseys retired by the Yankees at the same time, in 1972.
This is a series we’ve created where we look at the most valuable baseball cards from different years in Topps Baseball history! Here are the years we’ve already covered:
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