1952 High Series question about origins

[Brianruns10]

The vaunted 52 highs...their origin is something that has perplexed me. The accepted story is that they were a last minute decision, because the previous series sold so well, Topps figured why stop there and "rushed" out an additional 97 players in the fall of '52. The sales were mediocre as we all know, due to waning interest as the season was winding down. Most went unsold, were dumped by various means, and now they're prized.

But I have my doubts about the origin story, and maybe you all can confirm it, or set me straight in the error of my ways.

First off, if indeed the last series was a last minute deal, why is it full of so many bankable names which would have presumably been issued in earlier series? If they hadn't planned the last series, why wait to release Campanella, Reese, Thomson, Robinson, Mantle..., who were all either bankable names or fast up and comers who would've been known to the kids. If indeed the high series was a last minute job, I'd expect it to be chock full of rookies and commons and mediocre players, not some of the biggest players of the 40s and early 50s.

Secondly, there is the artistry. For the sixth series being a "turned around quickly" according to Sy Berger of Topps, I think those 97 cards are the most accomplished, fully formed, beautiful examples of the 52 set. I mean, without know the cards' number, you can just TELL you're dealing with a high number, because the coloration is more expert, more varied, more subtle. Just compare the washed out flesh tones of earlier examples in the set, to the Durocher or the Milt Stock. They look far less handcolored and more painterly and Technicolor. For me, the last series stands out so much it looks like they hired a new set of artists to do the work, even though the accepted story has been that Berger and his associates did much of the work themselves. If that is the case, the sixth series bears all the hallmarks of the skill gained with practice as they became more accomplished at coloring the images over the previous 310 cards.

For me, the sixth series feels much less an afterthought or late addition, than it does the climax to arguably the most beautiful set of ballcards ever produced.

What are your thoughts?

[Bob Lemke]

Considering the preponderance of perennial pennant contending teams in the high numbers, and the many, many stars, my guess is that Topps planned from the start to release this series late in the season, when the pennant races were hot and World Series fever was taking hold.

[Brianruns10]

Considering the preponderance of perennial pennant contending teams in the high numbers, and the many, many stars, my guess is that Topps planned from the start to release this series late in the season, when the pennant races were hot and World Series fever was taking hold.

Exactly. This makes a lot more sense than the traditional line that last series was an afterthought/late addition because the first five series did so well.

I imagine that story plays a little better, that they were upstarts against big bad bowman, rather than the actuality, which was that the sixth series was planned all along, and the best players were withheld to keep the kiddos buying. Sure would explain why, say, the second series is pretty mediocre in terms of star-power, and the sixth series is just jam packed.

And based on anecdotal evidence, I think interest in the 52s was waning a lot faster than believed. A friend of my family collected 52s on their original run, and he had an incredibly difficult time finding the sixth series, and in fact only managed to locate them in one store.

This doesn't line up with what Berger claims, that stores bought them, but couldn't sell them. I think interest was waning by series 5, and many stores DIDN'T buy the sixth.

More and more it seems to me the origin story of the sixth series is more marketing concoction, because the actuality is a bit more cynical, and suggests they kind of blew it when it came to marketing and releasing the series, resulting in the climactic set with the biggest names being a real turkey in terms of initial sales.

[Volod]

Maybe the real irony is that retailers knew the market better than Topps did, especially the short attention span and fickleness of the customer base. If the cards were being sold to an adult market, Topps might have cleaned up, but to kids in 1952....?

[toppcat]

I have been working on a guidebook to Topps from 1938-56 (about 70% done) and this is what I have written about the highs in '52:

"The sixth series was actually referred to by Topps as the “Second Series” and was marketed in a way that supported this message. No penny packs have been identified and the nickel packs, which seem to account for the only method of initial distribution, had a wrapper that was changed to a blue and red scheme for this series. An account given by former Topps statistician and eventual after-market test issue dealer Bill Haber (although he joined Topps after 1952) states the high numbers were only available in New York. This sounds dubious on the face but the cards debuted around the time of the World Series and may only have been on sale in New York City during the baseball season and elsewhere afterwards. Indeed, a surviving advertisement lists only New York City players as the stars in the second series as Brooklyn and the Yankees faced off. The timing may also have had to do with expiry of some Bowman contracts, with the end of the regular season marking a turnover point for some players."

[Brianruns10]

Yeah, I've always found the whole notion that the high series was exclusive to NY/New England to be pretty dubious too, for the fact that a family friend collected topps and put together a complete 52 set on its original run, and he lived in KC and the Kansas side. Though he made a point of mentioning it was with extreme difficulty, and much hunting...apparently he could only find one store that stocked the highs.

[toppcat]

Yeah, I've always found the whole notion that the high series was exclusive to NY/New England to be pretty dubious too, for the fact that a family friend collected topps and put together a complete 52 set on its original run, and he lived in KC and the Kansas side. Though he made a point of mentioning it was with extreme difficulty, and much hunting...apparently he could only find one store that stocked the highs.

I am going to guess it was a Rexall drugstore. I think Topps had a distribution deal either directly with Rexall or a jobber that had a large number of Rexall outlets. They also had a deal with Woolworth's in 1952, although I am not sure if that was only in the NYC area. Most distribution would have been through tobacco jobbers long known to the Shorin family, probably dating back to 1910-14 or so.

The highs took some time to spread westward in '52 and early '53. Some went south but not many I think. They had a deal in place for Canada as well, it was made to cover second (80-130) series forward and the highs would have been part of it. That must have been uncut sheets as shipped as the Canadian packs only should have four cards (typical of Canada at the time) but I am not 100% positive on that last point.

[tedzan]

I am going to guess it was a Rexall drugstore. I think Topps had a distribution deal either directly with Rexall or a jobber that had a large number of Rexall outlets. They also had a deal with Woolworth's in 1952, although I am not sure if that was only in the NYC area. Most distribution would have been through tobacco jobbers long known to the Shorin family, probably dating back to 1910-14 or so.

The highs took some time to spread westward in '52 and early '53. Some went south but not many I think. They had a deal in place for Canada as well, it was made to cover second (80-130) series forward and the highs would have been part of it. That must have been uncut sheets as shipped as the Canadian packs only should have four cards (typical of Canada at the time) but I am not 100% positive on that last point.

Dave

A long time friend of mine, Ralph, who grew up near the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina acquired many 1952 T Hi#'s in late 1952 and early 1953.There was a
Ben Franklin 5 & 10 cent store in his neighborhood that was stocked with many of the Hi#'s. Interesetingly, they didn't have Lo#'s (#1-80) till the Summer of '52.
And, these cards were the 1st series Red Backs.

I grew up in Hillside, NJ and the 1st series BLack Backs were available in the Spring of '52. Hi#'s were plentiful from the corner "drug store/soda fountain" shoppe
were we lived. Here are the 5 cards from the last pack I bought when I was a kid in the Fall of '52.


http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/52tchapmjeffhermspenc.jpg
http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd339/tz1234zaz/mmantle52t.jpg



TED Z

[Brianruns10]

Dave

A long time friend of mine, Ralph, who grew up near the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina acquired many 1952 T Hi#'s in late 1952 and early 1953.There was a
Ben Franklin 5 & 10 cent store in his neighborhood that was stocked with many of the Hi#'s. Interesetingly, they didn't have Lo#'s (#1-80) till the Summer of '52.
And, these cards were the 1st series Red Backs.

I grew up in Hillside, NJ and the 1st series BLack Backs were available in the Spring of '52. Hi#'s were plentiful from the corner "drug store/soda fountain" shoppe
were we lived. Here are the 5 cards from the last pack I bought when I was a kid in the Fall of '52.



TED Z

Ted, nicely done! If there is one regret I have as a collector of Topps 52s, it's that I'm getting into it now, and never had the chance to buy them in the wax pack on their original run. That's a special thing!

You know, with a bit of oral history legwork, talking to baby boomers who collected 52s, I bet we could get a pretty fair idea of where and when the 52 highs were distributed. It's funny, but those details really stick with people. My dad can still clearly remember the names of the stores he went to to buy cards...

[toppcat]

Been there, done that:

http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/2010/08/1952-topps-high-numbers-all-wrapped-up.html

http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/2010/03/catching-up-on-coins-and-cards.html

http://net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=121143

There is another thread on 52 high distribution here but I can't seem to locate it with the search right now. I think it was in early 2010 though. FWIW I think the 52's highs are far more plentiful than their legend and pricing warrants.