Canadian Version of 52 topps Mantle

[Billwinkle]

Lets start off with "great site enjoy it allot" . As always I am in some need of assistance. My brother and I have collected cards since we were kids. He is 74 now I am 55. I was surfing the site and notice the mention of "grey Back Canadian 1952 Mantle's". My brother has somewhere in excess of 800 52's and at least 2 of all the big cards in the set, including the Mantles. As we are both just passive baseball collectors (more into hockey) we were not aware there was more than one version of these cards until just a year or so ago. At that time we learned there were two versions. Is the Canadian version a 3rd version and if so does it command an even higher premium. Also does it come with all the other difference in American variations? We are from Canada and the cards were bought by him here in Canada when he was a kid. He is in the process of convincing himself to sell because his health is failing but he doesn't want to give the stuff away. I am traveling to his place in a couple of weeks and we want to catalog and inventory his cards. Not sure when or how he is going to sell but he needs to get an inventory of what his collection holds. He doesn't have a computer so I am going to put it on my laptop.

[ALR-bishop]

Bill

To the best of my knowledge there are just two Mantle variants, which result from it's DP status in the last series. There are both front and back ( stitches) differences in the two cards. The scarce and expensive "Canadian" gray backs, which can cost more than high series cards, involve only cards 131-190, the 3d series

Al

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img126.jpg
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img127.jpg

[Billwinkle]

That clears it up for us a bit. It is puzzling why the 3rd series only would be "grey backs" . Is the difference very noticeable or is it slightly different. I don't have the cards in front of me because my brother is about 150 miles from me. I will be going there during my holidays so I will be able to enlighten him then. He is computer illiterate as a matter of fact he doesn't even own one, so I am going to try a catalog as much of his collection as I can at that time. LOL he still has a dial phone not even a push button phone.

[ALR-bishop]

In many Topps sets the cards can vary by series as either gray or white backs, and in some, 1959 and 1960 come to mind, even a single series can have mixed backs. For those two years the price differential for the different backs is not too significant. But for the first 50 cards of the 1953 set, and cards 131 to 190 of the 52 set, the differential for the gray backs is significant.

These cards are sometimes referred to as "Canadians" because it was speculated that they were produced and distributed for Topps in Canada . I believe there is some hobby dispute about that, but not about the fact these gray backs are scarce compared to the regular cards. The fronts of these cards also tend to be darker and less focused, but apparently not always so. Top condition 52 gray backs in the 131-190 range often go for more money than the high series cards.

If you search for Topps 1952 gray backs and or Canadians on ebay you will find several examples, several offered by 707 Sportscards. Remember there are other 52 gray backs in other series in the set. You should look for those gray back cards numbered 131-190

I only have 11 of the 52 gray backs but there are a couple of collectors here with almost or completed sets. Huggins and Scott recently offered what it called a Topps 1952 Super set which included a full set of the grays and other variant cards not listed for the "normal" Topps 1952 master set

http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/news/auction-previews/ever-seen-a-1952-topps-super-set-its-579-cards-deep-with-two-mantles
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=172391
http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/1952-topps-super-set-highlights-huggins-scott-auction/
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-Gray-Back-137-R-GB-Roy-McMillan-PSA-4-9956-/310661951693?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item4854e530cd
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1952-Topps-Gray-Back-137-R-GB-Roy-McMillan-PSA-4-9956-/310661951693?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item4854e530cd

[Billwinkle]

Thanks for the info on the gray backs. I will let you know how many of them he has once I get there to inventory them. If they are indeed a Canadian variation I would have to assume all the cards he has from the numbers you listed would be gray backs. I just called him and gave him the good news and he said all his cards were bought in Canada when he was a kid. As he has about 800 of the 52's I have to assume many of them will be gray backs. Once again thanks and when he decides to sell I will let you know what he has available. Unfortunately he is the same as me and we don't have any slabbed cards.

[ALR-bishop]

.... Should be a criminal offense....kidnapping and false imprissonment