Quest for the best worst 1952 Low Run
 

I am 76 cards in to attempting to put together a good looking but low grade set of 1952’s 1-310

It’s been great fun but I am shocked about how prices vary on eBay.
I have been pretty lucky to average about 6/card an have 10/16 hall of famers
I have also noticed that unlike other sets there does not seem to be any large lot discount
Curious if anyone else is attempting a similar set and their successes and strategies

Man they look good all laid out like that don't they? Nice start to the set. Keep us posted on your progress. I'm not doing the 52s yet so I have no related stories of my quest but it's fun to follow someone else's.

I just bought 3 large lots of 52 Topps. I will let you know my dupes. I'm in at less than $5 a card.

Thanks - would love to hear what you have available

I've been chasing the HOFers and popular players for a while. I try to stay under $20 a card for HOFers and under $10 for the others. They are out there but not a lot. I guess it boils down to how much damage you are ok with.

It really has less to do with how much damage and more to do with how many auctions you are willing to lose before you get the card

I've been collecting since Jan of 2016 and I'm currently 3 cards short (Pafko, Berra and Martin) of completing my low number run.

Back, approx 30+ yrs ago, my father gave me 148 cards of both low and high numbered cards.

Since 2016, when I re-entered the hobby, I have been picking away at it ever since usually by just purchasing single cards that I've won in an eBay auction. I have seen/looked at lots and some I wish I had of bid on but didn't.

I don't collect at the feverish pace I once did but just recently picked up a low grade Rizzuto, finally.

I look mostly on eBay but I have purchased a few from members here as well.
Going forward, I will likely continue doing the same. Just purchasing a card here and there as I can afford it. (Cards are in my FlickR link below) (pics of the cards my father gave me)

I love pinholes. Got this Psa 1 that looks like a 6 except for the pin hole for 8 bucks. Anyone else think that pin holes should be a qualifier rather then a 1.

Would you leave that as a 1 or break it out? That grade doesn't do it justice!

Agree with Ted, nice looking card, pin hole or not

Probably going to leave in as a monument to the irrationality of some grading standards

Beautiful card. Personally I think it is accurately graded and hate qualifiers. They are like saying my totaled car is in mint condition, well except for the damage it got rolling down that cliff.:D

PM me your email and later today/tonight I will look for the 1 or 2 1952 common(s) I have left. I will email you a pic and if you need it/them you can have it/them.

Well if you are going for low grade, buying in lots of saves a bunch in shipping fees. Sellers seem to sell low grade cards in lots more often....then trade the rest. Curious is you are going to go for both red back and black back

-Z

Latest additions highlighted by two cards

First Pete Reiser. Pete Reiser is largely forgotten today but may have been a what have been along the lines of Herb Score. There is a great section in the great Roger Kahn book The Era which details the many skills and many hustle injuries suffered by Reiser. Kahn notes that when Leo Deroucher was asked who the best player ever was he would say “Willie Mays was but Pete Reiser could have been “

The second Don Bollweg. This may just be a common in low grade but it also represents what is great about the board. This card was given to me by a board member Ben North at no cost. He had one and saw my post and sent it.

3 Fightin’ Phillies bring my quest to 82/310

The Natural & Other Notables
 

Still sorting through all the commons with varying condition issues. Every once in a while I find a semi-star and I get pretty pumped. When it has a black back, I'm like Kirk Gibson rounding 2nd. I really have to go get a few stars to go with these cards. Maybe a Mays or something...

Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself collecting these 52 Topps cards.

Like you, when I found out black backs were tougher/rarer, I also checked mine out and was as equally thrilled when I seen I had a few.

I purchased this Marv Rickert card some time ago, (which I had trouble obtaining) but was glad to find out this card is rather tough to find with a black back. I had no idea at the time and even though it's not in the greatest condition, knowing it is a black back takes some of that disappointment away.

Up to 109/310 (with 11/16 Hofers)

Below a couple of cards and players who aren’t remembered much but should be

George Kell - maybe the least known Hofer, and the type of player who really doesn’t exist any more, a high average plus defender third basemen with almost no power.

Virgil Trucks- went 177-135 and lived until he was over 95

Eddie Waitkus - the inspiration for The Natural- back of card bio read “shot by crazed girl”

Larry Jensen - a fine pitcher who is holding up 7 fingers to signify his 7 children