Questions about 1952 Topps Advertising Panels

[hharm3]

I originally posted this in the Pre-War forum but they pointed me here.

We're currently going through my late FIL's cards. He has the 5 1952 Topps panels below. Only 1 of them currently appears on tcdb. Is there any idea on how many different 3 card combos were made? Is it known how many were made? Any other relevant info would be great.

Thanks







Backs are all the same

[irv]

These 2 have been for sale for quite sometime.
They do not have the typical salesman back but that is what the seller concluded. (big write up as you scroll down)
I wrote and asked him some questions to that but he never replied.
Maybe you will have better luck or will be able to receive some more information?
Good luck.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/265526260113
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/265526273043

[hharm3]

Thanks. Although those look more like uncut cards? than what I have. All the others I have found online have been 3 cards and have the same backs as mine.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by irv

These 2 have been for sale for quite sometime.
They do not have the typical salesman back but that is what the seller concluded. (big write up as you scroll down)

Those look more like cut from a High series sheet, to me. Why would Topps print up salesman samples for the High Series? If you notice the other samples, they're all from the first series (1-90), right?
#12 Basgall
#13 Wyrostek
#14 B Elliott

#18 Combs
#19 Bucha
#20 Loes

#45 Joost
#46 Goldsberry
#47 W Jones

#10 Rosen
#9 Hogue
#8 Marsh

Each panel seems to be three consecutively numbered cards; is that how they were arranged on an uncut 1st series sheet?

[hharm3]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Those look more like cut from a High series sheet, to me. Why would Topps print up salesman samples for the High Series? If you notice the other samples, they're all from the first series (1-90), right?
#12 Basgall
#13 Wyrostek
#14 B Elliott

#18 Combs
#19 Bucha
#20 Loes

#45 Joost
#46 Goldsberry
#47 W Jones

#10 Rosen
#9 Hogue
#8 Marsh

Each panel seems to be three consecutively numbered cards; is that how they were arranged on an uncut 1st series sheet?

I didn't know they were consecutive numbers. That's great info.
I realized when you posted that I forgot to post the 5th panel.

#42, 43 and 44

Thanks.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by irv

These 2 have been for sale for quite sometime.
They do not have the typical salesman back but that is what the seller concluded. (big write up as you scroll down)
I wrote and asked him some questions to that but he never replied.
Maybe you will have better luck or will be able to receive some more information?
Good luck.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/265526260113
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/265526273043

Not to derail this thread but there is something very peculiar about those two 1952 Topps High Number two card panels. Every sheet or partial sheet that I have seen of 1952 Topps has the cards in sequential order but those two 52 Topps High Number panels have the cards way out of order, #406 Nuxhall next to #372 McDougald and #400 Dickey next to #321 Black. Here is a 1952 Topps partial sheet with #371 Hofman to the left of #372 McDougald, and a partial sheet with #401 Schultz to the right of #400 Dickey.

[Seven]

I find it incredible, that so many things in our hobby, salesmen samples especially, have withstood the test of time. That uncut panel with Mantle and Jackie

[irv]

Originally Posted by hharm3

Thanks. Although those look more like uncut cards? than what I have. All the others I have found online have been 3 cards and have the same backs as mine.

Originally Posted by swarmee

Those look more like cut from a High series sheet, to me. Why would Topps print up salesman samples for the High Series? If you notice the other samples, they're all from the first series (1-90), right?
#12 Basgall
#13 Wyrostek
#14 B Elliott

#18 Combs
#19 Bucha
#20 Loes

#45 Joost
#46 Goldsberry
#47 W Jones

#10 Rosen
#9 Hogue
#8 Marsh

Each panel seems to be three consecutively numbered cards; is that how they were arranged on an uncut 1st series sheet?

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

Not to derail this thread but there is something very peculiar about those two 1952 Topps High Number two card panels. Every sheet or partial sheet that I have seen of 1952 Topps has the cards in sequential order but those two 52 Topps High Number panels have the cards way out of order, #406 Nuxhall next to #372 McDougald and #400 Dickey next to #321 Black. Here is a 1952 Topps partial sheet with #371 Hofman to the left of #372 McDougald, and a partial sheet with #401 Schultz to the right of #400 Dickey.

Because they have been for sale for a while now, I forget exactly what I asked the seller, but I do recall questioning how he came to that conclusion and questioned him if he could possibly be wrong or mistaken?

Your questions, like mine, and possibly other interested buyers also not receiving replies are likely a big reason why they are still for sale after all this time?

[ALR-bishop]

I just have a cut panel

[hharm3]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I just have a cut panel

Thanks. Those are the highest numbers I have seen. Makes me wonder if there were samples made from at least the first 90 cards. Want to see the Warren Spahn sample if so.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by irv

Because they have been for sale for a while now, I forget exactly what I asked the seller, but I do recall questioning how he came to that conclusion and questioned him if he could possibly be wrong or mistaken?

Your questions, like mine, and possibly other interested buyers also not receiving replies are likely a big reason why they are still for sale after all this time?

Those are fake, I'm 99% sure of it

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I just have a cut panel

Hi Al!

Here as well , but I do have a Hodges and Sauer and sold a spahn. Maybe a whole 1st series set exists?

[irv]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Those are fake, I'm 99% sure of it

That crossed my mind too, especially being ungraded and the lack of a reply from the seller, but I just wasn't sure?

[hharm3]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Hi Al!

Here as well , but I do have a Hodges and Sauer and sold a spahn. Maybe a whole 1st series set exists?

You sold a Spahn cut or the whole panel with Spahn?

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by hharm3

You sold a Spahn cut or the whole panel with Spahn?

Spahn cut, badly at that. Hodges and sauer are separated as well

[Zach Wheat]

I have a #34 Valo single part of a cut panel

[Zach Wheat]

Reverse of 1952 Topps #34 Valo

[hharm3]

At least yours is very well cut.

[ALR-bishop]

If you are trying to be sure you have a matching cut panel uneven cuts are actually helpful

[GasHouseGang]

So were these salesman sample panels do you think? I can see Spahn on the upper panel on the left, and Slaughter and Snider on the panel on the right. The panel that's behind the boxes also has a Slaughter.

[toppcat]

They could be, or might be blank backs. If you take 3 card sections, you eventually have either 1 or 4 cards left over per row. Topps hated waste and those panels are all 4 across, which makes sense. Now they could have just cut up some production sheets but the math works if they were from a small run intended as samples. No way to prove it now of course but it seems like a possible method to me. 5x5 sample/proof/final quadrants also makes sense as those are seen as well in the hobby, as shown in one of the posts above.

[Griffins]

No, I would definitely not call them salesman samples. They are uncut panels, but not salesman.
Given how they were used, there is no point in having high number salesman samples. They were used in advance of that years series to promote sales of the new product. By the time high numbers came around most stores had moved on from baseball.
There are cases of people calling any 3 card panel a salesman sample ( '53 Bowman quite often) but without ad copy on the back they are not salesman samples, just uncut panels.
Here's mine:

[hharm3]

Originally Posted by Griffins

No, I would definitely not call them salesman samples. They are uncut panels, but not salesman.
Given how they were used, there is no point in having high number salesman samples. They were used in advance of that years series to promote sales of the new product. By the time high numbers came around most stores had moved on from baseball.
There are cases of people calling any 3 card panel a salesman sample ( '53 Bowman quite often) but without ad copy on the back they are not salesman samples, just uncut panels.
Here's mine:

Very nice. First time I have seen a duplicate to one of mine. I assume the only grade these are given is Authentic?

[ALR-bishop]

Anthony has a great run of these Salesman Samples for Topps and Bowman. My go to guy on the subject. And his unopened pack run is out of sight

[Griffins]

Originally Posted by hharm3

I assume the only grade these are given is Authentic?

Correct.



thanks for the kind words Al.

[e6phillips]

For whatever it is worth, from my experience collecting 1956 salesman samples, I have only seen cards from the first series used as samples.

If anyone has any salesman samples from any year that you'd be willing to sell or trade, please let me know.