1952 Topps Baseball - Perspectives

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

This makes me wonder if the same thing happened to the mid-series gray backs (#131-190) where you frequently see some cards, but rarely see others. You would think they were all printed in equal quantity - but that does not appear to be the case.

Per a previous thread, Post 42 makes the suggestion that the 3rd series sheet was 10x10 layout with #131-170 double-printed on the sheet, while #171-190 rows were single-printed.
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=128228

Looking at the 1952 Topps Pop Report, you would likely see lower average numbers of the cards graded in 171-190 (excepting the HOF/star cards). I would also expect to see a lower average grade for those cards, because people need any condition to complete the set, but will only send better conditioned cards for those are plentiful.

https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...52/topps/49722

What's with the #180 Charley Maxwell card? 940 or so graded, in nearly any condition. Just because he's a Red Sox player? Or was this considered a SP somewhere down the line which led to some mystique about the card?

Here's my counts by theoretical single-prints and double-prints.

131-170	Count	660.2	Grade	5.924067314	Stars:	House		

171-190	Count	604.55	Grade	5.798411596	Stars: 	Reiser	B Martin	Maxwell

Seems to be backed up by the numbers. Lower average count, lower average grade (although I left the stars in the averages). Billy Martin has 2 times the number of cards graded otherwise in the 171-190 range.

Even though if that sheet layout is correct, the cards in the middle rows of the sheet are the double-prints, giving them a better shot at being centered.