O/T - Did You Buy '52 Topps High Numbers As A Kid?

[barrysloate]

I was born in 1952...but I remember the first pack I ever opened, in the summer of 1958, and in it was a Ted Williams All-Star. Didn't know what that meant, but I thought all the stars on the card looked pretty neat.

[GoldenAge50s]

I grew up in the Western NY area not too far from Buffalo. I bought alot of both Topps & Bowman, but never saw a Leaf or any Topps card above #250 anywhere in that area.

For yrs I thought my set was complete w/ #1-250!

I had Bowman from '48 on up but never knew Leaf existed. I had '51 Topps Red, Blue, Connie Mack & Team cards, but never saw a 3rd or 4th Series '52 Topps!

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

I grew up in the Western NY area not too far from Buffalo. I bought alot of both Topps & Bowman, but never saw a Leaf or any Topps card above #250 anywhere in that area.

For yrs I thought my set was complete w/ #1-250!

I had Bowman from '48 on up but never knew Leaf existed. I had '51 Topps Red, Blue, Connie Mack & Team cards, but never saw a 3rd or 4th Series '52 Topps!

Fred-

Interesting post. I am guessing you did not get any Major League All Stars then?

Your lack of high numbers in Buffalo is intriguing as I have a sort-of-theory that if Detroit did not get highs (or at least a lot of them) Buffalo and the upper US Great Lakes may not have either. I wonder if this ties in with players from Cleveland and Detroit not being too numerous in the highs as Topps knew their upper Great Lakes distribution was questionable in late 52, so why include players from those cities?

Conversely, I believe St. Catharine's, Hamilton and Toronto were all Canadian outposts that were normal recipients of Topps cards in the early to mid 50's, plus (eventually) Montreal/Quebec, or at least when 54/55 hockey came out. I am going off memory here but I seem to recall those three cities were Topps cities back then. Some of the 52 high number mysteries must revolve around which distributors Topps had lined up.

The selling into 53 makes a lot of sense. I wonder if Topps did that in 54, 55 and '56, which might explain why some wrappers are dated in 53, 54 and 55 and some are not.

Have at either theory folks-the more input the better!

[bigtrain]

I didn't buy my first cards until 1961, but my older cousins from Jersey City had boxes of early 50s Topps and I remember the Mantles from each year including '52 thumbtacked to their bedroom wall. My uncle had a neighborhood grocery store and I am sure my cousins opened more packs than he sold.

[martin neal]

My buddy who is too shy to post told me he remembers buying 1952 Topps (probably high series) in Ridley Park, Pennslyvania, but "Ziggy *******, stole them from me." It is a shame as most of his cards (Berk Ross, Bowmans and Topps) survived in the original condition as he bought them in. Many have been graded by Psa and Sgc in the 8 and 9 range.

[toppcat]

Appreciate all the input folks. Looks like they made it to California after all, maybe a little late.

The lack of Topps cards in a Bowman town is intresting. I would think some smaller towns or rural areas only had one distributor and if they already carried Bowman it may have precluded the Topps line being sold.

So far we also have a New Jersey waterfront across from Manhattan and a Philly suburb, North Carolina (surprise) and the California stops.

Any more recollections out there? Some of you guys are too young I know but this is a pretty big group, there must be more.

[pow323]

I went into Woolworths just the other day and picked up some of these boxes! HA! HA! Ole! to have a time machine.

[ctownboy]

I wasn't born then but an old time collector I know told me that he was buying high number 1952 Topps packs in late 1952 and Spring of 1953. He lived in Pennsylvania and bought them at a drug store.

David