Topps Baseball Card Company First Set of Baseball Cards
Most people think of 1952 as the first entrée for Topps into baseball cards. They would be wrong! It all started a year earlier in 1951 with a rounded corner multiple color back set. Today, these cards are very affordable because there isn’t nearly as much demand for this set as there is for the 1952 which includes Mantle and Mathews Rookie cards.
1951 baseball cards were released as part of a game for kids. Each card on the lower right hand corner indicates what each card should be used for in the game. (Homerun, foul ball, strike, stolen base, or ball) There are not a lot of Hall of Famer’s in this set due to contractual issues between Topps and the baseball players. Many of the players’ had exclusive agreements with Bowman Baseball Card Company which prohibited them from also being in the Topps set.
There are essentially two different sets that Topps produced in 1951. Each set has 52 cards and the only difference is the color on the reverse of the cards. You either have a red back or a blue back. Several decades ago, a large number of red back cards were found, so the blue backs today are more rare and valuable.
Some of the players’ have interesting bios/stories. #51 Eddie Waitkus mentions him bouncing back from an almost fatal gunshot wound. A crazed/obsessed female fan in Chicago used an alias to check into the Chicago Edgewater Hotel. A message was delivered to Waitkus to visit her room. She had ordered two whiskey sours and a strawberry daquiri. Upon entry to her room, she shot Waitkus. When the hotel security opened the hotel room door, she was holding his head in her lap. The plan was for her to commit suicide after his death but neither happened.
One of the more valuable cards in the set is Yogi Berra. Because it is the first card in the set, it is hard to find in high grade. Additionally, these cards were designed to be used in a children’s game so most of the cards were used accordingly. You won ‘t find Williams, Mantle, or Mays in this set.
This is a unique set, but very affordable today. It is easy to find all the cards since there are only 52 in each set.
What are some of the challenges you have in collecting this set? Let me know by commenting below
