The history of modern cards can be traced to the 1950s. Even though some early cards were released before the war, it was after the war that things started to gather pace.
1952 was one of the best years for baseball card collectors. After Topps Gum released their first official modern set, baseball fans went crazy for these cards.
Mickey Mantle was obviously the highlight of that set, but there were several other cards that were immensely popular, especially for trading.
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About the 1952 Topps Set
The 1952 Topps baseball card set was the biggest card set after the war at that time. With 407 cards in the set, it was considered (and still is) the first modern card set that featured all the big baseball stars of that time.
Before 1952, Topps cards were only sold as additions to bubble gum packages or tied with other products. In 1952, however, it was the first time when these cards were sold separately.
Sy Berger is today considered “the father of modern cards”, as he was the lead designer of the 1952 Topps cards. He was helped by Woody Gelman and together, they crafted a set that would remain in people’s memories for decades.
It is said that Berger and Gelman designed these cards on Berger’s kitchen table. At that time, Sy Berger was only 28 and he was a WWII veteran, while Gelman already had some experience with similar products as a cartoonist.
The basic design of 1952 Topps cards contained the player’s name, his image, height, weight, stats, and a short biography on the back of the card, as well as an autograph under the player’s name.
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