The debut issue of Topps’ monumental Big Baseball card series was released in 1952 and represented a landmark moment in the history of collectible trading cards. Produced on larger 5 1⁄2 x 8 inch card stock, the oversized Topps Big cards offered sports fans of the early 1950s a new exciting way to celebrate their favorite major league players and teams.
Topps dubbed the first series of the Big cards as “Post-season Action Shots” and featured 280 individual player and team cards that highlighted the biggest MLB stars and events from the 1951 season. Some of the most notable and valuable rookie cards included in the 1st Series included a Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and a young Hank Aaron. The ornate colorful designs showcased action photos of players alongside their team name, position, batting average, and home runs stats from ‘51.
While Topps had produced various smaller baseball sets dating back to 1951, the mammoth scaled Big cards were an immediate sensation among collectors. The larger card stock allowed Topps designers to get more creative with colorful team logos, player portraits, and factual statistics. The oversized cards also provided kids and adults alike with posters they could proudly display on their walls and bedrooms to follow the glory of Major League baseball throughout the year.
Topps’ first Big Baseball series came on the heels of Mickey Mantle’s record-setting rookie campaign with the New York Yankees in 1951. Knowing Mantle’s burgeoning superstar status, Topps made sure to prominently feature the ‘Commerce Comet’ on the front of several cards in the set, including one highlighting his 1951 Topps Gum rookie card. Mantle’s rising popularity no doubt helped drive initial sales and collector interest for the debut Topps Big set.
Another notable rookie included was a bright-eyed 20-year old New York Giants outfielder named Willie Mays. Although he had only played in 51 games in 1951, Topps recognized Mays’ immense talents and included his rookie card featuring his electrifying defensive skills patrolling centerfield for the Giants. Both Mantle and Mays’ cards from the 1952 Topps Big set are considered the pair’s true rookie cards and are among the most valuable in the entire hobby today.
In terms of design, Topps’ first Big Baseball set was highly colorful and boasted arresting graphics that popped off the oversized card stock. Team logos and uniforms were prominently displayed through bright vibrant colors. Player headshots and action photos were large and print quality was sharp. Topps also included factual details for each star like final season stats and career highlights to date. The level of care and detail that went into each card helped establish the Topps brand as the serious sports collector’s choice.
To promote their new expansion into the oversized card marketplace, Topps utilized comic panels on the packaging that brought the cards to life with a storytelling element. This helped lure in young collectors beyond just the allure of swapping and collecting the favorite players and teams. Topps also increased production numbers compared to prior sets to meet the growing demand for their innovative Big cards.
One of the most visually striking cards from the ‘52 Topps Big set was dedicated to the Brooklyn Dodgers and featured a nine-panel comic strip showcase across the front side. The colorful panels depicted various Dodgers stars hammering home runs, stealing bases and making acrobatic catches – personifying the talent and excitement of the “Boys of Summer.”
Other notables from the ‘52 Topps Big Baseball set included a young 24-year old Milwaukee Braves outfielder named Hank Aaron on the cusp of greatness in his first full MLB season. Aaron’s bright rookie card with its vivid Indian red colors remains a historic piece of the Hammer’s legend. Topps also included pioneering African American stars like Roy Campanella, Monte Irvin, and the legendary Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers on his fifth post-Rookie season card.
In terms of condition, high grade examples of cards from Topps’ 1952 Big Baseball set have become some of the most coveted and valuable in the hobby over the intervening decades. The sheer size of the oversized cards makes them more susceptible to edge and surface wear through handling and play over the years compared to later smaller issues. Well-cared for specimens that earned solid grades of 8 or above can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction today – a true testament to the set’s iconic place in card collecting history.
While cards featuring mid-tier star players or common athletes can still be obtained for a few hundred dollars in average condition, the true Crown Jewel RCs of Mantle, Mays, and Aaron have sold individually for over $100,000 in pristine mint form. And a perfect quality example of the rare and dramatic ‘52 Topps Brooklyn Dodgers 9-panel card listed above might eclipse $500K if offered at public auction with today’s escalated values for vintage sports collectibles.
Topps’ initial Big Baseball set from 1952 not only brought a new era of jumbo-sized fun and excitement for fans and collectors, it enshrined some of the truest pioneering rookie cards in the industry that to this day define entire careers of Hall of Fame greatness for players like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. With sharp images, wild graphics, and post-season statistical details of 1951 – Topps delivered their most ambitious project yet that became an instant classic and paved the way for the massive success of subsequent Big card series in later years. The impact and enduring significance of cards from the very first Topps Big Baseball set can still be seen and felt 70 years later by collectors around the world.
