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Braves Collection - Early Topps

I'm not a big fan of the larger cards that Topps produced from 1952 to 1956 so I haven't started actively pursuing Braves cards from those years.  I will eventually get around to it if I can find some good deals.  I don't have a Braves card from 1952 Topps. 

1951 Topps Blue Back - Topps first baseball issue was two series of game cards.  One with red backs and one with blue backs.  They are smaller than the picture below.


12 Sam Jethroe - Sam was the Braves first African-American player and won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1950 after leading the league in stolen bases at age 33.


The back is blue.  Go figure.

1953 - I like the artwork of these cards but I think the black bar should have extended across the entire card.


197 Del Crandall - The artist gives Del a light unibrow.  Del has no stats for 1952 as he was in the military.


The signature over the biographical info makes it hard to read and was is "Strike Outs" in quotes in the trivia question.  This back design is way too busy.

1954 - Why two pictures?


79 Andy Pafko - Is that Angel Andy or Devil Andy floating over his shoulder?


I like the backs of these cards.  The variety of colors makes it interesting and the stats are easy to read.

1955 - Topps goes landscape.  Still not a fan of two pictures but I like these better than the 1954.


117 Mel Roach - Mel was actually in the military in 1955 and 1956 so I'm not sure why Topps felt compelled to make a card of him, especially since he was 0 for 6 in his career at this point.


Topps went with a more muted color scheme than the previous year and it makes the back kind of drab.

1956 - The last year of the oversize cards brings us another landscape design.  I like this one a lot better than the 1955.


219 Lew Burdette - The Braves top right-handed starter for several years.  I'm not sure why they show a pitcher base running.  Was he safe or out?


Seems like they muted the color scheme a bit more with the change to the grey cardboard.

Starting with 1957 I have many more cards for each year so I'll scan my favorites but not every one.

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