1962 Topps # 10 Roberto Clemente (Pirates)

1952 is often thought of as Topps 1st baseball card set, but it was not.
Topps issued several smaller baseball card sets prior to their huge 1952 set.
Topps buzz word was "BIGGER is BETTER" for their 1952 Topps set which Topps described as: "GIANT IN BOTH SIZE and NUMBER of CARDS" (407).

Key card in the 1952 Topps set is #311 MICKEY MANTLE. Often called Mickey Mantle's Rookie card - BUT IT IS NOT. That honor goes to his 1951 Bowman.
1952 Topps "High Numbers" (#311-#407), are very, very scarce with an interesting story:
This HUGE set was released in series weeks apart. By the last (6th) series, baseball season was over and football starting. Candy shops had plenty of baseball cards from earlier series so most cancelled their orders for the last series creating the scarcity.

Adding interest is how Topps disposed of the now un-needed cards including THOUSANDS of 1952 Topps MICKEY MANTLE's. They dumped them into the Atlantic Ocean like most of New York's trash in those days.

The 1969-1970 Topps Basketball set, (99) "Tall Boys" (a huge 2-1/2 x 4-11/16) , sold in 10-card packs for 10 cents, was history making in card size & players. WOW !!! Lew Alcindor's ROOKIE (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), John Havlicek, Dave Bing, Earl the Pearl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Elvin Hayes & more.

Brightly-colored "Rulers" were random inserts. Delicate 2-1/2 x 9-7/8, printed on thin paper, they featured a cartoon drawing and a ruler measuring his height. Planned for 24, #5 Bill Russell was not issued.

Man was the 1948-1949 Leaf baseball set PACKED !!! The set was small in numbers and size with only (98) 2-3/8" by 2-7/8" cards. With only 98 cards, the set was "skip-numbered" with card numbers from 1 thru 168. Likely an attempt to force collectors to keep buying packs looking for their missing cards. (49) cards are considered "Short Prints" and there is one variation card #136: Full Sleeve/Short Sleeve (error)