1955 Topps was the first of 2 consecutive years of horizontal designs with both years just a bit larger than today's standard size. As with most Topps cards, facsimile autographs are featured on each card. The set had two series, #1-160 and "High Numbers" #161-210. Four card #'s (175,186,203,209) were not issued and do not exist likely due to the continuing contract battles between Topps and Bowman. Topps eventually won the war, buying Bowman in December, 1955 but many stars were left out of the 1955 Topps set including Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Whitey Ford & Bob Feller. Cards were sold in penny and nickel wax packs along with larger cello packs.

Top ROOKIEs: Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Harmon Killebrew
Top Stars: Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Al Kaline, Ernie Banks, Warren Spahn, Jackie Robinson, Eddie Mathews, Phil Rizzuto, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, & Duke Snider. With a total of (15) Hall of Famers are in the set

Another very popular card in the 1955 set is "The Golden Greek" Harry Agganis. A tragic story, Agganis was a rising young star who died after his first and only card was issued. A football star at Boston U., he had turned down an offer from the Cleveland Browns to play baseball. Agganis, who had just won as the Red Sox starting first baseman, came down with pneumonia but things got worse and he ended up dying of a Pulmonary Embolism.

The 1951 Red & Blue Back issues (52 cards each) were similar to a deck of cards and could be used to play a baseball card game. The sets left out all the game's stars and were not fan favorites keeping Bowman far ahead in the baseball card market.

In response, Topps issued their "BIGGER is BETTER" 1952 Topps set they described as: "GIANT IN BOTH SIZE and NUMBER of CARDS" (407).

Series one cards (#1-80) can be found with black or red backs. The key card in the 1952 Topps set is card #311 MICKEY MANTLE. It is often called Mickey Mantle's Rookie card but it is not. The honor goes to his 1951 Bowman card. The 1952 Topps set also featured my favorite and THE greatest player of all-time, WILLIE MAYS !!! Again, this is sometimes called Willie Mays' Rookie card but it is not. That honor also goes to his 1951 Bowman card. Another 1952 Topps card of note is card #1 Andy Pafko. Pafko, a fine player, is basically just a "Common card" and should be worth no more than any other "Common" in the 1952 Topps set - But SURPRIZE !!! It's worth TONS more because it's card #1 and absorbed much more damage than most cards from rubber bands and other damage, thus high grade cards are very, very tough to find accounting for the super high values.
BUT --- That should not account for the super high asking prices on lower grade copies. THose prices do not make sense (supply and demand).

The 6th (last) series, starts with #311 Mickey Mantle and ends with #407 Braves Hall-of-Famer Eddie Mathews. These "High Numbers" are significantly scarcer and can almost be called rare. In addition to Mickey Mantle, other star High Numbers included #312 Jackie Robinson and #314 Roy Campanella.

The most common explanation for their scarcity is as follows.
This HUGE set was released in series weeks apart. When it came to the last series the baseball season was winding down and football was starting. Most candy store owners had boxes of baseball cards leftover from earlier in the year so most eliminated their orders for the 6th series of 1952 Topps thus creating the scarcity.

To add interest to the story, it is often said that the unsold 6th series cards (including THOUSANDS of 1952 Topps MICKEY MANTLEs !!!) were disposed of by Topps, dumped offshore into the Atlantic Ocean like most of New York's trash in those days.

The auction history of vintage baseball cards is long and colorful.

The 1909-1911 T-206 Honus Wagner tobacco card has been auctioned reaching as high as 2.8 million in one auction. Often called the "Holy Grail of Sports Cards", to me it's super-high auction value can mostly be attributed to good PR and "auction fever". It is not even close to being the rarest baseball card and Honus Wagner was not the most popular or important player. Yes, the T-206 set is beautiful and special in it's own right but because of it's huge size and many scarcities, it is not one many collector's ever try to complete, which should keep auction competition way down compared to say the 1933 Goudey or 1952 Topps baseball card issues.
BUT IT DOES NOT...

There is a back story about Wagner banning his card because of his anti-tobacco stance but there are other stories about a more financial consideration.

I am sure you have all heard of the grading company PSA. You may also already have heard that this card was the FIRST card graded by PSA. But did you know that a dealer (B... .a...o) admitted in court to tampering with the card, perhaps by trimming it down to size, before PSA graded it so highly before it was placed in the auction ?

Bowman Gum Company had rights to produce NFL football cards from 1948 thru 1952. 1951 Bowman football cards were available in 6-card packs for a nickle and single-card packs for a penny !!! Each with a piece of gum. WHAT A BARGAIN !!! The top rookie card in this set is of future Cowboys Hall-of-Famer Tom Landry.