Fifties Friday: 1953 Topps

Probably one of the hardest things for a company with a successful product to do is to follow up the initial success with another winner (Apple's next big release after the Apple II was the Lisa; did anyone buy the Lisa?) That's what Topps was facing in 1953. And their hands were going to be somewhat tied. Topps and Bowman were battling to sign players for their sets, and as exclusive contracts were signed, the number of players available for cards dropped. The 1953 set would feature 274 cards, down from 407 the previous year.

But Topps was able to put out a very nice looking set. The cards again featured a painted picture of the player. The back of the card included the first appearance of a baseball card trivia quiz, which Topps called "Dugout Quiz." This innovation would eventually lead to our friend, Stumpy.

The smaller set size meant fewer Cubs, only 13. That also meant that I could afford to get the cards, which I did! I wasn't going to break the bank going after mint condition cards. For me, part of the charm of cards from the Fifties is that they look like they are old. So if the corners are rounded, or there is a small crease, that's ok for me....and it saves me some dollars too.

Here are your 1953 Topps Chicago Cubs....















I got this one off of ebay at a price that was about the same as a card with no autograph. I have no idea if it's authentic, but how may Turk Lown forgers are out there??