1952 Topps display in Brooklyn Woolworths???

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 12:40AM

Anyone have a link to this photo. It was in an auction last year but was also posted on this board. I used to have it as my screen saver but have lost it and cant find the link. Anyone know where to find it?? Thanks-Claude

Griffins · August 11, 2006 12:49AM

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 12:55AM

Thats it...thanks Griffins!!

rbeaton · August 11, 2006 1:00AM

There is also this one from 1953.

Robert

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 1:31AM

Hey...at around $2500 a PACK for the '52's...how much money is sitting on that table????? Wow...better than the stock market as far as return!

MantleMarisFordBerra · August 11, 2006 2:17AM

*sigh* you know you're a dork when you can look and the blurry image of the '52 cards on display and start naming the cards.Let's see...

That apears to be Warren Sphan on the left panel, bottom row 3 over, and of course that's the famous Gus Zernal card on the bottom left corner of the left panel. And I think it's Andy Pafko, card #1 in the set, that's in between them.

As far as the right panel, that looks like the Duke Snider card bottom row 3 over, and it might be the Phil Pizzuto card top row 3 over.

Anyone else?
Too bad I can't afford any of 'em lol.

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 3:07AM

WOW... Guess u know your '52 Topps!!!

MorrellMan · August 11, 2006 4:10AM

Holy crap Robert! I've never seen that one. Now I have ANOTHER picture to stare at for hours.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · August 11, 2006 4:15AM

Thanks Robert. Thats a new one to me. Awesome.

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 4:23AM

Yeah, the '53s are cool too. Hey Mark, what are those Wings packs??? Bet those would go for a pretty penny now too!!

Barfvader · August 11, 2006 4:24AM

<< *sigh* you know you're a dork when you can look and the blurry image of the '52 cards on display and start naming the cards.Let's see...

That apears to be Warren Sphan on the left panel, bottom row 3 over, and of course that's the famous Gus Zernal card on the bottom left corner of the left panel. And I think it's Andy Pafko, card #1 in the set, that's in between them.

As far as the right panel, that looks like the Duke Snider card bottom row 3 over, and it might be the Phil Pizzuto card top row 3 over.

Anyone else?
Too bad I can't afford any of 'em lol. >>

Bottom row looks like as you noted Gus Zernial, Eddie Robinson, Warren Spahn and Elmer Valo.

But I cheated using the pic of the 52 Topps proof that was in the Robert Edward auction. Bottom row looks the same to me.

gosteelers · August 11, 2006 4:29AM

I love when this thread pops up every now and then. It just makes you stop what you're doing and fantasize about a time machine or something! Very, very cool pics!

digicat · August 11, 2006 4:46AM

1953 Topps packs, Series 3 no less.

So, how did the series packs work? Was Series 3 a combination of all 3 series, or ONLY series 3 cards?

The Willie Mays card was in series 3, plus a load of SP's. Sigh. Stuff like this makes me wish I had a Delorian, a flux capacitor, and a "Mr Fusion".

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 4:50AM

Wow, I didn't even notice those were 3rd series packs!!!! A ton of money in those two pics. at today's prices. I'd just like one of each please!!

(boxes that is!!)

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · August 11, 2006 4:58AM

Was it 52 or 53 that got dumped into the ocean?

1966CUDA · August 11, 2006 5:05AM

'52 high-series, at least thats how the story goes.

gonzoa · August 11, 2006 5:29AM

FANTASTIC PICS.....

and i don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me the story....Was it 52 or 53 that got dumped into the ocean? ....52 high-series, at least thats how the story goes

it has either escaped me or was at one point washed away in a flood of bong water.

baseballfanatic · August 11, 2006 5:31AM

<< FANTASTIC PICS.....

and i don't mean to hijack the thread, but can someone tell me the story....Was it 52 or 53 that got dumped into the ocean? ....52 high-series, at least thats how the story goes

it has either escaped me or was at one point washed away in a flood of bong water. >>

Bong water is now recycled to make Coke Blak.........

Griffins · August 11, 2006 6:43AM

Here's the background on the '52 Topps High numbers, Sy Berger was Topps art director.

<<Berger dramatically improved the design for '52 and it sold so well, Topps decided to produce a second series. "By the time it came out, it was World Series time. We learned that kids don't buy baseball cards at World Series time because football is starting," Berger told the Associated Press last year. "We had a lot of cards left over, packed in boxes in our warehouse." Berger hired a garbage boat, loaded the cards and rode with them as a tugboat pulled them off the New Jersey shore. In a flash, the cards were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. "I don't know how many cards there were, but it was enough to make you a millionaire," he said. "We didn't know.">>

And a good rundown on '52 and '53 Topps, including series info
George Vrechek article

MorrellMan · August 11, 2006 6:51AM

Topps Wings set, 200 cards. I always thought they were 1953, but PSA holders them as 1952.
They're not quite as valuable as many of the other '50s sets, but I guarantee if those boxes were around today, they'd be worth a pretty penny.

baseballfanatic · August 11, 2006 6:56AM

Enough cards to make you a millionaire could be less than a whopping 7 cards!

ColleSystem · August 11, 2006 7:31AM

I'd love to have a framed reprint of that photograph for hanging.

Griffins · August 11, 2006 7:45AM

<< 'd love to have a framed reprint of that photograph for hanging. >>

Me too. I tried upresing the biggest scan they had in the auction, using every possible way, and the best I could do was a so-so 5x7. A few of us were going to go in on the print, and then I could shot a copy shot and make prints, but it ended up going for $914.29 and that was a bit beyond what any of us was willing to cough up. Oh well, nice as a screen shot.

pomobileclk · August 11, 2006 8:27AM

Here it is at about 11x14.
I cleaned it up a bit to get rid of the scratches so it would look better. Copy and paste it to your hard drive. If it is too big for most computer screens then I may have to shrink it a bit to prevent scrolling from left to right.

lawnmowerman · August 11, 2006 10:43AM

<< I love when this thread pops up every now and then. It just makes you stop what you're doing and fantasize about a time machine or something! Very, very cool pics! >>

lol, I was thinking the same thing. I'll get the Delorean ready to go. Does anyone happen to have any aluminum cans or egg shells for the flux capacitor?

matt

cohocorp · August 11, 2006 11:51AM

i agree. i would love to have a frame reprint of that 1952 display photo also!

slatsme · August 11, 2006 10:44PM

Dumb question, but how much does a raw unopened box (52 that is) fetch nowadays? You rarely see them so I have no clue

frankhardy · August 11, 2006 11:39PM

Holy Snikies!

Great picture!

ColleSystem · August 12, 2006 12:19AM

pomobileclk:

Thanks for the work on the photo. I have saved it as my computer wall paper. I'm due for a new printer, so once that happens, I'll try a photo print. Believe it or not, the wallpaper "stretch" option actually shrinks the image to size in this particular case.

-Scott

Stone193 · August 12, 2006 4:20AM

Pom

Nice retouch - thanks for taking the time!

mike

Stone193 · August 12, 2006 4:21AM

I had saved the 53T pic when it was posted but didn't look that closely at it.

I foucused in on the series - it's the first time I have ever seen it on a box top - has anyone else seen a box with the series advertised?

Great stuff!
mike

pomobileclk · August 12, 2006 5:39AM

Had a little free time today so....

Griffins · August 12, 2006 6:24AM

Nice coloring job!

TheCARDKid · August 12, 2006 7:44AM

That '53 pic is just amazing. Thanks.

It's amazing to think that these packs and boxes were sold all around the country, and now 50 some odd years later, only a handful of packs survive (and you rarely even see the boxes). I've never seen the series on top of a display box like that.

There must be more photos like this around. In old magazines, newspapers, journals, someone that documented the history of retailing for example. That'd be a great project to track these things down.

Great coloring job.

fur72 · August 12, 2006 7:52AM

Thanks for the cool new backgrounds guys! Ever since I have saw the woolworths display last year I have had it as my desktop at work. Numerous times I just sit and stair at the picture and think "what if?" (Found some, time travel, where are they now).

chaz43 · August 12, 2006 7:55AM

That photo makes me sick to my stomach. I want to go back in time, buy up all the cards for like a hundred bucks, come back here and slowly, very slowly, submit them to PSA after I open them. Then, with the money I make, quit my work, travel and chase strippers. chaz

GOODLIEU · August 12, 2006 8:05AM

Unbelievable! By the way the pictured Woolworths is in the Bronx on Fordham Road. Home of the Yankees and the Giants.

Buccaneer · August 12, 2006 9:01AM

You guys do realize that if you had a time machine, the cards on that table would already be gone?

lawnmowerman · August 12, 2006 9:57AM

<< You guys do realize that if you had a time machine, the cards on that table would already be gone? >>

How do you figure doc? If the Delorean was properly calibrated to the exact minute the clerk was cutting open those fresh 1952 Topps cases and stacking the boxes on that table ,we could be there grabbing box after box.

Did 36 packs come in each box back then? If so that would be $1.80 plus tax per box!

Matt

Buccaneer · August 12, 2006 12:18PM

lawnmower - if you had access to a time machine, someone else would likely have had it and used it before you and grabbed the cards. You would be going back to an altered timeline and when that minute struck, there would not be any cards to put out!

TheCARDKid · August 12, 2006 12:23PM

I still can't believe that '52 photo.

10 boxes long, 4 high, 2 rows deep, probably 90-100 boxes total. 24 packs per pack at $5,000 a pop, you can do the math. Something like $10 million sitting on that table.

If you guys are good with photoshop, you can stick Doc Brown in there with a wild expression on his face. Great scott!!

lawnmowerman · August 12, 2006 12:52PM

<< lawnmower - if you had access to a time machine, someone else would likely have had it and used it before you and grabbed the cards. You would be going back to an altered timeline and when that minute struck, there would not be any cards to put out! >>

In my dream Biff didnt steal the Delorean and create an altered timeline

matt

jradke4 · August 12, 2006 1:14PM

lawn...,

nice cards on your tag.

jay

lawnmowerman · August 12, 2006 10:45PM

<< lawn...,

nice cards on your tag.

jay >>

Thanks Jay. Thats another "project" of mine, collecting 1994 Pro Line Live autos.

Matt

Carew29 · August 13, 2006 12:51AM

When i get to heaven i hope there is a table like that waiting for me!!

Lucky for us, Character is not a fantasy stat!!

ColleSystem · August 13, 2006 2:34AM

Maybe Stephen Hawking can figure out a way for us to get those cards!

RedHeart54 · August 13, 2006 10:30AM

<< Had a little free time today so.... >>

How in the world did you do that coloring job?

pomobileclk · August 13, 2006 10:54AM

Photoshop and the Mastro catalog from 2004 with the unopened 1952 box and other unopened packs to see what color the box and packs were. Took about a half an hour.

Stone193 · August 13, 2006 11:18AM

<< Photoshop and the Mastro catalog from 2004 with the unopened 1952 box and other unopened packs to see what color the box and packs were. Took about a half an hour. >>

Very nice job!

Did you enlarge the pic to "color it in" and then make it smaller? Seems like it would be easier that way.

Me and my son took a 1960 card that was beat up and reworked it to look as new as possible when we got a scanner for the first time.

mike

Kurtman9 · August 13, 2006 11:41AM

OMG, for the last 15 years I've had recurrent dreams of EXACTLY what's in that Woolworth's photo. Take me back, Take me back!!!!!

pomobileclk · August 13, 2006 12:10PM

Thats exactly how I do it.

I try to scan my negatives in a big file to make the process easier. You can always make a big photo smaller but can't make a small photo bigger without losing clarity. Its alot of fun and people seem to like it.

1952 Topps display in Brooklyn Woolworths???

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