Lot # 1143: 1952 Berk Ross Near-Complete Set (65/72) Including Berra, Campanella, Musial, and Snider

Near-complete set of 1952 Berk Ross cards consisting of 65 of the 72 cards in the set. Missing seven cards for completion (Blackwell, J. DiMaggio, Fox, Mantle, Mays, J. Robinson, and T. Williams). The 1952 Berk Ross cards are similar in design to the 1951 Berk Ross card set, though slightly different in dimensions (they are larger and vertical in format) and the set was issued as individual cards instead of the perforated two-card panel design from the previous year. Includes nine duplicates (Bauer, Berra, Lopat, McDougal, Morgan, Musial, Reynolds, Rizzuto/swinging, and Sain). Condition is 18% Nr/Mt or slightly better, 52% Ex to Ex-Mt, 23% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 7% lesser. Keys: Ashburn (15/85 T/B, otherwise Ex), two Berra (Ex+ and Pr-Fr), Campanella (85/15 T/B, otherwise Ex), Doby (Nr/Mt), Doerr (Ex-Mt), Feller (Ex+), Hodges (Ex), Kiner (99/1 T/B, otherwise Nr/Mt), Martin (Ex-Mt), Minoso (Ex), two Musial (20/80 L/R, otherwise Nr/Mt and Pr-Fr), Reese (Ex-Mt), Rizzuto/bunting (Ex), two Rizzuto/swinging (Ex and Vg), Roberts (Ex due to centering), Schoendienst (Nr/Mt), and Snider (Ex-Mt). This is a very attractive and mostly mid- to high-grade near-complete set of this substantial early 1950s issue. The 1952 Berk Ross set is among the most interesting and overlooked sets of the era, far rarer than collectors realize. (There were never any 1952 sets available from Bruce Yeko's Wholesale Cards, as was the case with the 1951 set.) Total: 74 cards (near set of 65 plus nine duplicates).