Card Show Top 20 - #16 First Topps

Note: if you want to cheat and see some of the Top 20 cards early, I make a cameo in Stale Gum's recap of the Freedom Cardboard show.

Screw 1952 Topps! Red Backs are the real first Topps Baseball set! Pay no attention to the '48 Magics!

Here's a lovely specimen of '51 Red Back. All those creases? The big tear at the bottom? CHARACTER! Plus it's easy to pick this card when you're playing the game and you need to plunk someone after they pull a Home Run card on you. Senator pitcher Sid Hudson looks like he really wants to nail someone too. Them Senators can be mean! I particularly enjoy the cartoon of a hapless batter getting beaned in the face in the upper right corner. Get 'em Sid! Dust that punk! Two bucks for cardboard violence. Brilliant.

#20 Reds' Heavy Artillery

#19 Blue MadDog

#18 Lil' Jimmy

#17 Real Fake '52

#16 First Topps

#15 Bogus Boog

#14 V103 Tree

#13 Sertoma Rico

#12 '55 Finishers

#11 Hey Shiny

#10 What the Dickens

#9 '60 Spahnnie

#8 Lonely '53

#7 Super Chief

#6 Original Frank

#5 Hoops Inspiration

#4 Rocket Robin

#3 Wizard Off Kilter

#2 Shenanigans Were Called

#1 The Holy Grail of Commons