1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball Cards

Product Details

Despite the grand history of the brand, the humble beginnings of Topps Baseball came in 1951 with several smaller sets. Two of the more available options were issued as a card game, including 1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball.

Blue Backs helped kicked things off for Topps alongside its more common Red Backs counterpart.

See also: 1951 Topps Red Backs Baseball Cards

1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball Set Details

Although many collectors likely look to 1952 Topps as the start of the Topps Baseball legacy, 1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball was one of the initial forays into the baseball collecting world for Topps. On the smaller side in comparison to the traditional card size, the 2" x 2-5/8" cards feature rounded corners and a very similar design to playing cards. This is because the set was issued as a card game that never really seemed to take off with collectors.

Card fronts feature black-and-white images inside a diamond-cut background of green, red or blue, along with yellow and white. Noted as the "B Series," the card number is found on the 1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball front. The top-left and bottom-right corners include a red baseball graphic and a specific baseball play that corresponds to the card game. Finally, a drawing of a baseball player is located in the top-right corner and the player's name and a brief bio is found in the bottom-left corner.

Similar to a deck of cards, the 1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball set is complete at 52. Overall, the star power in the checklist is rather limited. However, the set features several Hall of Fame players, including Richie Ashburn, Red Schoendienst, Enos Slaughter, Bobby Doerr and Johnny Mize.

The Blue Backs design is virtually identical to the Red Backs, except for one crucial element. As indicated by the name, the set has card backs featuring a blue color scheme. While 1951 Topps Red Backs actually has the better overall checklist, the Blue Backs are tougher to find and generally carry more value.

1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball cards were issued as individual cards as well as in two-card panels. However, perforation remnants can be found on both versions. As the cards were sometimes included with candy, it is very common to find card damage associated with the sweets.

As mentioned, the Blue Backs series totals 52 cards, but it can be combined with the Red Backs for a master set of 104 cards.