1952 Topps #180 Charley Maxwell
About Charley Maxwell
A left-handed left fielder from Lawton, Michigan, Charles Richard "Charley" Maxwell pitched at Western Michigan College, served as an Army infantry sergeant, and starred in Kalamazoo amateur ball before signing into the Boston Red Sox farm system in 1947. He debuted with Boston in 1950, and his 1952 Topps card (#180) captures him as a Red Sox prospect before he found his stride. Maxwell played 14 major-league seasons (1950-1964) with the Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers, and White Sox, blossoming after a 1955 trade to Detroit, where he belted 28 home runs in 1956 and a career-high 31 in 1959. A two-time American League All-Star (1956 and 1957), he hit .264 with 148 home runs and 532 RBI over 1,133 games. Nicknamed "Sunday Charlie" and "the Sabbath Slugger" for his flair for Sunday power, he hit 40 of his 148 homers on Sundays, and on May 3, 1959, he crushed four home runs in four consecutive at-bats while sweeping a doubleheader from the Yankees. He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
White Back / Gray Back Series 3 (cards 131-190)
The third series exists on two different card stocks. The standard issue is on white/cream stock; a much scarcer parallel was printed on gray cardboard. The gray stock was used at the END of the series-3 run — leftover stock run through the same press, not a separate or foreign printing. Gray backs have a duller, gloss-less front and are never found with gum stains.
- White Back: Standard issue. White/cream card stock, normal red-ink back. Sharper, glossier front.
- Gray Back — scarcer: Scarce parallel on gray card stock. Duller, gloss-less front; never gum-stained. #189 Pete Reiser is the rarest of the run; #146 Frank House appears with a pale/yellow Tiger logo. NOTE: long mislabeled 'Canadian' (borrowed from the genuinely-Canadian 1954 Topps issue) — there is no evidence the 1952 grays were a Canadian release. TCDB catalogs these as 'Grey Back' against the normal 'Red Back'.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 869 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 75 | 150 | 188 | 425 | 11 |
| SGC | 100 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 63 | 5 |
SGC by variation: Standard 95 · Gray Back 5
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-22. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Charley Maxwell card?
It is card #180 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Boston Red Sox player, and is his rookie card.
Does the 1952 Topps Charley Maxwell have back variations?
Yes. The third series exists on two different card stocks. The standard issue is on white/cream stock; a much scarcer parallel was printed on gray cardboard. The gray stock was used at the END of the series-3 run — leftover stock run through the same press, not a separate or foreign printing. Gray backs have a duller, gloss-less front and are never found with gum stains.
Is the 1952 Topps Charley Maxwell valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: the Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, and PSA & SGC population reports. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.