1952 Topps #78 Ellis Kinder
About Ellis Kinder
Ellis Raymond "Old Folks" Kinder was a right-handed pitcher whose path to the majors was famously late: financial necessity kept him working as a pipe-fitter for the Illinois Central Railroad and grinding through the minors, and he did not debut until just shy of his 32nd birthday with the St. Louis Browns in 1946. Across a 12-year career (1946-1957) with the Browns, Boston Red Sox (1948-1955), St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox, he went 102-71 with a 3.43 ERA, 749 strikeouts, and 104 saves in 484 games. His signature season came in 1949, when he went 23-6, led the American League in shutouts (six) and winning percentage (.793), won 13 straight starts down the stretch, and was named The Sporting News' AL Pitcher of the Year. Boston fell one game short of the pennant that October at Yankee Stadium, in a game where manager Joe McCarthy's decision to pinch-hit for Kinder became a decades-long Boston controversy; he never reached a World Series. His nickname "Old Folks" reflected his advanced age and success as one of the game's elder statesmen, and the Red Sox later reinvented him as the league's premier reliever. He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006. This card, #78 in the landmark 1952 Topps flagship set, is a first-series card found with both black and red back-color printing variations.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Variations & how to tell them apart
Black Back / Red Back Series 1 (cards 1-80)
Every card in the first series exists with the back printed in either black or red ink. The black backs are the first printing and are scarcer; red backs (the second printing onward) are more common.
- Black Back — scarcer: First printing. Reverse printed in black ink. Scarcer, and typically carries a small premium over the red back.
- Red Back: Second printing onward. Reverse printed in red ink. The more common of the two.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 805 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 91 | 174 | 201 | 288 | 3 |
| SGC | 91 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 50 | 1 |
SGC by variation: Black Back 43 · Red Back 48
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-22. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1952 Topps Ellis Kinder card?
It is card #78 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.
Does the 1952 Topps Ellis Kinder have back variations?
Yes. Every card in the first series exists with the back printed in either black or red ink. The black backs are the first printing and are scarcer; red backs (the second printing onward) are more common.
Is the 1952 Topps Ellis Kinder 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 2026-10-05.