1952 Topps #397 Forrest Main
About Forrest Main
Forrest Harry "Woody" Main was a right-handed pitcher who spent his entire major-league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Born February 12, 1922, in Delano, California, he originally signed with the New York Yankees and pitched in their minor-league system in 1941-42 and again in 1946-47 after serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Pirates manager Billy Meyer selected him in the 1948 Rule 5 draft on the strength of his 1947 work with the Kansas City Blues. Standing 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Main appeared in 79 big-league games across four seasons (1948, 1950, 1952-1953), going 4-13 with a 5.14 ERA and 107 strikeouts over 204-2/3 innings. His busiest year was 1952 — the same season depicted on this card — when he led the National League with 48 appearances for a last-place Pirates club; despite a 2-12 record, his 4.46 ERA bettered the staff average, and he beat the defending-champion New York Giants 6-2 on June 17, 1952. This is Main's rookie card, and it falls in the scarce high-number series (#311-407) of the landmark 1952 Topps set — cards printed in far smaller quantities and later dumped, making them among the hardest to find today. He died June 27, 1992, in Whittier, California.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number
Series 6 (311-407). Minimally distributed in the fall of 1952 when retailers cut orders — the scarcest and most coveted run in the set, holding Mantle, Robinson, Campanella, the Mathews rookie and more.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 514 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 50 | 88 | 108 | 227 | 6 |
| SGC | 105 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 61 | 4 |
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 Forrest Main card?
It is card #397 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Pittsburgh Pirates player, and is his rookie card.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1952 Topps high-number series (311-407), which was minimally distributed in the fall of 1952 and is the scarcest, most sought-after run in the set.
Is the 1952 Topps Forrest Main 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.