1952 Topps #170 Gus Bell
About Gus Bell
David Russell "Gus" Bell was a left-handed-hitting outfielder who signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization at age 18 in 1947, batting over .300 in the minors and leading the Eastern League in hits in 1949. He debuted for Pittsburgh on May 30, 1950, and went on to play 15 major-league seasons (1950-1964) with the Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Braves, primarily in center and right field. A four-time National League All-Star (1953, 1954, 1956, 1957), Bell enjoyed his finest years in Cincinnati, hitting .300 with 30 home runs and 105 RBI in 1953 and .308 with 27 homers and 104 RBI in 1955, and driving in 100-plus runs four times. He finished with a .281 average, 206 home runs, and 942 RBI over 1,741 games. Bell earned his nickname as a youngster because he admired veteran catcher Gus Mancuso. This card (#170) captures him during his final Pittsburgh season, before his 1953 trade to Cincinnati; on June 4, 1951, still a Pirate, he hit for the cycle against Philadelphia. He was the patriarch of a three-generation big-league family — son Buddy Bell and grandson David Bell (with whom he is the only grandfather-grandson pair in MLB history to each hit for the cycle) — and was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1964. He died in 1995 at age 66.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
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 | 558 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 83 | 116 | 124 | 202 | 6 |
| SGC | 110 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 35 | 54 | 2 |
SGC by variation: Standard 108 · Gray Back 2
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 Gus Bell card?
It is card #170 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Pittsburgh Pirates player.
Does the 1952 Topps Gus Bell 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 Gus Bell 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.