1952 Topps #202 Joe Collins
1952 Topps #202 Joe Collins
About Joe Collins
Born Joseph Edward Kollonige on December 3, 1922, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe Collins was signed by the New York Yankees after a bird-dog scout named Bill Schroeder spotted him playing semipro ball as a teenager. A left-handed-hitting first baseman, he climbed through the Yankees' farm system and made his major-league debut on September 25, 1948, going on to spend his entire ten-season career (1948-1957) in pinstripes. Collins was New York's regular first baseman from 1952 through 1954 before settling into a platoon with Bill "Moose" Skowron, and over 908 games he batted .256 with 86 home runs and 329 RBI. His real value showed in October: he appeared in seven World Series and won five titles, most memorably belting two home runs off Brooklyn's Don Newcombe in Game One of the 1955 Series. He legally changed his surname from Kollonige to Collins in 1954 and remained a Yankee his whole career, a teammate of both Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. Collins died on August 30, 1989, in Union, New Jersey, which had dedicated Joe Collins Park in his honor. This card is his rookie card in Topps' landmark 1952 flagship set, whose famous scarce high-number series (#311-407, headlined by the iconic Mickey Mantle #311) prints far rarer today than a middle-series card like #202.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 671 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 87 | 167 | 141 | 221 | 7 |
| SGC | 122 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 60 | 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 Joe Collins card?
It is card #202 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the New York Yankees player, and is his rookie card.
Is the 1952 Topps Joe Collins 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.