1952 Topps #330 Turk Lown
1952 Topps #330 Turk Lown
About Turk Lown
Omar Joseph "Turk" Lown, a Brooklyn-born right-hander, was nicknamed "Turk" as a child for his fondness for eating turkey. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1942, he saw his path to the majors interrupted by World War II, serving as a U.S. Army infantryman in the Battle of the Bulge and earning the Purple Heart. Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 1950 Rule 5 draft, he debuted on April 24, 1951, and pitched 11 major-league seasons with the Cubs (1951-54, 1956-58), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958) and Chicago White Sox (1958-62), working almost entirely in relief. He compiled a 55-61 record with a 4.12 ERA, 73 saves and 574 strikeouts over 504 appearances, leading the National League in games finished in 1956-57 and in games pitched (67) in 1957. His finest year came in 1959, when he paced the American League in saves and games finished for the pennant-winning "Go-Go" White Sox and did not allow a run in three appearances in the World Series, which Chicago lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This is Lown's rookie card, and as card #330 it belongs to the scarce high-number series (#311-407) of 1952 Topps -- printed in far smaller quantities and famously dumped in the Atlantic, making these numbers the toughest and most valuable in the set today.
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 | 480 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 61 | 77 | 88 | 208 | 3 |
| SGC | 104 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 62 | 6 |
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 Turk Lown card?
It is card #330 of 407 in the 1952 Topps set - Topps' first flagship issue and the cornerstone of the postwar hobby. It pictures the Chicago Cubs 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 Turk Lown 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.