1953 Topps #255 Dixie Howell
1953 Topps #255 Dixie Howell
About Dixie Howell
Homer Elliot "Dixie" Howell was a right-handed catcher signed out of Louisville's Male High School in 1938, the Kentucky native nicknamed "Dixie" for his Southern roots. His most historic season came in 1946, when he shared the catching duties for the International League's Montreal Royals — the first integrated professional club of the modern era — as a teammate of Jackie Robinson; one of the few Southern-born players on the roster, Howell openly welcomed Robinson and later called the abuse aimed at him "unbelievable and disgraceful." Howell reached the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947 and went on to play eight big-league seasons through 1956, spending most of his career with the Cincinnati Reds (1949-1952) before joining Robinson again on the Brooklyn Dodgers (1953, 1955-1956). Over 340 games he batted .246 with 224 hits, 12 home runs, and 93 RBI. He was a member of the Dodgers' 1955 World Series champions and their 1956 National League pennant winners, though he did not appear in either Series. He is often confused with a contemporary pitcher of the same name, also a Kentuckian, who was briefly his teammate on the 1949 Reds.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Designations, variations & errors
High Number
Series 4 (#221-280). Printed in shorter supply and distributed late in the season, when retailers cut orders for the football months. The scarcest run in the set - holding #244 Willie Mays and the #258 Gilliam and #263 Podres rookies - and routinely 3-4x the price of low-number commons.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 474 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 67 | 113 | 111 | 151 | 1 |
| SGC | 87 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 23 | 39 | 3 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1953 Topps Dixie Howell card?
It is card #255 of the 1953 Topps Baseball set - one of the most beautiful sets ever made, with hand-painted color portraits numbered to 280 (274 cards issued). It pictures the Brooklyn Dodgers player.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1953 Topps high-number series (#221-280), released late in the season in shorter supply - the scarcest run in the set, routinely 3-4 times the price of low-number commons.
Is the 1953 Topps Dixie Howell valuable?
Value depends on grade and eye appeal. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.