1953 Topps #252 Henry Foiles
1953 Topps #252 Henry Foiles
About Henry Foiles
A star three-sport athlete at Granby High School in Norfolk, Henry Lee Foiles Jr. (born June 10, 1929, in Richmond, Virginia) attended the University of Virginia for a year before the New York Yankees signed him in the fall of 1947. After four seasons in the Yankees' farm system, the right-handed catcher was taken by Cincinnati in the 1951 Rule 5 draft and reached the majors with the Redlegs in 1953 — the debut season captured on this high-number rookie card. Over an 11-year career (1953–1964) Foiles bounced among the Reds, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels, batting .243 with 353 hits, 46 home runs, and 166 RBI in 608 games. His best years came in Pittsburgh, where a strong 1957 (a career-high .270 with 9 homers) earned him a reserve spot on the National League All-Star team; in that game he singled and came around to score on an Ernie Banks single. He is remembered as the first major leaguer to wear contact lenses — one famously popped out during a spring game, sending Foiles, the umpire, and Yogi Berra crawling to find it. Foiles was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and died in 2024 at age 94. His card carries the familiar "Hank Foiles," while the Topps checklist lists his given name, Henry.
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 | 418 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 62 | 109 | 97 | 109 | 1 |
| SGC | 65 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 29 | 5 |
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 Henry Foiles card?
It is card #252 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 Cincinnati Reds player, and is his rookie card.
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 Henry Foiles 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.