Remembering the Topps Candy Lids 1
1970/1972/1973 Topps Candy Lids |
Topps has tried many crazy products, often called “test issues”.
Test issues were usually only distributed in limited areas and were difficult to find. Candy Lids were one of Topps most unusual; little tubs of candy with player’s photos on bottom of the 1 7/8″ lids. The 10 cent candy’s came 24 to a box. Sealed tubs can still be found in the $150 to $200 range. Called “Baseball Stars Bubble Gum”, the 1970 Topps Candy Lids set had 24 different players, while 1973 Topps Candy Lids had 55. 
Topps released their first Candy Lids in 1970. The 1970 Topps Candy Lids are very, very hard to find and had small photos of Tom Seaver,
Carl Yastrzemski and Frank Howard. 
Topps released two other test issue sets in 1973 (1973 Topps Pinups and 1973 Topps Comics). The 1973 Topps Comics and 1973 Topps Candy Lids shared many photos and again had no team logos. If thinking “licensing dispute”, you are likely right. Topps received player’s union’s permission for these test issues, but not Major League Baseball’s. Issues over rights & fees with MLBPA and the player’s union resulted in Topps started shutting down future production of test issues putting an end to some of their most fun collectibles. The Incredible Value of the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Baseball Card 1
It’s considered the most iconic post-War baseball card in the hobby yet it’s also commonly mistaken as his rookie card.
That’s right, the 1952 Topps #311 card is actually not Mickey Mantle’s rookie card.
That distinction would belong to the 1951 Bowman #253 card.
But even though that one is Mickey Mantle’s true rookie card, it’s actually his 1952 Topps #311 that is the more valuable of the two.
And as you might often expect, Mantle is a rare case where a player’s rookie card isn’t his most valuable.
So, why is that?
Well, the story is actually quite fascinating.
Topps has been the biggest name in sports cards since 1952 when they released their first official baseball card set.
And that’s the first of several factors that make’s Mantle’s 1952 Topps card so valuable: he was the most popular player in the industry juggernaut’s first set. This immediately sends the card’s historical value through the roof. Even common cards of this set can fetch hundreds of dollars in top condition.
The second reason for its high value is because it’s way scarcer that you might expect.
To understand how scarce it is, you’ve got to remember that Topps and other manufacturers released baseball cards in multiple series. At the beginning of the 1952 baseball season, kids were chasing cards in Series 1, tearing through the 5 cent packs in search of their heroes. But Mantle was nowhere to be found. Series 1 only included cards #1-310, and Topps had earmarked Mantle to be card #311.
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