Sets in my Collection #29: 1952 Topps Wings

Been a while since I've posted in this series. I wrote this post in 2015, though I did have to modify some of it to reflect posts I wrote and published long after I originally wrote this one.

Now we have a run of some of my all-time favorite sets. Topps really hit their stride in the early-mid 50s, and the next three Topps sets (Including this one) all ranked highly in my countdown of favorite Non-Sports sets, that I published in January.

Topps did an entire series of sets, over several years, on vehicles. I don't have all of them in my collection yet, but the three I do have are favorites.

The earliest was 1952's Topps Wings, sometimes known as Wings: Friend or Foe. This was a 200 card set, in the slightly larger than current standard size that was standard at the time.

I have an amazing 179 of 200 cards in the set, or 89.5% completion! Once again, I happened to be in the right place at the right time to get these. With 21 cards missing from my collection, and none of them particularly rarer than any others, completing this set is an attainable goal of mine. Someday. Unlike sports cards, with more popular players being harder to find, and none of the cards short-printed like in the next set, it makes none of the cards impossible. Non-Sports cards also don't have the burden of "Rookie Cards" to make them unobtainable.

Since I love the set, and since I have so many of them, I am going to post more than one front scan.

#5

#7. The very first plane I was ever inside- parked!- was one of these at an airshow in 1993.

#14

#19. The set also included helicopters.

#32. I believe this was the first vintage card of any sort I ever added to my collection, circa 1994 or 1995. It was either this or a card from the next set in the series.

#71

#120

And finishing up with a card back. The cards had the standard light brown cardboard for the backs.

This set is commonly referred to as "Wings : Friend or Foe" but that is not actually the name- the name is just Wings, although Friend or Foe appears on every card.