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1920 W522 Strip Card Set

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mathewson-w522

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Fast Facts

Year(s) Issued: 1920
Set Designation: W522
Number Cards: 20
Card Size: 1-3/8" x 2-1/4"
Common Card Value (Good Condition): $20
Scarcity Rating: (1 to 10, 10 scarcest):  7

Full W522 Checklist


W522 Strip Card Set

Keys For Collectors

  • Anonymous strip card issue identical to that (aside from numbering) to the W520 Strip Card issue.
  • The set features 20 color cards (#31-#50), with blank banks and a number on the bottom left front of the card
  • Cards either feature a color portrait or an action shot with a solid color background
  • While grading companies classify this as a 1920 issue, some speculate that it may have been issued in 1921
  • Set includes cards of Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Christy Mathewson, George Kelly; notably Zach Wheat and Mike Gonzalez have two cards in the set. 
  • PSA has graded a near equal amount of cards across the W520 and W522 setsless than 100 for each. 
  • The numbering on this set (#31 to #50) has left collectors wondering; was the W522 set part of another issue?  

What Does It Cost To Build A W522 Strip Card Set

Some of the early pre-war strip card issues have fairly limited issues, and the W522 set is no exception, as PSA has graded less than 100 cards across the entire set.  

Still with a little bit of patience (and luck) collectors can often find ungraded cards or even ungraded lots available for sale.

On average, commons from the W522 set in ungraded condition, can be found for around $25 to $30.  To get this pricing, collectors may have to engage in some haggling, but it can be done. 

Of the twenty cards in the set, there are seven HOF player cards: Mathewson, Ruth, Speaker, Bancroft, Wheat, Coveleski and George Kelly.  This leaves us with thirteen common cards, some however are of players that technically aren't 'commons', and may command more of a premium, but in general let's go with that for now.

Thirteen commons in ungraded condition could cost on average $30 x 13 = $390.

w522-perritt

W522 Pol Perritt 

The most expensive card in the W522 set is of course the Babe Ruth card, which is not terribly easy to find, and on average sells for a minimum $3000. Thus, the Ruth card will eat most of the W522 set budget. 

w522ruth

Of the other six HOF cards, the Mathewson and Speaker I would consider to be 'Tier 2' from a cost perspective, roughly $500 or more each.  The other four cards could be found for around $100 each.

Thus, in total, a collector can build an ungraded W522 set for roughly $4800.

W522 Cards for Sale on eBay

1920 W522 Set-Break # 46 Goldie Rapp LOW GRADE (crease) *GMCARDS*

$7.50  (2 bids)
End Date: Friday Sep-29-2023 19:27:46 EDT

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1920 W522 Set-Break # 45 Pol Perritt LOW GRADE (crease) *GMCARDS*

$12.38  (3 bids)
End Date: Friday Sep-29-2023 19:27:39 EDT

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1920 W522 Set-Break # 44 Otto Miller LOW GRADE (crease) *GMCARDS*

$2.25  (2 bids)
End Date: Friday Sep-29-2023 19:27:32 EDT

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1920 W522 Set-Break # 36 Art Fletcher LOW GRADE (crease) *GMCARDS*

$7.50  (3 bids)
End Date: Friday Sep-29-2023 19:27:25 EDT

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1920 W522 Set-Break # 35 Wilbur Cooper LOW GRADE (crease) *GMCARDS*

$2.25  (2 bids)
End Date: Friday Sep-29-2023 19:27:18 EDT

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1920 W522 Set-Break # 33 Zach Wheat LOW GRADE (crease) *GMCARDS*

$33.00  (10 bids)
End Date: Friday Sep-29-2023 19:27:11 EDT

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1920 W522 OTTO MILLER #44 Good

$47.99  

Buy It Now for only: $47.99
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1920 W522 GOLDIE RAPP #45 Good+ Nice Color

$47.99  

Buy It Now for only: $47.99
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1920 W522 PHIL DOUGLAS #49 Good+

$79.00  

Buy It Now for only: $79.00
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1920 W522 POL PERRITT #45 VG

$64.00  

Buy It Now for only: $64.00
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1920 W522 MIKE GONZALES #42 Poor

$45.00  

Buy It Now for only: $45.00
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1920 W522 LARRY DOYLE #38 Good

$64.00  

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