1920 W522 Strip Card Set

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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

• The anonymous strip card issue is identical to that (aside from numbering) of 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
• The set includes cards of Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Christy Mathewson, and George Kelly; notably, Zach Wheat and Mike Gonzalez have two cards in the set.
• PSA has graded nearly equal number of cards across the W520 and W522 sets; less 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 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 some patience (and luck), collectors can often find ungraded cards or even ungraded lots 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 haggle, but it can be done.

Of the twenty cards in the set, seven are HOF player cards: Mathewson, Ruth, Speaker, Bancroft, Wheat, Coveleski, and George Kelly. This leaves us with thirteen common cards. Some, however, are of players who 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 Pol Perritt

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

Of the other six HOF cards, the Mathewson and Speaker are ‘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