Question About 1952 Bowmans

[skooter]

Over the years I've accumulated amost half of this set, and I've decided to try to complete it. I've noticed a few, like the Bob Cain below, are not as bright, or crisp as the rest. The picture is more "subdued", and even the borders are more "off-white", or even tan, when compared to most of the cards. The back is the same shade as the rest.
I was wondering if the card has faded, or is this how it came from the company. Does anyone else, who collects this set, have any cards like this? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[VinTX]

I'm working on this set as well and I've always just assumed that it was fading, but for sure one way or the other I couldn't say. BTW, if ya have any doubles maybe we can work something out for them! Best of luck!

[GoldenAge50s]

I have the whole set, bought from penny packs in 1952 & all cards are of the same stock w/ white borders. I can not recall ever seeing '52 Bowmans on dark or any other stock variations. I'm sure your Cain is faded, soiled or aged by storing condition only.

[skooter]

Thanks Fred. Your opinion is good as gospel to me.

[Volod]

Over the years I've accumulated amost half of this set, and I've decided to try to complete it. I've noticed a few, like the Bob Cain below, are not as bright, or crisp as the rest. The picture is more "subdued", and even the borders are more "off-white", or even tan, when compared to most of the cards. The back is the same shade as the rest.
I was wondering if the card has faded, or is this how it came from the company. Does anyone else, who collects this set, have any cards like this? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

It's an interesting question. While putting together this set back in the '80's, I came upon several cards that were dark, despite appearing to be near mint in all other respects. Most of them seemed to be in the first two series (#s 1-72). Could be mistaken, but I think I recall reading something in an old hobby publication claiming that these darker specimens came off the Bowman press run like that. Not sure why, but maybe a pressworker put in an inferior stock sheet, which would have been caught pretty quickly, but a decision was made to just release the cards anyway rather than toss them out.

[GoldenAge50s]

It's an interesting question. While putting together this set back in the '80's, I came upon several cards that were dark, despite appearing to be near mint in all other respects. Most of them seemed to be in the first two series (#s 1-72). Could be mistaken, but I think I recall reading something in an old hobby publication claiming that these darker specimens came off the Bowman press run like that. Not sure why, but maybe a pressworker put in an inferior stock sheet, which would have been caught pretty quickly, but a decision was made to just release the cards anyway rather than toss them out.

Not doubting your word or memory Volod, but I don't recall ever hearing about diff stock on '52 Bowman & I've been following the set for a long time. Of course, I certainly could have missed something along the way.

[Chris Counts]

Louis, I can recall seeing these in the 1970s when I started collecting Bowmans. My guess is that Bowman used a different batch of paper for a print run. There's always a few on eBay and the prices are usually lower than otherwise because they appear to be soiled or faded. But I think it's just the way they were printed. Here's a comparison ... the Eddie Yost doesn't have the same gloss on the surface as the Cal Abrams and the paper is a different shade ...

[Volod]

Right, the difference is definitely apparent, and the dark shading doesn't seem to be related to the card's general condition, i.e., dark card just as likely to be mint in all other respects as the much whiter specimens. Again, it seems to be the low-numbered series, as looking through my set, I find several numbered 1-72, but none after that. Also don't find any such darkened cards in my 1951 set, so perhaps it was just a foul-up in the pressroom that year. Just speculation on my part, Fred.

[skooter]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm convinced the cards are not faded, but came from the company in this condition.