Square vs. Rounded 1947 Bond Bread

[Bocabirdman]

Over on Old Cardboard it states, "Originally distributed with rounded corners and blank backs. Large stash found in 1980's with square corner variations." Does anyone have any additional information about the square cards? I am curious as to where someone found them in the 1980's and why thet are square instead of rounded. It doesn't seem that the square cards are considered reprints. I just picked up a square Ted Williams in great shape. I didn't pay a whole bunch (a tad more than $10), less than what I would have thought a Williams would command. Have I goofed? Thanks for any input. Mike

[frankh8147]

There are a few great threads on this website about these cards; to sum it up, the card that you bought was issued in 1949 (as opposed to the Bond Bread issue which came out in 1947). These cards are valued lower than the 1947 Bond Bread cards however, I can't ever consider buying a pre-Topps Ted Williams card a 'goof'. That's my take on it at least.

[Bocabirdman]

Thanks Frank, I didn't think I did badly. It is always nice to be informed though.

[novakjr]

There's issues with the square cornered ones. I can't remember the specifics, but depending on the paperstock, it may be fake(or at the very least presumed fake by many in the hobby).. Just take a look through the old threads. This was one of the better threads in the pre-war section.

http://net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=92743&highlight=bond+bread+square

Personally, I only own one of these. Jackie. Square cornered, white thinner stock..I still don't know if it's real or not. I don't have much into it either, so I've never really concerned myself much with it..

[tedzan]

Excerpt from my thread....4/2009


It was the Summer of '47....my sister and I carefully opened up Homogenized Bond Bread packages, for a Joe DiMaggio, a Ted Williams,
a Stan Musial, or the new rookie sensation....a Jackie Robinson BB card. Our Mom couldn't buy enough of the Bond Bread loafs. So, we
had our Dad buying Bond Bread for his restaurant and our Aunt buying Bond Bread. In the Fall of 1947, we experienced one of the most
exciting World Series ever played. 1947 was a tremendous year for BB, and a great start for me in the wonderful life-long hobby of col-
lecting BB cards. These B/W cards were really popular with the kids in our neighborhood. By trading & sharing our collections with each
other, we eventually realized that there were no more than 44 BB players and 4 Boxers in a complete set.


1947 Homogenized BOND BREAD wrapper


http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/bondbreadwrapper.jpg






Many cards in this set are the very 1st (or rookie) cards issued of the players. Shown here are the 1st cards of Yogi Berra, Stan Musial,
Jackie Pobinson, Gil Hodges, Ralph Kiner and Bobby Thomson.

http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/1947bb6rookiestars.jpg



This set has been the source of much confusion in the hobby for many years. The only true 1947 Bond Bread cards are these 48 in this
general set and the Jackie Robinson set. All of which have beveled (or ROUNDED) corners in order to fit into the bread loaf packages.
Unfortunately, other issues that resemble the Bond Bread cards that were issued after 1947 and were never packaged in Bond Bread loafs
have been mis-identified as "1947 Bond Bread" cards. Grading Co. have been most guilty of erroneously labeling these SQUARE "imposters".

Shown here are two cards from the 1949 (unknown) issue which includes 24 of the BB players depicted in the 1947 Bond Bread issue and
an additional BB player (or 2). Also, many of the popular Movie Stars of that era were included. These cards may have been printed by the
same firm that printed the 1947 set. However, their SQUARE corners and their inferior cardboard stock belie the fact that these cards are
NOT related to the "1947 Bond Bread" issue.


http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/1949cardsrizzutostewart.jpg



A recent find of many of these SQUARE cards (BB and Movie Stars) suggest a 1949 issue date since Walker Cooper is depicted in this col-
lection as a NY Giant (Cooper was traded to Cinci in the Summer of '49).


I hope this info helps you.


TED Z

[MBMiller25]

Ted, This is great information. Thanks for sharing this. I have been looking for a Musial for quite some time. I wasn't quite sure what it should look like, so I appreciate this alot!

[Exhibitman]

On an unrelated but interesting note, I was able to locate a full sized photo used to make Primo Carnera's card for the set. What looks like hash marks below the name is actually the photographer's stylized signature: Chas. Heath.

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/rareboxingcards/websize/1969%20NYWBN%20Carnera.jpg

Charles Heath was a Los Angeles-based photographer known in sporting circles as having served as Jim Jeffries' official photographer at his facility in Burbank, the municipality right next door to Glendale, where Carnera operated a liquor store. Since Carnera was wrestling in the 1940s-1950s to make ends meet and was based a few miles from Jeffries, I suspect that when it came to publicity photos Heath was the logical choice. Here is a stamped, ink-signed Heath original from Jeffries' facility:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/boxingphotographsandephemera/large/Photo%201944%20Jeffries%201.JPG

[ls7plus]

A fair number of the square-cornered cards became available in the early to mid '90's, as I recall. I have the Kiner and Mize. Examination of the dot printing pattern under 16X power reveals that they are not counterfeits in the sense of having been rescreened, but were in fact printed from the same original plates as the rounded cards.

Interesting thread--thanks for your input, Ted. It's always welcome.

Best, guys,

Larry

[Exhibitman]

"A recent find of many of these SQUARE cards (BB and Movie Stars) suggest a 1949 issue date since Walker Cooper is depicted in this col-
lection as a NY Giant (Cooper was traded to Cinci in the Summer of '49)"

Actually, what it proves is that the manufacturer used a photo taken before the trade, not the timing of the card manufacture itself. Had he been in a Reds uni it would prove a manufacturing date no earlier than the date of the trade. It is just like taking a photo with a newspaper in it to prove the date--doesn't prove the photo wasn't created later but definitely shows the earliest possible date of creation.