Question on 1948 Bowman Baseball distribution

[G1911]

I'm almost finished with my 1948 Bowman set, and have been wondering about how they were issued. The lack of available information on card distribution seems odd, compared to how well-known this information is for other early Bowman/Topps sets and even turn of the century issues.

I know the first sheet contained cards 1-36, and the second sheet re-printed the cards, replacing 12 of them now known as the short prints with 37-48. Of course, this doesn't mean the cards were issued in two series.

The recent box that was found had an opened pack that contained only 1-36 print group cards (including 2 duplicates in the 5 card pack, I hope collation wasn't that bad for most packs!).

Does anyone know if these were issued as two series, 1-36 and 1-48 missing 12 numbers, or were they just printed on two sheets and distributed together as 1 48 card series? Anyone remember or heard of 1 card penny packs or any other way of distribution? Why was this set only 48 cards, while Bowman printed 108 cards for their Football set, a much less popular sport at the time? That this set was clearly successful as it launched Bowman's post-war card boom and exists in large quantity today would make it seem strange they wouldn't have printed a second/third series. Is it known if the 48 cards were perhaps released rather late into the baseball season?

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by G1911

I'm almost finished with my 1948 Bowman set, and have been wondering about how they were issued. The lack of available information on card distribution seems odd, compared to how well-known this information is for other early Bowman/Topps sets and even turn of the century issues.

I know the first sheet contained cards 1-36, and the second sheet re-printed the cards, replacing 12 of them now known as the short prints with 37-48. Of course, this doesn't mean the cards were issued in two series.

The recent box that was found had an opened pack that contained only 1-36 print group cards (including 2 duplicates in the 5 card pack, I hope collation wasn't that bad for most packs!).

Does anyone know if these were issued as two series, 1-36 and 1-48 missing 12 numbers, or were they just printed on two sheets and distributed together as 1 48 card series? Anyone remember or heard of 1 card penny packs or any other way of distribution? Why was this set only 48 cards, while Bowman printed 108 cards for their Football set, a much less popular sport at the time? That this set was clearly successful as it launched Bowman's post-war card boom and exists in large quantity today would make it seem strange they wouldn't have printed a second/third series. Is it known if the 48 cards were perhaps released rather late into the baseball season?

After the end of the war, I have to think it was still a little difficult to get, in a timely fashion, all the raw materials needed to put out a full card set of say 200 or so still by late 1947/early 1948. I've seen some trade articles from then indicating as such.

You also had to get the contracts done with the players, which required having agents in place, tracking them all down etc. I suspect Bowman did a lot of that in Spring Training of 1948 or even later as teams rolled through Philadelphia.

By the time Football season came around, things were certainly becoming smoother.

[ALR-bishop]

With apologies to Darren and Mintacular, in his book,The Bubble Gum Card War-The Great Bowman & Topps sets from 1948 to 1955, Dean Hadley opined that the set of 48 was designed to be issued in one series. Why 48 cards is not clear since it required two sheets of 36 and resulted in the 24 DPs, even though Bowman at the time apparently had 109 players under contract. Dean believes Bownan printed the same number of both sheets. The Bowman football set that year was 3 sheets of 108, a lesson learned.

The set has players from 10 of 16 teams, but half the set consists of Yankees and Giants in deference to Bowman's biggest market for gum.

As the first national set in awhile, 62 % of it are rookie cards, 30.

And why does Rizzuto seem to have a pillow inside his shirt ?

[G1911]

Thanks for the info guys! I have somehow missed Mr. Hadley's book, need to go get a copy of that.

Hadn't even thought that the war shortages might still be in effect 2-3 years later. I've never been able to notice a difference in the availability of the low number short prints and high numbers, so about the same number of sheets printed for each makes sense.

On a sidenote, puffy shirt Rizzuto is one of my favorite images in the set. Buddy Rosar taking off his mask to field a pop up, Marion and Stirnweiss in the field, lots of great images in this little set.