1953 Bowman B&W

[brett 75]

Looking for a little hobby history help. In 1953 Bowman produced a 64card black & white set (?) in the same style as it's color set . Why ? Was this a test issue of some kind ? Did it come out before or after the color version ? Standard Catalog doesn't shine much light on it beyond it was the same as color just in black & white. Also Beckett stated that there are 1 cent wrappers anyone remember buying packs ? Any help or info is greatly appreciated , Brett

[tedzan]

The story that I've heard on this subject is that the 160-card Bowman color set (which was issued in the Spring/Summer of 1953) was very costly
to produce.

By the Summer of 1953, Topps had issued 220 cards in their BB set. Bowman responded by printing a series of 64 more cards in a B & W format. By
not extending their "Kodachrome" color process to these 64 cards, Bowman cut down on the cost of producing them and was able to get them into
the market quickly in order to compete with Topps.

But, as we all know, Topps followed up by issuing a Hi # series of 54 additional cards.


TED Z

[brett 75]

Thanks for the reply Ted . A cost saving measure , I 'm sure that went over well with kids collecting in 53' after busting packs all year then to open one with black & white cards probably wasn't a big seller . 1 cent packs only or did they have 5 cent packs as well? I plan on cross checking did any players appear in the color as well black & white ? I did a quick check this morning but ran out of time . Work always seems to mess up collecting time ! Brett

[tedzan]

There is no duplication of players when you compare the Bowman 160-card color set with their 64-card B & W set.

However, in the color set, there is an unexplainable duplication of Al Corwin with two different images. He appears
on card #126 and again on card #149.

The B & W cards were available in 5-cent packs.


TED Z

[Volod]

Definitely appears that Joe D's endorsement contract was limited to the color cards. Warren Bowman must have been hard pressed for cash by mid-1953 - or maybe just tight-fisted.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by Volod

Definitely appears that Joe D's endorsement contract was limited to the color cards. Warren Bowman must have been hard pressed for cash by mid-1953 - or maybe just tight-fisted.

Warren was already gone by then-he left in May of 1951. They had a new Board that had renamed itself Haelan Laboratories by '53 and then fairly soon after John Connelly (a corrugated cardboard mogul in Philly) somehow gained control, probably through a combination of populating the board with friendly faces and some stock purchases. Bowman was a division of Haelan by then.

Connelly is the guy that drove the sale of the Bowman Gum Division to Topps from what I know of it. He took his money and eventually formed one of the world's largest corporations (for a time)-Crown Cork & Seal.

Warren Bowman tried, among other things, to develop beachfront property in Florida and there is stretch on Sanibel Island called Bowman's Beach down there to this day that I'm pretty sure was his doing.

[mintacular]

My impression is that this partial set is not very collectible/popular for the most part, with the exception of Casey Stengel

[Volod]

Originally Posted by brett 75

Thanks for the reply Ted . A cost saving measure , I 'm sure that went over well with kids collecting in 53' after busting packs all year then to open one with black & white cards probably wasn't a big seller . 1 cent packs only or did they have 5 cent packs as well? I plan on cross checking did any players appear in the color as well black & white ? I did a quick check this morning but ran out of time . Work always seems to mess up collecting time ! Brett

Hey Brett - quit that pesky job, so you can devote more time to the important things in life, like card collecting. By the time you retire, the sets may be too hard to complete.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by tedzan

The story that I've heard on this subject is that the 160-card Bowman color set (which was issued in the Spring/Summer of 1953) was very costly
to produce.

By the Summer of 1953, Topps had issued 220 cards in their BB set. Bowman responded by printing a series of 64 more cards in a B & W format. By
not extending their "Kodachrome" color process to these 64 cards, Bowman cut down on the cost of producing them and was able to get them into
the market quickly in order to compete with Topps.

But, as we all know, Topps followed up by issuing a Hi # series of 54 additional cards.


TED Z

This may have had to to with a licensing fee paid to Joe DiMaggio for the color set (he is featured on advertising) as well as just general cash flow. New set, not in color may have meant no royalties to Joe D. Just my opinion but I see it as a real possibility.