Anyone got a Solly Hemus?

[Huck]

I read the article at the url below and can't determine if the author is writing about 1953 Topps or Bowman or another issue. Since I have the original article from a beater copy of SI, I was thinking about pairing the cards with the article and would like to be accurate but at this juncture, either 1953 Bowman or Topps seems acceptable.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1954/08/1...-a-solly-hemus

1) The article was published in 1954, the author mentions last year which
would make the year of issue for the cards 1953.
2) Both Topps and Bowman issued cards for both players in 1953.
3) The size of both issues do not match what the author states 3 1/2 by 2 1/2.
4) The number of cards per pack (5) do not match what that author states (7).
5) Bowman 1952 seems to be the closest in size 2 1/8 by 3 1/8 and the
number of cards per pack 6.

Any help/guess would be much appreciated.

[G1911]

He doesn't say the cards measure 3 1/2 by 2 1/2, but the gum does as I read it. I think the Topps gum was a bigger piece than the Bowman, and thus this indicates Topps? He says there are 2 pieces of gum in the 7 card packs too; I don't remember either nickel pack having 2 pieces. The Topps penny pack says 1 piece of gum and uses the singular "card"; the Nickel packs don't state how much gum or how many cards on them. I thought it was 6 cards and 1 stick gum.

He also mentions Roy Campanella at length, but he appeared in both Topps and Bowman as well so that doesn't help. Cool article

[Huck]

Originally Posted by G1911

He doesn't say the cards measure 3 1/2 by 2 1/2, but the gum does as I read it. I think the Topps gum was a bigger piece than the Bowman, and thus this indicates Topps? He says there are 2 pieces of gum in the 7 card packs too; I don't remember either nickel pack having 2 pieces. The Topps penny pack says 1 piece of gum and uses the singular "card"; the Nickel packs don't state how much gum or how many cards on them. I thought it was 6 cards and 1 stick gum.

He also mentions Roy Campanella at length, but he appeared in both Topps and Bowman as well so that doesn't help. Cool article

Thank you. I have always enjoyed the article. Different era. He does mention the size of the cards - "These flat packs, which cost a nickel, contain two sheets of bubble gum, 2½ by 3½ inches square, plus seven cards of the same size (opposite)".

I think the author got the card size and number per pack for the year of issue mixed up.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by biohazard

Thank you. I have always enjoyed the article. Different era. He does mention the size of the cards - "These flat packs, which cost a nickel, contain two sheets of bubble gum, 2½ by 3½ inches square, plus seven cards of the same size (opposite)".

I think the author got the card size and number per pack for the year of issue mixed up.

He seems to be referring to the size of the bubble gum itself ("contain 2 sheets of bubble gum, 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches square"), not the card, which I think is the larger Topps piece in 1953, but I haven't opened a pack and could be wrong.

[bobw]

The previous 4 pages contained the 1954 cards....Robinson, Williams, etc.

[MVSNYC]

I "got" a Solly Hofman, if that's close enough.