Bowman's exclusive Contract with Johnny Sain

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

For those who read my article on the 1949 LEAF Gum BB set in the current issue of Old Cardboard magazine,
I raised the question in it...."where was Johnny Sain ?". He and a number of players were not in the Leaf set.
I noted that they were missing due to players' conflicts with the Bowman Gum Co. I acquired this information
from my personal conversations with old employees of these two Gum Co. back in 1981.

Well recently, documented evidence of these "BB Gum card Wars" was discovered........

Here is the language of an actual contract, signing Johnny Sain for the exclusive rights to portray him in the 1949
Bowman BB set. This contract is dated Oct 1, 1948.....it is signed by Johnny Sain.....and is addressed as Braves
Field, Boston.


........"IN CONSIDERATION OF $1.00 TO ME IN HAND PAID, RECEIPT OF WHICH IS HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGED, AND
OTHER VALUABLE CONSIDERATIONS, I HEREBY GRANT PERMISSION TO BOWMAN GUM, INC. TO EXHIBIT, DISPLAY,
PRINT, AND PUBLISH MY NAME, AND/OR PHOTOGRAPH IN THE ADVERTISING OF ITS CHEWING GUM PRODUCTS
FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR FROM ABOVE DATE. IT IS PART OF THIS AGREEMENT THAT DURING SAID PERIOD OF
ONE YEAR NO OTHER MANUFACTURER OF CHEWING GUM WILL BE GRANTED PERMISSION BY ME TO USE MY NAME
OR PICTURE IN ANY MANNER. AN ADDITIONAL $99.00 WILL BE PAID ON JANUARY 15, 1949. I FURTHER RELEASE
BOWMAN GUM, INC.,THEIR ASSIGNS, AGENTS OR LICENSEES FROM ANY LIABILITY FOR WHAT I MIGHT DEEM
MISREPRESENTATION OF ME BY VIRTUE OF ALTERATIONS, OPTICAL ILLUSIONS OR FAULTY MECHANICAL
REPRODUCTIONS."

Now that this contract has surfaced....what is the chance of discovering a similar type of contract which would
reveal the exclusive "rights" that American Caramel had regarding the portayal of Eddie Plank....thereby, stopping
the T206 guys from portraying him (as we speculated in the recent "Plank Theory" thread) ?

FRANK W

You were the one who suggested that it is possible to dig up such evidence.....regarding Plank ?
Well, this Johnny Sain contract certainly provides us a ray of hope that it can happen.

TED Z