Any love for vintage bowman? Your thoughts?

skelly423 · #1 01-04-2023, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harliduck

However, I do not care much for the smaller cards, the early 50s. I've owned a few through the years, and got rid of them. Cartoonish, too small, look terrible in a binder...just not interested.

I may not be able to change your mind, but you need the right size of. Under page. The 1950 set in 12 pocket pages looks stunning in a binder.

Tere1071 · #2 01-04-2023, 08:07 AM

I also believe that while Topps cards have a wide-based appeal and are collected by the majority of hobby enthusiasts, Bowmans have a selective appeal. When I worked in a baseball card shop and at shows in the 1970s and 1980s, vintage Topps singles sold quickly as there were a number of collectors building sets. Bowmans, on the other hand, had more of an appeal to those collectors who wanted to go to the "next level." They were also a bit more difficult to find as most dealers back then, sold mostly Topps cards.

From my years working full-time at the store (1979-1987), except for one occasion I can remember anyone bringing us a vintage Bowman set or major star cards for us to purchase. The exception was a 1955 Bowman Baseball set in good to very good condition (Mays and Aaron were in really bad shape) for which I paid $20. This was what the seller wanted and I wasn't about to argue. The store owner was pleased, to say the least. The damaged cards were replaced with others in very good to excellent condition and it sold somewhere between $150-$200.

Finally, I remember at the Strongsville show back in 1986, Al Rosen had a "gem mint" complete 1951 Bowman Baseball set for $2,000, which was a stiff asking price at that time. Imagine that set walking into a shop now, even a ratty one would sell for way more than $2,000.

Phil aka Tere1071

Complete 1953 Bowman Color, 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1975 Topps Baseball sets under revision as the budget and wife allows

Under construction:
1970 Topps Baseball - missing over 100 cards, mostly after #450 and the three insert sets

1971 Topps Coins- 107/153

1973 Topps Baseball 659/660, missing #305 Mays

1974 Topps Baseball Washington variations

thatkidfromjerrymaguire · #3 01-04-2023, 01:42 PM

1952 Bowman is my all time favorite vintage set.

When I got into vintage collecting about six years ago I spent some time researching which set to chase. My criteria was based on artwork, player selection, and affordability. 1952 Bowman checked all those boxes and I completed it over about a three year span. My biggest complaint is that Jackie Robinson was not included....but other than that, it's the perfect, collectible set.

1.JPG

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vintagebaseballcardguy · #4 01-04-2023, 02:09 PM

The Bowman cards from 1950-1955 are some of my very favorite cards in the hobby. I have a complete lower grade set of '52, and I am over halfway toward a set of '50. I also have stars from the other years. I'm away from my scans right now, or I would proudly post some pics! I hope to also build a set of '54 and possibly '53 and '55.

thatkidfromjerrymaguire · #5 01-04-2023, 02:19 PM

[Delete - double posted]

rugbymarine · #6 01-04-2023, 02:34 PM

I think the 55 Bowmans are underrated. They're a more affordable option of owning early-career, mid-grade cards of the post-war great.

p.s. I can't stand the baggy that PSA uses on their oversized cards...

ALR-bishop · #7 01-04-2023, 03:15 PM

Color TV on cards at a time when probably less than a million folks had a color TV.

Plus all those great umpire cards

skelly423 · #8 01-04-2023, 05:29 PM

Here is a scan of my first two binder sheets of 1950 (that gap is for the Jackie, which I have, but can't bring myself to crack out of the slab). The whole set looks awesome when flipping through the binder.

gvdwmmex0b7a1.jpg

55koufax · #9 01-04-2023, 05:35 PM

I have only two Bowman sets I admire and collected.

1. 1953 Bowman Color.
2. 1955 Bowman FB

Volod · #10 01-05-2023, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Color TV on cards at a time when probably less than a million folks had a color TV.

Plus all those great umpire cards

Aw, c'mon...Why couldn't a kid in any era admire a guy with this bio? Plus - Big Jim's greatest fame came from TV commercial ads for beer in which he stole scenes from Boog Powell.

Snowman · #11 01-06-2023, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rugbymarine

I think the 55 Bowmans are underrated. They're a more affordable option of owning early-career, mid-grade cards of the post-war great.

p.s. I can't stand the baggy that PSA uses on their oversized cards...

How on earth is that Kaline in a 6 holder? PSA has completely forgotten how to grade vintage cards. It wasn't that long ago that this same card would have come back in a 8 or 9 holder.

rats60 · #12 01-06-2023, 11:07 AM

Here are my favorite Bowmans

ALR-bishop · #13 01-06-2023, 12:49 PM

3 very nice cards

vintagebaseballcardguy · #14 01-06-2023, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rats60

Here are my favorite Bowmans

Three great cards! That Mantle is one of my favorite cards in the hobby. The surge in value the last couple of years probably means that I won't own one. The same is largely true of Willie. Otherwise, I would build '51, too.

Harliduck · #15 01-05-2023, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skelly423

I may not be able to change your mind, but you need the right size of. Under page. The 1950 set in 12 pocket pages looks stunning in a binder.

Thanks Sean...I honestly didn't know that existed as I never really looked. Still not a fan of the looks, but seeing that in those full sheets is certainly intriguing. I may have to pick a few up...I've been known to change my tune once I have cards in hand...

vintagebaseballcardguy · #16 01-05-2023, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harliduck

Thanks Sean...I honestly didn't know that existed as I never really looked. Still not a fan of the looks, but seeing that in those full sheets is certainly intriguing. I may have to pick a few up...I've been known to change my tune once I have cards in hand...

My '50 partial is currently in Cardsaver IIs. I will admit those 12 pocket sheets are intriguing.

bnorth · #17 01-05-2023, 12:53 PM

My favorite Bowman is the 55 set by far. As an oddball project I put them together in lower grade with only purchases/trades with fellow Net54 members. Took me about 2 years and was a lot of fun. I will say I wasn't a fan of the prices the umpire cards sell for.

Harliduck · #18 01-05-2023, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnorth

My favorite Bowman is the 55 set by far. As an oddball project I put them together in lower grade with only purchases/trades with fellow Net54 members. Took me about 2 years and was a lot of fun. I will say I wasn't a fan of the prices the umpire cards sell for.

I'll second that on the umpires, and even a couple of the SP higher number commons. But those umpire cards killed me!

cgjackson222 · #19 01-05-2023, 02:35 PM

Absolutely love early Bowman cards, especially '51 - '53. The '50s are great too, but I wish they were larger. I think early Bowman are the most attractive cards ever made.

A lot of great cards shown in this thread. Here are a few of my favorites.

skelly423 · #20 01-05-2023, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

My '50 partial is currently in Cardsaver IIs. I will admit those 12 pocket sheets are intriguing.

I wish I could find the party to give proper credit, but I did the cardsaver 2s myself before someone here tipped me off about the 12 pocket pages. Trust me, you won�t regret it if you make the switch.

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