53 Bowman Color or 53 Topps?

[Orioles1954]

I'll go with 1953 Topps. Great player selection, nice Kodachrome accentings, great reverses AND the player is identified on the front.

James

[Volod]

Interesting question. I recall opening wax packs of both sets as a kid, and then as now, the stunning photographic impact of the Bowmans was hard to resist. The '53 Topps were more plentiful in my area, but the drawings - ok, paintings - seemed like a pale imitation of earlier Bowman issues. I recall other schoolyard collectors felt the same way, placing a higher value on the photo images. I've always thought that Topps was still somewhat unsure of itself in the card industry at that time, and the boardroom decison was to go with something closer to what their successful competitor was doing. And then, the Bowman designers outflanked them by producing a set of beautiful photographs instead of line-drawings. The irony of course is that the cost undid Bowman and paved the way for its exit from the field.