It's 1953..and you have a nickel..

[the 'stache]

Ok, my honest answer? I'd have gone outside and looked for another nickel, so I could buy a pack of both!

I love the early 50s Topps cards. But to me, the '53 Bowman Color set belongs in the pantheon of all-time great baseball card sets. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. More is less. Too many baseball cards (especially today) clutter cards with unnecessary information, logos, etc.

The '53 Bowman Color set didn't do that. I don't need to see "Eddie Mathews" name to know the guy I'm looking at is Eddie Mathews. If it's somebody I don't know, I can flip the card over. But for the greats of the game that played in the early to mid 50s, there's no bigger treat than to see them in their natural setting. The photography in that set was so beautiful. No set since then has surpassed it in sheer visual appeal.

When I think of the most beautiful sets, I think of the T206 set, Turkey Red, '14 and '15 Cracker Jack, '33 and '34 Goudey, and the 1953 Bowman Color. There are other great sets, but those are, for me, the very pinnacle.

[tedzan]

Please do not misconstrue my above comments. As a 14 year old kid in 1953, I had out-grown BB card collecting and was into cars and girls.

When I returned to the hobby in 1977, I first worked on upgrading and completing my 1952 Topps set and my Bowman sets (from my youth).
And, especially the 1953 Bowman Color and B/W sets.

In the process of constantly upgrading, I completed 4 color 1953 Bowman sets.

Furthermore....in 1985, I published a 5-page article on the 1953 Bowman set in Bob Lemke's Baseball Cards Magazine.






TED Z

[brett 75]

Ted Page 2-5 please ! Would like to finish the article if possible. Thanks ,Brett

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by brett 75

Ted Page 2-5 please ! Would like to finish the article if possible. Thanks ,Brett

Haha. I was going to say the same thing!!

[tedzan]

I will post the pages tomorrow.

I appreciate your interest in this.


TED Z

[tedzan]

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TED Z
.

[ALR-bishop]

Thanks for posting the article Ted. I started collecting in 1957 at age 7, so started and stayed with Topps. The 53 Bowman color set is the only Bowman set I have put together. I did it recently, mostly for the Musial who did not make his appearance on Topps cards until 1958. I really like the set. I do have an unopened 1953 Topps pack, but no 53 Bowman pack or wrapper