1955 Bowman

I have asked it before and I don't mind repeating myself. What is the matter with '55 Bowman cards? Why is there no love for '55 Bowman - 'the TV set'?

I won an auction on e-bay UK for 49 cards from this set, without challenge. They may not be in the best condition, ranging from poor to fair, but they are from the 1955...and Bowman...and I love this set. The last set produced under the Bowman name until it resurfaced in 1989.

The previous owner (owners)has made some of these cards unique. A number are cut down by a fraction possibly to make them fit in some sort of holder, wallet or pocket? A few more have names added; C.C owned a couple, then one or two have been used a playing cards with 2 and 4 added to the four corners of the back.

The best individualisation by far is #96 Ray Narleski. At first glance I thought of Superbad but then realised that the previous owner had drawn daggers across his arms and face. The back was subjected to a similar fate. What is that about?

For those who are interested the auction included;

#4 Eddie Waitkins Orioles

#67 Don Larson Yankees

#83 Max Surkont Pirates

#96 Ray Narleski Indians

#106 Del Rice Cardinals

#107 Solly Hemus Cardinals

#120 Ed Burtschy Athletics

#127 Hank Majeski Indians

#131 Willard Marshall White Sox

#137 Bob Talbot Cubs

#140 Bobby Shantz Athletics

#141 Wes Westrum Giants

#144 Art Houtteman Indians

#145 Bob Nieman White Sox

#146 Don Liddle Giants

#150 Bill Klaus Red Sox

#153 Eddie Robinson Yankees

#155 Gerry Staley Redlegs

#157 Ernie Johnson Braves

#162 Charlie Maxwell Orioles

#163 Sid Gordon Pirates

#165 Maurice McDermott Senators

#169 Carl Furillo Dodgers

#176 Joe De Maestri Athletics

#177 Willard Nixon Red Sox

#180 Johnny Logan Braves

#182 Bob Rush Cubs

#190 Fred Baezewski Redlegs

#192 George Strickland Indians

#193 Howie Judson Redlegs

#197 Ralph Kiner Indians

#203 Steve Gromek Tigers

#211 Sonny Dixon Athletics

#212 Jack Dittmer Braves

#217 Del Crandall Braves

#218 Joe Adcock Braves

#219 Whitey Lockman Giants

#221 Skinny Brown Red Sox

#223 Hal Jeffcoat Cubs

#226 W.J.McKinley Umpire

#237 Johnny Wyrostek Phillies

#249 Billy Gardner Giants

#257 Tom Alston Cardinals

#261 Walt Moryn Dodgers

#271 Bob Hopper Indians

#299 Lonnie Warneke Umpire

#300 Tommy Byrne Yankees

#307 R.A. Pinelli Umpire

#310 Ken Lehman Dodgers

They are rough, pre-loved, but what an addition to the collection.

1955 Bowman baseball Yankees

I cannot begin to understand the collecting habits of card collectors in the UK. Recent game used cards and in particular autographed cards go for sometimes stupid amounts of money, while cards as important to the hobby as these 1955 Bowman go for 99p.
The 1955 Bowman baseball card set was the last that the Bowman Gum Company produced. The company was bought by Topps in 1955 and the Bowman brand didn't resurface for another 30plus years.

The auction was for three Yankees, which included two Rookie cards; #68 Elston Howard and #167 Bob Grim plus #201 Allie Reynolds. The Elston Howard card is of major significance as he was the first African American to play for the Yankees and was in his MLB rookie year. In contrast Allie Reynolds retired in 1954, after a long and successful career which started in 1942 with the Cleveland Indians and ended with the Yankees. Both players featured in many All-Star and World Series games.

The third player,Bob Grim bounced around few clubs until he played his final game in 1962 when he was with Kansas City Athletics.

The seller also included a 1978 Topps Don Gullett and a 1979 Topps Jim Beattie.

1955 Topps Doubleheader's

On my stroll around looking at baseball cards. I am continually drawn to the Topps Double Header cards from 1955.
What is it about this particular set? I'm not sure. It may be the design, the dimensions, the fact that they join together to make a ballpark scene or simply that they are different. What ever it is, I would like to explore this set further.





1955 Double Headers are based on an older set called the T201 Mecca Double Folder series from 1911.
These were distributed in packs of Mecca cigarettes. The set consisted of 50 cards showing baseball players of the era, each card showing two players. One player when the card is open and another when the card is closed. Although the upper part of the players are different they share a pair of legs.
The cards measure 2¼" by 4¾" when opened.
Some of the 100 players featured include Chief Bender #6 (who shares the card with Reuben Oldring), Christy Mathewson #10 ( Albert Bridwell), Ty Cobb #17 ( Sam Crawford), Nap Lajoie #28 (Fred Falkenberg) and Tris Speaker #32 (Earl Gardner).