48 Leaf v. 48 Bowman

[tedzan]

John W......very nice introductory post here.


I like both the 1948 LEAF and 1948 BOWMAN sets, but I prefer the BOWMAN. I completed 2 - 1948 Bowman FB sets back in the early 1980's.

I also had all 3 uncut 36-card sheets of this set.

This set was somewhat of a mystery back in the 1970's, and the early 1980's........especially due to the rarity of the "DIVISIBLE by 3" cards.

So, I wrote an article that resolved this mystery, and it was published in SCD in 1984..










TED Z
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[jefferyepayne]

Very nice detective work back then, Ted! Impressive piece of work.

jeff

[TanksAndSpartans]

Thanks Ted. Great article! I actually came across this blast from the past doing my research for the post: http://www.network54.com/Forum/57939...OWMAN+FB+cards

I have to ask, when you were buying the 48 cards, did you leave the Leaf packs on the shelf? (I recall leaving Fleer packs on the shelf in the 80s - can't buy everything).

[oddball]

Awesome article! I didn't subscribe to SCD until 1985, so I had never seen this. Thanks for posting!

[tedzan]

Thanks Jeff....John....Ty....for the nice compliments.

John, to your question......
"I have to ask, when you were buying the 48 cards, did you leave the Leaf packs on the shelf ?"


In my neighborhood in 1948, the LEAF Gum cards were Pirates and Boxing. Lots of them, but very few FB cards.

Early in the Spring of 1949, LEAF BB cards were available (tons of these cards). Followed by LEAF FB in the Fall.

Also in 1948, BOWMAN cards were plentiful in my neighborhood....Movie Stars, BB, Basket Ball, and FB (with the
exception of the "divide by 3" cards).

When I recovered my original collection from my youth (from my folks home in 1977), all of this became evident.



TED Z
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[TanksAndSpartans]

Thanks Ted. I hadn't considered the Leaf FB cards may not be available. It's pretty cool to have you as a resource on 48B. The part on how you were only 35 cards short and not 36 was great. You mentioned Basketball.... Any theory why only that one was color? If the order was football,basketball, baseball, I wouldn't have expected them to go back to b/w for baseball......

I know it's off topic, but I'd love to find someone with firsthand or at least second knowledge on the 35 Chicle set too. I've heard theories about the high numbers (regional, etc.), but it's not the same as someone opening packs.

[tedzan]

I would guess that the 1948 Bowman Basket Ball cards were printed in color in late '48 as a precursor to their 1949 color BB set cards.
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TED Z
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