Building 1953 Bowman Color Full Set

[bobsbbcards]

Originally Posted by jingram058

I am thinking of trying the black and white set next, to go with this set, for the entire 53 Bowman. I'm hot and cold, but I imagine I will go ahead and give it a try after I enjoy this completed set for a while and take a break.

Good choice! Here are a couple of pics to get you in the mood.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by bobsbbcards

Good choice! Here are a couple of pics to get you in the mood.

Wow, Bob, those are fantastic!

I have no doubt that these black and white cards were to be the third color card series, and with Casey Stengel and, yes, Gene Woodling, who at this time was a star, in this set, it's hard not to think so. Then there's Larry Jansen, Jim Konstanty, Hoyt Wilhelm, Ralph Branca, and many others who I always thought strange that they were not in the color set.

I believe the story that Bowman put all their eggs into the color cards basket, and when the second, high-numbered series didn't sell well, they had no choice but to put out the so-called third series separately, in a different wrapper, in less expensive black and white.

[ALR-bishop]

There is an account of Bowman’s efforts in 1953 to retake the baseball card market with bigger color cards after the 52 Topes success in Dean Hanley’s “The Bubble Gum War: The Great Bowman & Topps sets from 1948 to 1955”. The 53 Bowman set, revered today, was a bust in the 53 market against the 53 Topps set.

Congrats on finishing the Colored set. Agree the B&W is a must for “completion”