Grade or Not

[Volod]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Weren't there also 1-card packs of this issue? That would explain why so many are stained.

Yeah, there were one-cent packs. I never saw a one-cent pack in the year of issue - as an eight-year-old in a small town in upstate NY. Maybe the small packs were sold in large cities, but not sure why that would have been the case. So, as a kid collector, I found only nickel packs. I seem to recall the slab of gum on top and perhaps a thin piece of wax paper buffering the gum from the cards, which were all together below. Strange, the things the mind retains for seventy years, while stuff from last week seems to evaporate easily.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Originally Posted by Volod

Yeah, there were one-cent packs. I never saw a one-cent pack in the year of issue - as an eight-year-old in a small town in upstate NY. Maybe the small packs were sold in large cities, but not sure why that would have been the case. So, as a kid collector, I found only nickel packs. I seem to recall the slab of gum on top and perhaps a thin piece of wax paper buffering the gum from the cards, which were all together below. Strange, the things the mind retains for seventy years, while stuff from last week seems to evaporate easily.

Just based on price guide quotes for wrapper value, it appears that the one cent wrappers are more scarce than the five cent wrappers. So, although I would assume that every card in the once cent wrapper could have staining, there still leaves a mystery as to why so many cards are stained...since only 20% of the cards in the five card packs would have been directly in contact with the back of the back.

And I don't think I've seen any cards with noticeable gum stains on the front...so that wax paper must have worked

[Volod]

Originally Posted by thatkidfromjerrymaguire

Just based on price guide quotes for wrapper value, it appears that the one cent wrappers are more scarce than the five cent wrappers. So, although I would assume that every card in the once cent wrapper could have staining, there still leaves a mystery as to why so many cards are stained...since only 20% of the cards in the five card packs would have been directly in contact with the back of the back.

And I don't think I've seen any cards with noticeable gum stains on the front...so that wax paper must have worked

Right, John. The stains seem to me more like some really oily liquid, not so much from gum or wax. I wonder if Bowman had a press mechanic come in and oil up the machinery a little too much just before the press run in '52.

[bammerbb]

First of all, thanks to everyone who replied. To answer one question, it doesn't look like glue to me, but really I can't say one way or the other, as the stain was on it when I got it. I was so busy admiring the front and how colorful it is, I didn't notice it until a couple of weeks later.

Now, the consensus of opinion is either to keep it as is or find one already graded without a stain. I believe this is the direction I'm going to take. I want to get back to vintage, I have a 1600 count shoebox about 1/3 full of cards (modern Yankees) to sell to get some seed money, let me know if any of you are looking for anything special, I'll probably say something in the modern section also.

Again, thank you all for the help.

Brian

[toledo_mudhen]

So has anyone ever seen any of the "Send In" Baseball Caps as described on the backs of these?

5 Wrappers and 50 cents

Quick search on eBay doesn't show anything

[Volod]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

So has anyone ever seen any of the "Send In" Baseball Caps as described on the backs of these?

5 Wrappers and 50 cents

Quick search on eBay doesn't show anything

I haven't in the past thirty or so years, but also haven't really been looking, so would not be surprised if some had shown up somewhere online.
In 1952, I opened many Bowman waxpacks, but never thought of saving the five wrappers - or parting with the princely sum of fifty cents - to purchase a cheapo baseball cap. My brother did acquire a Red Man premium cap, probably only because our old man was a heavy tobacco chewer, so clipping tabs from fifty cards was not too difficult.
Interesting related offering on the Bay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/18495321260...6&toolid=10001

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Originally Posted by toledo_mudhen

So has anyone ever seen any of the "Send In" Baseball Caps as described on the backs of these?

5 Wrappers and 50 cents

Quick search on eBay doesn't show anything

That is a GREAT question!

As a 1952 Bowman collector, I like to pick up related items (I have a wrapper, a blank back card, an uncut panel) and I occasionally search for one of the hats. I have NEVER seen one.

My best guess is that the hats have no discernable tag or mark that identify them as the 1952 Bowman hats...so maybe they are out there, and are maybe even for sale on eBay, but nobody knows what they are and they are just being sold as old hats?

I'd love to have more info on them if anyone on this board has any.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by thatkidfromjerrymaguire

That is a GREAT question!

As a 1952 Bowman collector, I like to pick up related items (I have a wrapper, a blank back card, an uncut panel) and I occasionally search for one of the hats. I have NEVER seen one.

My best guess is that the hats have no discernable tag or mark that identify them as the 1952 Bowman hats...so maybe they are out there, and are maybe even for sale on eBay, but nobody knows what they are and they are just being sold as old hats?

I'd love to have more info on them if anyone on this board has any.

From looking at the Red Man caps (https://www.ebay.com/itm/184953212604?), I would think you are probably correct that the Bowman caps as well had no particular labeling, other than size tags. Who knows, maybe they all came out of the same sporting goods factory in NYC. There are some vintage 1950's caps for sale online, and they mostly have no manufacturer's label, just size tags.