Printing of Topps Cards Pre-1965

[jeffshep]

Interesting blurb on the sale of Bowman to Topps, from Billboard Magazine Feb. 25th, 1956...."the Bowman Gum division of Connelly Containers...". Was Bowman possibly bought out before the sale to Topps? Connelly was apparently a printer - or paper manufacturer, haven't looked much into it - perhaps they did the printing towards the tail end of Bowman's existence?

Just throwing wrenches Dave, I'll post this on the non-sport side as well...

[toppcat]

Shep-pretty good wrench (sorry, couldn't resist)!

Connelly Containers still exists in Philly and they make corrugated cardboard boxes, which is an interesting twist. The cases that boxes of cards came in were corrugated obviously.

MORE: ON 4/26/52 Bowman renamed itself Haelan Laboratories, Inc. so maybe that is what morphed into Connelly? Bowman itself became a division of Haelan as of this date and that division is what was sold to Topps in early 1956 (feb.) 1952 is when the BGHLI indicia started appearing on Bowman cards and it continued through '55, with Haelan Laboratories being spelled out from '53 onward. I wonder if Connelly bought Haelan first? The Haelan deal may have been the start of Bowman's financial troubles.

AND: "Connelly Containers Inc (Bala Cynwyd, PA) is to be acquired by Georgia-Pacific Corp for an undisclosed sum. Connelly president Thomas Connelly said the company's 120 employees would be retained, and that he would continue with the firm. Connelly Containers posted 1998 revenues of less than $38 million, and is operating at less than 50% of capacity. Georgia-Pacific already operates 4 heavy-duty corrugated-packaging plants, but Connelly Containers will be its first in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business-regional/Maggios-sell-their-cheese-business-Red-Bell-says-Lion-rejected-takeover.html#ixzz0XJ8ugBMt"

[Doug Hall]

My grandfather William Zabel was the President of Zabel Brothers Co in Philadelphia. I can vouch for the fact that Zabel Bros,. was the sole printer of Bowman cards beginning 1949 and then Topps. I am not sure when Topps printing ended at Zabel Bros. As far as I know, there was never a second printer during the time Zabel Bros. was printing the cards.

As for shipping from Zabel Bros. plant at 5th St. & Columbia Avenue to Topps, I am fairly certain barges were not used. The sheets were stacked on large pallets and those loaded onto trucks. While it is possible the trucks simply went to a dock in Philly, that is doubtful. I had summer jobs at Zabel Bros. because I was the only grandson and my grandfather was hoping I would eventually run the company after his son, my uncle, retired. So he gave me work in all parts of the printing process. Zabel Bros. was printer for many, many companies. It was a big operation. I never heard of anything being shipped by barge.

[ALR-bishop]

Great post Doug. Welcome to the board.

[toppcat]

I have to check but believe Doug sent a few comments to my blog a few years ago so welcome here now!

I was still putting a lot of my research together in 2009. The barges were used for raw ingredients used in Topps confections when they were made in Brooklyn. I would think by early 1966, when Topps moved most production from Brooklyn to Duryea, PA it was all coming in by truck.

Still researching-stuff pops up all the time.

[bobsbbcards]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Great post Doug. Welcome to the board.

+1