1952 Bowman Sets Baseball Cards
Bowman Gum started manufacturing sports cards in 1939 to 1941.The war and lack of supplies force them to stop making the cards until 1948 when the war ended.In the beginning, Bowman had a monopoly on baseball card production. Then in 1952, Topps began producing cards as well.
The 1952 Bowman set marked the last of the small cards sets. The inferior appearance of the cards could not compete with what other brands were doing.
Topps emerged as a true competitor in the baseball card world.Topps made their first full set in 1952 in a larger format, 2-5/8 X 3-3/4 in.Bowman kept the same size that it had from 1952.Topps also created a greater number of cards (407).The larger size of the Topps cards allowed more information to be put on the back of the card.
The 1952 Bowman Baseball card set was a set of 252 cards.This was smaller than the 1952 set.1952 marked the decline for the Bowman Company. Bowman did not change the face of the cards in 1952 very much even though they had competition. They left the hand-painted artwork of the players on the front.Only the player`s names changed from type to a reproduction autograph.Bowman also cut the size of the set in 1952, instead of increasing it.
The 1952 set was overshadowed by Topps.The 1952 Topps set is worth 10 times more than the 1952 Bowman set.In comparison, the cards were smaller, fewer, and had no major rookies.The only notable rookies were Gil McDougland, Minnie Minoso, and Lew Burdette.Those players were good, but not exactly hall-of-fame.
Regardless of the Topps set, the 1952 Bowman set is an important set. It has a lot of stars and it much more affordable than some people expect.This set has Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Willie Mays! Some people prefer the Bowman 1952 set to the Tops because of the star players.
The design of the 1952 Bowman baseball cards retained many of the characteristics of their 1952 baseball cards.Black and white photos were transformed into color reproductions which were surrounded by a simple white border.The 1952 Bowman cards remained the same size and shape as their 1952 counterparts.The one alteration that makes the 1952 Bowman easily identifiable from previous years is the facsimile autograph that replaced the black box that held the player`s name.
In 1952 the Bowman Gum Company had increased the size of its baseball card set to 324 cards.In 1952 the Bowman Gum Company reduced the number of baseball cards in their set to 252, the same number of cards they had in their 1950 set.This reduced number of cards resulted in giving the increasingly competitive Topps Chewing Gum an opportunity to dramatically overshadow the 1952 Bowman baseball card set.
In 1952 the Topps Chewing Gum Company produced a baseball card set that totaled an impressive 407 cards which was the largest baseball card set of the time.This large volume of baseball cards marked the first year that Topps demonstrated its potential to not only be a serious competitor to the Bowman baseball cards, but a serious threat to the future of Bowman baseball cards.
The 1952 Bowman baseball cards featured rookies like Gil Mc Dougald, Minnie Minoso and Lew Burdette who unfortunately were not Hall of Fame material.This is just one aspect of the 1952 bowman baseball card set that makes it easier for baseball collectors to overlook the 1952 Bowman cards in favor of the Topps set.The 1952 Topps baseball set has overshadowed the Bowman set of the same year so much that many collectors might not realize the important gems contained in the 1952 Bowman baseball card set.
The 1952 Bowman baseball set includes such sports stars as #101 Mickey Mantle, #196 Stan Musial, #218 Willie Mays and #1 Yogi Berra who became almost as famous for his Yogisms as he did for his baseball career.These are important cards to anyone who knows anything about collecting baseball cards.The good news for collectors is that in spite of the superstars included in the set, a 1952 Bowman baseball card set is still extremely affordable.
Having less than 300 baseball cards in a set may have worked to the disadvantage of the Bowman Gum Company in 1952, but it certainly works to the advantage of collectors today. The fewer cards needed to complete a collection the easier and more affordable it is to complete that collection. While some sports memorabilia shops do carry collectible vintage baseball cards, you are less likely to strike out in your search for 1952 Bowman baseball cards if you shop online.
1. Larry "Yogi" Berra
2. Bobby Thompson
3. Fred Hutchinson
4. Robin Roberts
5. Orestes Minoso
6. Frank Crosetti
7. Mike Garcia
8. Jack Lohrke
9. Vern Stephens
10. Bob Hooper
11. Ralph Kiner
12. Bob Surkont
13. Cliff Mapes
14. Cliff Chambers
15. Sam Mele
16. Omar Lown
17. Ed Lopat
18. Don Mueller
19. Bob Cain
20. Willie Jones
21. Nelson Fox
22. Willard Ramsdell
23. Bob Lemon
24. Carl Furillo
25. Maurice McDermott
26. Eddie Joost
27. Joe Garagiola
28. Roy Hartsfield
29. Ned Garver
30. Ivan Delock
31. Eddie Yost
32. Eddie Miksis
33. Gil McDougald
34. Al Dark
35. Gran Hamner
36. Cass Michaels
37. Vic Raschi
38. Whitey Lockman
39. Vic Wertz
40. Emory Church
41. Chico Carrasquel
42. Johnny Wyrostek
43. Bob Feller
44. Roy Campanella
45. Johnny Pesky
46. Carl Scheib
47. Pete Castiglione
48. Vern Bickford
49. Jim Hearn
50. Gerry Staley
51. Gil Coan
52. Phil Rizzuto
53. Richie Ashburn
54. Bill Peirce
55. Ken Raffensberger
56. Clyde King
57. Clyde Vollmer
58. Hank Majeski
59. Murray Dickson
60. Sid Gordon
61. Tommy Byrne
62. Joe Presko
63. Irv Noren
64. Roy Smalley
65. Hank Bauer
66. Sal Maglie
67. Johnny Groth
68. Jim Busby
69. Joe Adcock
70. Carl Erskine
71. Vernon Law
72. Earl Torgeson
73. Jerry Coleman
74. Wes Westrum
75. George Kell
76. Del Ennis
77. Eddie Robinson
78. Lloyd Merriman
79. Lou Brissie
80. Gil Hodges
81. Billy Goodman
82. Gus Zernial
83. Howie Pollett
84. Sam Jethroe
85. Marty Marion
86. Cal Abrams
87. Mickey Vernon
88. Bruce Edwards
89. Billy Hitchcock
90. Larry Jansen
91. Don Kolloway
92. Eddie Waitkus
93. Paul Richards
94. Luke Sewell
95. Luke Easter
96. Ralph Branca
97. Willard Marshall
98. Jimmy Dykes
99. Clyde McCullough
100. Sibby Sisti
101. Mickey Mantle
102. Peanuts Lowrey
103. Joe Haynes
104. Hal Jeffcoat
105. Bobby Brown
106. Randy Gumpert
107. Del Rice
108. George Metkovich
109. Tom Morgan
110. Max Lanier
111. Henry Thompson
112. Bill Werle
113. Al Zarilla
114. Frank Hiller
115. Larry Doby
116. Duke Snider
117. Bill Wight
118. Ray Murray
119. Bill Howerton
120. Chet Nichols
121. Al Corwin
122. Billy Johnson
123. Sid Hudson
124. George Tebbets
125. Howie Fox
126. Phil Cavaretta
127. Dick Sisler
128. Don Newcombe
129. Gus Niarhos
130. Allie Clark
131. Bob Swift
132. Dave Cole
133. Dick Kryhoski
134. Al Brazile
135. Mickey Harris
136. Gene Hermanski
137. Stan Rojek
138. Ted Wilks
139. Jerry Priddy
140. Ray Scarborough
141. Hank Edwards
142. Early Wynn
143. Sandalio Conseguera
144. Joe Hatten
145. Johnny Mize
146. Leo Durocher
147. Marlin Stuart
148. Ken Heintzelman
149. Howie Judson
150. Herman Wehmeier
151. Al "Flip" Rosen
152. Billy Cox
153. Fred Hatfield
154. Ferris Fain
155. Billy Meyer
156. Warren Spahn
157. Jim Delsing
158. Bucky Harris
159. Dutch Leonard
160. Eddie Stanky
161. Jackie Jensen
162. Monte Irvin
163. Johnny Lipon
164. Connie Ryan
165. Saul Rogovin
166. Bobby Adams
167. Bob Avila
168. Preacher Roe
169. Walt Dropo
170. Joe Astroth
171. Mel Queen
172. Ebba St. Claire
173. Gene Bearden
174. Mickey Grasso
175. Ranson Jackson
176. Harry Brecheen
177. Gene Woodling
178. Dave Williams
179. Pete Suder
180. Ed Fitzgerald
181. Joe Collins
182. Dave Koslo
183. Pat Mullin
184. Curt Simmons
185. Eddie Stewart
186. Frank Smith
187. Jim Hegan
188. Charlie Dressen
189. Jim Piersall
190. Dick Fowler
191. Bob Friend
192. John Cusick
193. Bobby Young
194. Bob Porterfield
195. Frank Baumholtz
196. Stan Musial
197. Charlie Silvera
198. Chuck Diering
199. Ted Gray
200. Ken Silvestri
201. Ray Coleman
202. Harry Perkowski
203. Steve Gromek
204. Andy Pafko
205. Walt Masterson
206. Elmer Valo
207. Goerge Strickland
208. Walker Cooper
209. Dick Littlefield
210. Archie Wilson
211. Paul Minner
212. Solly Hemus
213. Monte Kennedy
214. Ray Boone
215. Sheldon Jones
216. Matt Batts
217. Casey Stengel
218. Willie Mays
219. Neil Berry
220. Russ Meyer
221. Lou Kretlow
222. Homer "Dixie" Howell
223. Harry Simpson
224. Johnny Schmitz
225. Del Wilbur
226. Alex Kellner
227. Clyde Sukeforth
228. Bob Chipman
229. Hank Arft
230. Frank Shea
231. Dee Fondy
232. Enos Slaughter
233. Bob Kuzava
234. Fred Fitzsimmons
235. Steve Souchock
236. Tommy Brown
237. Sherman Lollar
238. Roy McMillan
239. Dale Mitchell
240. Billy Loes
241. Mel Parnell
242. Everett Kell
243. George "Red" Munger
244. Lew Burdette
245. George Schmees
246. Jerry Snyder
247. John Pramesa
248. Forrest "Smokey" Burgess
249. Walter "Hoot" Evers
250. Al "Red" Schoendienst
251. Harold "Pee Wee" Reese
252. Virgil "Red" Stallcup
