1951 Bowman Baseball Card # 290 Bill Dickey CO (HOF) - New York Yankees (VG/EX)

Other decades may have produced more valuable cards, but 1950s baseball cards are arguably the most iconic and sought-after vintage cards in the entire hobby. At times, they seemed more like art than simply sports cards. Vivid colors and beautiful images filled checklists with names that now populate Cooperstown. As the country moved on after World War II, this would become the Renaissance period for baseball cards. A dominant figure throughout much of baseball card history, Topps released their first baseball product in 1951 and would not look back. While the later years of the 1950s and beyond were owned by Topps, they got a serious fight from Bowman in the early 1950s.

Although there are many great options from this decade, 1951 Bowman, 1952 Topps, and 1954 Topps have separated themselves from the pack. Top rookie card offering from this decade include Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Ernie Banks, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, Eddie Matthews, and Bob Gibson.

1951 Bowman Baseball Cards

Led by rookie cards for Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, 1951 Bowman Baseball is a set for the ages. The attractive release is considered by many to be one of the most important post-war sets of all-time.

Product Details

Few sets are more important in the hobby than 1951 Bowman Baseball. Boasting a checklist with 30 Hall of Fame players, including several rookie cards, the release helped usher in a new era of collecting.

1951 Bowman is a groundbreaking trading card product that is one of the most popular and valuable sets ever made.

1951 Bowman Baseball Set Details

The 1951 Bowman Baseball set features color art reproductions of actual photos and consists of 324 cards. The 2-1/16" by 3-1/8" cards are the same width as the previous year, but slightly longer. This release is the crown jewel of the Bowman brand thanks to rookie cards for Mickey Mantle (#253) and Willie Mays (#305).

Bowman produced baseball cards from 1948 to 1955. They were the only major baseball card producer in 1950, but in 1951, Topps began producing cards, thereby creating a rivalry between the two that lasted for five years. In 1956, Topps bought out Bowman and integrated the Bowman brand into their product offerings.

There was a period of time between 1948 and 1952 when the Bowman Gum Company was the king of the trading card market. With meticulous attention to detail and a highly competitive nature, Jacob Warren Bowman, the owner and founder of the company, used his entrepreneurial spirit to build a successful trading card series.

The 324-card set was the largest ever produced by Bowman and accounted for a large majority of the league from that season being immortalized on cardboard. Based on black-and-white photographs that were then recreated in full color, the vibrant colors and realism of the depicted players helped 1951 Bowman Baseball stand out from competing brands. Other than the image, the only attribute on the card fronts is a white border, thin black frame and blackened text box with the player's name in white.

1951 Bowman Baseball card backs have a little more to them, including several lines of basic stats and info, a lengthy bio and a large ad at the bottom for the "Baseball Picture Cards." The card number is also noted. Additionally, the player's name in red makes it stand out against the rest of the text on the back.

Primarily issued with a vertical orientation, 39 of the cards were printed horizontally, including two of the most significant cards in the set, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. The product was issued in multiple series and the high numbers (#253-324) are the most difficult to find. This includes both the Mays and Mantle cards.

In addition to the two iconic rookie cards, the checklist is loaded with marquee Hall of Famers, including Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider and Warren Spahn, along with rookies for Whitey Ford and Nellie Fox.1951 Bowman Baseball Cards 4 However, the impressive checklist still misses a few big names, including Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson and Joe DiMaggio.

While the pricing for the Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays prevents many collectors from completing the set, the rest of 1951 Bowman Baseball can be found for more affordable prices, especially in mid-grade.

How We Grade:

Gem Mint (GMT): (10.0) A flawless card. To be in Gem Mint condition, a card’s borders must have a ratio of 50/50 side to side and top to bottom. 

Mint (MT): (9.0-9.5) A perfect card. Well-centered with parallel borders which appear equal to the naked eye. Four sharp, square corners. No creases, edge dents, surface scratches, paper flaws, loss of luster, yellowing or fading, regardless of age. No imperfectly printed cards – out of register, badly cut or ink flawed – or card stained by contact with gum, wax or other substances can be considered truly Mint, even if new out of the pack. Generally, to be considered in Mint condition, a card’s borders must exist in a ratio of 60/40 side to side and top to bottom. 

Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT): (8.0-8.5) A super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may exhibit a very slight wax stain on reverse, slight fraying at one or two corners, or a minor printing imperfection. Centering must be app. 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. 

Near Mint (NM): (7.0-7.5) A nearly perfect card at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may have slight surface wear, slight fraying on some corners, slightly out-of-register picture focus, a minor printing blemish or slight wax stain on reverse. Centering must be 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent/Near Mint (EX/NM): (6.0-6.5) Card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect. A very light scratch. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may have minor wax stain on reverse, may have very slight nothing on edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent (EX): (5.0-5.5) Corners are still fairly sharp with only moderate wear. Card borders may be off center as much as 85/15. No creases. May have very minor gum, wax or product stains, front or back. Surfaces may show slight loss of luster from rubbing across other cards. Dark bordered cards may have one or two small nicks.

Very Good/Excellent (VG/EX): (4.0-4.5) Shows obvious handling, but still looks nice. Corners may be rounded or have minor creases. No major creases, tape marks or extraneous markings or writing. Surfaces does exhibit loss of luster, but the printing is intact. May have paper wrinkles. May show major gum, wax or other packaging stains. All four borders visible, though the ratio may be as poor as 95/5. Exhibits honest wear. 

Very Good (VG): (3.0-3.5) A well-worn card, but exhibits no intentional damage or abuse. May be “Mis-cut or Off-Center” with no border visible. May have major or multiple creases, however, creases are not so deep as to show the underlying paper. This card is completely readable, has not been written on, and has no tape marks or holes. Corner rounding may extend well beyond the border. 

Good (GD) (2.0-2.5) Shows excessive wear, along with damage or abuse. Will show all the wear characteristics of a Very Good card, along with such damage as thumb tack holes in or near margins, evidence of having been taped or pasted, perhaps small tears around the edges or creases so heavily as to break the cardboard. Backs may show minor added pen or pencil writing or be missing small bits of paper. Still basically a complete card. 

Poor (P): (1.0-1.5) A card that has been tortured to death. Corners or other areas may be torn off. Card may have been trimmed, show holes from a paper punch or have been used for BB gun practice. Front may have extraneous pen or pencil writing, or other defacement. Major portions of front or back design may be missing. Not a pretty sight. 

We believe that all our listings are 100% Original and Authentic unless otherwise noted. They are all covered by a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, if for whatever reason you are not happy with your purchase we will exchange it, replace it, discount it or you can return it for a full refund.

Standard/Combined 1st Class Shipping via USPS is $3.95 for the first card and $0.15 for each additional card, with a max. of (40) items per invoice. Subject to change as postal rates continue to increase. Estimated delivery is 3-5 days. Subject to change as postal delivery schedules continue to increase. Please see shipping tab for current postage rates. All cards will ship in penny sleeves, top loaders, team bag & bubble wrap envelopes.

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