1950-1959 Baseball Cards

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.

1953 Bowman Baseball Cards – Color and Black & White Series

Regarded by many as one of the most attractive sets of all-time, 1953 Bowman Baseball includes a strong checklist of all-time greats in both a color and black-and-white release.

Product Details

The 1953 Bowman Baseball card set is considered by many collectors to be one of the most beautiful trading card sets ever produced. Relying solely on full-color photographs, 1953 Bowman Color Baseball marked the first time Bowman utilized this medium in a trading card set.

Bowman also released the lesser-known 1953 Bowman Black & White set the same year.

1953 Bowman Color Baseball Cards Set Details

Forgoing traditional aspects of card design, the 1953 Bowman Color Baseball fronts lack any writing whatsoever. The unencumbered player image stands alone in vivid color, allowing collectors to examine every detail of the photograph. Measuring  2-1/2" by 3-3/4", this slightly over-sized dimension permits the photography to truly stand out as if each card were a miniature canvas.

At just 160 total cards, 1953 Bowman Color is one of the smallest sets the company ever made and was printed in two separate series. Card numbers #1-112 constitute the first series or "low numbers" and card numbers #113-160 comprise the second series or "high numbers." Set builders will often find that the high number cards are extremely difficult to find with good centering, making the task of building a high-grade set very costly in time and money.

The 1953 Bowman Color checklist is dotted with Hall of Fame players, including popular cards for Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra. While certainly not his last baseball card, 1953 served as the final appearance of Stan Musial in a Bowman set. Fittingly, it is considered by vintage collectors to be his best-looking card of all-time.

Although the majority of the cards feature single players, the New York Yankees receive an additional focus in 1953 Bowman Color. An intriguing card combines a trio of Yankees stars with Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer and Mickey Mantle. Teammates Billy Martin and Phil Rizzuto are also paired on another combo card in the set.

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.