The Great Bowman & Topps Sets
from 1948 to 1955 – by Dean Hanley (2012)
REVIEWED BY MARK A. LARSON
Editor & Publisher
For whatever reason, my expectations for this book were low. I expected a quick glossing over of the Bowman-Topps card competition between 1951-55. Yes, there could be more details, but it is surprisingly full of information and analysis of the baseball card business – and the cards themselves – from the 1930s through the mid-’50s, written in an easy-to-read style.
Author Hanley starts off with the historical background of the Bowman company going back to the 1930s when it was known as Gum, Inc. It was the company responsible for the “Horrors of War” non-sports set in 1938 – a set that was legendary then, and still is today … particularly because of its graphics. Soon Gum, Inc. entered the baseball card business by producing the Play Ball sets of 1939-41.
World War II adversely affected production of gum and cards, but the company came back in 1948 with its first post-war baseball card set. Although it was somewhat primitive, yearly improvements led to Bowman’s best set yet (and most profitable) in 1951. It was the same year a company called Topps got into the baseball card game with a very weak offering.
Then two monumental events took place almost simultaneously: Warren Bowman sold his company and Sy Berger took over the Topps baseball card operation.
Bowman’s new owners knew little about the business they had acquired and Berger was the mastermind behind the groundbreaking 1952 Topps set. That set changed the course of the hobby of baseball card collecting forever. And the rest, as they say, is history …
It’s apparent throughout “The Bubble Gum Card War” that Hanley (owner of Deanscards.com) has had a lifelong love of baseball cards. His own analysis and opinions add to the story so that it’s not just a dry “just the facts, ma’am” read.
While the author describes the card designs of the Bowman and Topps sets in great detail, the one significant drawback to the book is that there are no graphics or photos of the cards themselves included.
All in all, “The Bubble Gum Card War” is a great overview of baseball cards during the period. It really is essential reading for anyone who wants to get a taste of the events that led Bowman down the road to oblivion and Topps to the pinnacle of the card business.
1955 Topps Card and Pack
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