There were a couple of different options to buy the cards. The set was in pretty rough shape, so it was $1250 for the entire set, or $750 for the Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays cards, and/or $500 for the other 221 cards. After thinking about it, I decided to buy the set. I called the shop on Sunday a few minutes before they closed to ask them to hold it for me, but they didn't answer. I was working on Monday and they are closed on Tuesday, so I decided to head to the shop when they opened on Wednesday since I had the day off for Veterans Day.
When I arrived I went to the display case and noticed the three big cards were gone. I asked about it and they had sold the Williams, Mantle and Mays to someone and then decided to just break up the remainder of the set and sell it card by card. I was extremely disappointed. The owner said you should have called and I said I did right before they closed on Sunday and the other employee said he remembered the phone ringing as they were walking out the door. They did say that the three cards cards had sold earlier that day anyways, so I guess it was just not meant to be.
I did go through the remainder of the cards and picked out a few as a reminder of what could have been.
The first card I grabbed was this Harvey Kuenn rookie card.
Kuenn won the 1953 American League Rookie of the Year award after leading the league with 209 hits and a .308 batting average. He would also be named to the first of 10 consecutive All-Star teams. His .353 average would lead the A.L. in 1959 and he would end his career in 1966 with a .303 career average, but his numbers would take a sharp decline starting in 1963. After his playing career, Kuenn would go on to manage the Brewers for several seasons, including 1982 when the Brewers would make it to the World Series. During his time at the head of the Brewers they would be known as Harvey's Wallbangers.
Another card I picked out was this Vern Law card. I'm a fan of Law and so whenever I see his vintage cards at a good price, I tend to add them to my collection.
Law made his debut in 1950 with the Pirates, but would spend 1951 through 1953 in military service before returning to the big leagues in 1954. His rookie card is in 1951 Bowman and he has a 1952 Bowman and Topps card, but none in 1953. His best year was 1960 when he won 20 games, made the All-Star team and won two games in the World Series as the Pirates beat the Yankees.
I love that the card features Law mid windup compared to the majority of the set which is is more like the Kuenn and showcases the player chest up or seated.
Anybody out there have the 1954 Bowman set? Do you have a favorite 1954 Bowman card? If so, why?
I've never looked into buying a complete 1954 set, but $1250 seems like it would have been an awesome deal. Glad you were able to pick up some singles for your collection though.
ReplyDeleteThat's a huge bummer, getting your hopes up for such a major hobby victory only to have them dashed, I can feel it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite as fond as '54 Bowman as other collectors, but there are great cards in the set no doubt. I've always liked the Billy Loes, which I have.
I didn't know Kuenn was that good.
ReplyDeleteBummer, that would have been a great deal. I have a few cards from that set, I always liked Jim Gilliam's card for some reason. The way they colorized the photo is kind of striking.
ReplyDeleteChecking in to see if someone actually answered "yes" to your question about anyone owning the '54 Bowman set. That price would have made me think very hard about pulling the trigger - like you I would probably have ended up waiting a bit too long.
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