I mean …

You ever want something so bad that you just know your life will change forever once you get it?

And then, once you do get it … meh?

Yeah, me, too.

And that’s pretty much what happened for collectors with 1989 Bowman baseball cards, too.

For years, we’d been clamoring for one of the major manufacturers to issue a set focusing on the player image and eschewing massive design elements.

At least some of us begged for a return to a more classic look, like we saw in those old 1950s Topps — or, *gasp* Bowman — cards.

Well, careful what you ask for, Skippy.

Because, as the hobby was booming and ready to boom more, Topps opened their vault in 1989 and dusted off the Bowman brand that they bought out in 1956.

And then they brought us a set with huge, clear images that were beautiful …

… but were also too big. As in oversize.

And that still had the soft old Topps cardstock.

And that seemed to exist in far larger quantities than anyone wanted.

*sigh*

Oh well … so 1989 Bowman was not a big hit. Never has been.

But it’s still chock full of superstars and big-name rookies, and that means there are some valuable cards tucked away in the albatross that no one knows how to store.

What follows, then, is a list of the 13 most valuable 1989 Bowman baseball cards as determined by actual eBay sales of PSA 10 graded copies of the cards in question.

(Note that Topps also issued a Tiffany parallel version of 1989 Bowman baseball cards, available only through hobby dealers and limited to 6000 factory sets. Tiffany versions of the single cards in PSA 10 generally sell for 5-25 times the prices listed for the base, non-glossy versions listed below.)

Let’s dig in!

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1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (#220)

Everybody knows that Ken Griffey, Jr., rookie cards are just about the best thing going from the Junk Wax Era.

Heck, some might even say they’re the only things going from the Junk Wax Era (though plenty of Phil Plantier and Kevin Maas collectors would argue that point).

But when you think about Junior RCs, what comes to mind?

1989 Upper Deck #1, right?

Fleer and Donruss cards from the same year … maybe. Possibly a Topps Traded card here or there.

The truth is, though, that the 1989 Bowman Griffey is every bit as much a rookie card as the rest of those, and more so than some. Like the Upper Deck beauty, after all, the Bowman debut cardboard for Griffey comes in a debut for a brand, too (although technically a revival in this case).

Of course, 1989 Bowman is not Upper Deck.

While the Bowman revamp is clean and beautiful, its funky size, mushy cardstock, and perceived lack of scarcity have blunted its popularity over the years.

Still, a Griffey rookie is a Griffey rookie, Griffey is the king of 1989 Bowman baseball cards, and condition issues have limited the population of PSA 10s to fewer than 2300 copies.

As such, you can expect to pay a handsome sum for a “perfect” copy.

Value: $225-250

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1989 Bowman Ken Griffey Father and Son (#259)

Quick!

Which 1989 set features two Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards?

Since you’re reading an article about 1989 Bowman, you might figure that 1989 Bowman would be a pretty safe guess.

And you’d be right.

Sort of, at least.

There on card #259, Bowman (via Topps) treated collectors to a big image of Ken Griffey Sr. glaring over his right shoulder at a smaller, hands-on-knees Junior.

All inside a very-80s CRT television.

All inside a very thick white border.

It’s hideous and yet somehow gorgeous.

And … you will pay for the privilege of owning his hunk of befuddling cardboard.

Value: $75-85

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1989 Bowman Bo Jackson (#126)

Was there anybody in baseball hotter than Bo Jackson in the late 1980s?

On the field … maybe.

In our imaginations and wax packs?

Hardly anyone could touch the two-sport star and Heisman Trophy winner.

While Bo’s NFL career was cut way short by the same hip injury that also curtailed his baseball development and left him shy of the legendary numbers we all thought he might put up, his personal legend just won’t fade.

Value: $45-65

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1989 Bowman Gary Sheffield Rookie Card (#142)

Gary Sheffield first came into public view in the late 1980s as the wunderkind nephew of Dwight Gooden, who was going to be the next great Willie May/Mickey Mantle/Ozzie Smith/Rickey Henderson hybrid.

A few tepid (generous) seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers and some personality/behavioral red flags later, though, and Sheffield was a bust.

Then he went to the San Diego Padres, and things started to look up.

Then he became a full-fledged superstar with the Florida Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers before late-career dalliances with the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers were sullied by whispers about steroids.

No matter what you think of him personally, though, dude was super talented and wound up with 509 home runs among his nearly 2700 career hits.

Throw in 250+ stolen bases, and it’s not hard to see why Sheffield’s Bowman rookie fetches decent prices even if his road to the Hall of Fame seems impassable at this point.

Value: $50-60

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1989 Bowman Nolan Ryan (#225)

Nolan Ryan did a whole lot more on Major League mounds than just pound Robin Ventura’s face, of course.

But you know all about his 50,000 strikeouts, 123 no-hitters, and 300-mile-an-hour fastball, so I won’t belabor those points.

Just suffice it to say that Ryan is pretty much a lock to appear in the “most valuable” list for any set he graces.

Value: $45-50

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1989 Bowman Rickey Henderson (#181)

Henderson was gone from the Bronx by the time this card was issued, back with the Oakland A’s where it all started courtesy of a June 21 trade (Bowman was officially released on July 6).

But Topps and Bowman gave collectors and Yankees fans one last shot of Rickey in Pinstripes, the uniform he wore when he cemented his status as an all-timer — the greatest leadoff man and hot dog in baseball history.

Pretty much any Henderson card will end up on lists like this one, and the 1989 Bowman looks good in the process.

Value: $20-30

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1989 Bowman Don Mattingly (#176)

Even though Don Mattingly’s performance was sliding as the 1980s waned, due to a bad back that would eventually end his career, none of us could let go.

This was Donnie Baseball, the unquestioned superstar of our era, and the man who completely reshaped the hobby with his 1984 Donruss rookie card.

He’d come back.

He’d be better than ever.

He’d lead the Yankees to a championship.

He was a surefire Hall of Famer.

He wasn’t .

But Mattingly’s cards will never die, and his 1989 Bowman is still a popular buy.

Value: $30-40

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1989 Bowman Cal Ripken (#9)

Ripken wasn’t the force he had been early in the decade as the 80s turned to the 90s, but he still had plenty of rabid fans throughout the game.

Of course, he rocketed back into the hobby elite in the new decade, winning an MVP award in 1991 and surpassing Lou Gehrig on the Iron Man list in 1995.

All of Iron Cal’s cards are collector favorites these days, and this one is no exception.

Value: $20-30

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1989 Bowman John Smoltz (#266)

John Smoltz was not yet a household name in 1989, and his Atlanta Braves were going nowhere fast.

Except they were, sort of.

I mean, even then, folks thought Smoltz had great potential, and it would only be a couple of years before the Braves staged one of the most dramatic Octobers in recent(ish) memory before bowing to the Minnesota Twins in the 1991 World Series.

By then, Smoltz was starting to hit his stride and would of course go on to craft a Hall of Fame career as a starter and reliever.

Value: $25-45

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1989 Bowman Edgar Martinez (#216)

Martinez took a slow-burn approach to building his Hall of Fame career, and his cards followed suit in building a hobby following.

These days, early Edgar cards have plenty of takers, and they don’t come too much earlier than this one.

Value: $20-30

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1989 Bowman Barry Bonds (#426)

Everybody hates Barry Bonds because he’s surly, maybe/probably took steroids or other PDEs, broke records that rightfully belong to Hank Aaron and Roger Maris or Babe Ruth (or Mark McGwire, but he can’t have it either).

Oh, and Bonds did stuff in the 2000s that no one has ever done before and may never do again.

Even with all the vitriol surrounding him, it’s hard for Bonds to totally escape the accoutrements that come with being maybe the best hitter ever.

Like, for example, a middling-high price tag for an oversize card — that also no one likes — that isn’t his rookie card and is not from his most monstrous seasons.

Value: $15-25

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1989 Bowman Roger Clemens (#26)

Roger Clemens is sort of like the son of Nolan Ryan and Barry Bonds — totally dominant on the mound to an extent we rarely if ever see, but a pariah because of PED talk and general personality funkiness.

In 1989, Clemens was coming off his first non-Cy Young season since 1985, and it would take another year before he was a monster again.

Even so, he was super popular in the hobby as baseball’s premier power pitcher, and enough luster remains that his ’89 Bowman can still command some attention.

Value: $15-25

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1989 Bowman Roberto Alomar (#458)

We all thought both Sandy Alomar, Jr., and Roberto Alomar had a chance to be pretty special players.

You know, based on scouting reports and bloodlines.

Sandy eventually won the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year award for the Cleveland Indians, but it was Robbie who had the staying power to craft a Hall of Fame career.

Along the way, he also pulled in a couple of World Series rings with the Toronto Blue Jays and was a cog in some pretty darn good Indians and Baltimore Orioles teams.

Alomar’s 1989 Bowman card, a second-year offering, still has its fans.

Value: $10-20

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1989 Bowman Robin Ventura Rookie Card (#65)

Consider this one a bonus, as Ventura appeared in the initial version of this list before the pandemic boom changed the pecking order for so many card sets.

So, courtesy of the Wax Pack Nostalgia Machine …

Robin Ventura was once an Olympian, and he once got the doo-doo beat out of him by Nolan Ryan for charging the mound on the old man.

But Ventura also sort of quietly put together a really good career as a first and third baseman for the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets (along with a couple of others) that leaves him sort of in the Cooperstown parking lot.

Value: $10-20

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Featuring full-colored painted images of their heroes, the Bowmans must have felt like they jumped out of the radio game of the week and into Little Leaguers wax packs!

And there were so many cards … 252 in all … that just about any player you’d ever heard of was bound to be included.

Plenty you hadn’t heard of, too.

It all came just in the nick of time, since Leaf decided not to issue any cards as the new decade dawned, and because no one even knew who Topps was yet.

All those factors make this set an enduring part of hobby history, and these 12 most valuable 1950 Bowman baseball cards — as listed in the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide for PSA 7 copies — classic additions to any collection.

Let’s check ’em out!

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1950 Bowman Jackie Robinson (#22)

Robinson had long since moved into “legend” status when his 1950 Bowman card first saw the light of day, and subsequent years would only enhance that standing.

Beyond breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier, Jackie was also a key member of the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers team that eventually — and finally — won a World Series in 1955.

This striking early Robinson card is a $15,000+ buy in PSA 7 condition.

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1950 Bowman Ted Williams (#98)

Like Robinson, Ted Williams was a living legend before anyone even knew what a Bowman baseball card was.

That’s what happens when you hit .400 in a season, smack all sorts of home runs, fly fighter planes, and build yourself into one of the greatest pure hitters of all-time.

Williams’ 1950 Bowman is a $1600 card in graded NM condition.

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1950 Bowman Yogi Berra (#46)

We’re back in Cooperstown territory here with an early card of the catcher who would help hold the 1950s New York Yankees together and win three AL MVP awards in the process.

Berra appears near the top of the “value” list for just about any set where he has a card, and his 1950 Bowman is a $1400+ buy in PSA 7 condition.

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1950 Bowman Mel Parnell Rookie Card (#1)

Why is Mel Parnell breathing the same air as Robinson, Williams, and other Hall of Famers?

Well, for one thing, Parnell was a superstar starter for the Boston Red Sox during a ten-year career that included an American League-leading 25 victories in 1949.

Plus, this is Parnell’s rookie card.

More importantly, this is the #1 card in the set, and that means snagging it in any kind of decent condition is a tough proposition.

In particular, slabbed NM copies fetch north of $900 these days.

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1950 Bowman Warren Spahn (#19)

Spahn had been around for awhile by 1950, but he still had a lot of years — and tons of victories — ahead of him as he crafted his Cooperstown case with the Boston and Milwaukee Braves.

This classic mid-career card checks in at close to $600 in PSA 7 condition.

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1950 Bowman Phil Rizzuto (#11)

This card features a great action shot of another Yanks legend, shortstop Phil Rizzuto.

Never mind that Bowman would use the same illustration in 1951 … they’re both great cards.

The ’50 version hammers down at close to $500 in PSA 7.

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1950 Bowman Bob Feller (#6)

Like a few others on this list, Feller was already a bona fide superstar and on a beeline to the Hall of Fame by the time he appeared in this classic windup shot.

It’s another in a long line of stellar Feller cardboard that excites collectors to this day, and it’ll set you back around $350 in PSA 7.

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1950 Bowman Pee Wee Reese (#21)

Rizzuto’s counterpart in Brooklyn, Reese also saw his 1950 Bowman image repeated in the 1951 issue.

(Those two weren’t alone, either, as Bowman appeared to be into economizing in those days.)

In PSA 7, this first of the Reese dupes is a $300+ card these days.

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1950 Bowman Roy Campanella (#75)

Like Berra, Campanella was just on the cusp of a run that would see him win three MVP awards (in the National League) and drive his team to untold glory.

Along with Robinson, Reese, Duke Snider, and others like Gil Hodges, Don Newcombe, and Carl Erskine, Campy would help the Dodgers finally get off the snide with a World Series victory in 1955.

This early glimpse of the Hall of Famer goes for $275+ in slabbed NM condition.

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1950 Bowman Duke Snider (#77)

Snider was coming off his first 20-homer season, in 1949, when this 1950 Bowman card was issued.

It’s interesting both for its action-laden landscape orientation, and as a peek at a young legend in the making.

Today, it sells for about $250 in PSA 7.

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1950 Bowman Robin Roberts (#32)

In 1950, Robin Roberts would team up with other young Philadelphia Phillies to form the Whiz Kids group that rode all the way to the World Series.

That year, Roberts turned in his first of six straight 20-win seasons en route to a 286-245 record that would land him in Cooperstown.

The action-packed 1950 Bowman Roberts card sells for about $225 in PSA 7 these days.

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1950 Bowman Don Newcombe Rookie Card (#23)

Newcombe lands here with the only rookie card on our list.

After winning the NL Rookie of the Year award with 17 wins in 1949, Newk upped the ante to 19 victories in 1950.

He won 20 in the Dodgers’ 1955 championship season, then nabbed both the NL MVP and Cy Young awards in 1956 with a gaudy 27-7 record.

All these years later, Newcombe’s rookie card remains popular with collectors, and you can expect to pay around $220 for a copy in graded NM condition.

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You may think they look quaint, maybe even dorky, now, but how would you have designed 1955 Bowman baseball cards, Skippy?

I mean, imagine you’re Mr. Bowman Designer and you’re coming off an effort that included big player images with little pieces of sticky tape at the card bottoms with facsimile autographs.

And that Topps had kicked but with their painted, big-head-little-action-figurine design in 1954.

You’d want something snazzy, right? Something cool? Hip? Contemporary? Modern?

Something to make the kids say, “Man these Mr. Bowman Dudes dudes know what they’re doing!”?

Right.

So you’d take your little player photos and wrap them in the most 1950s-y rendition of a wooden-cabinet color TV you could come up with, and you’d call it soup.

Domination would be yours.

And then … not so much.

But at least you would have built a memorable last set. And that’s just what Bowman did.

And even now, 70 years or so later, these things are still plenty desirable, even if it’s for the sake of curiosity, and because those TV cabinets flake and make it a real challenge to find sharp cards.

With all that in mind, here are the 12 most valuable 1955 Bowman baseball cards, based on PSA 7 listings in the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide.

Let’s tune in to the action right now …

1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle (#202)

If were looking for a Mickey Mantle baseball card in 1955, you could either buy some packs of Bowman or … well, or nothing, really.

Bowman was pretty much the only game in town when it came to The Mick since Topps whiffed on the young slugger.

Little wonder, then, that this is a $5000 card in PSA 7.

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1955 Bowman Willie Mays (#184)

Mays may have been the most talented player of the three at the top of our list … heck, he may have been the most talented player of all time.

And the real heck of it is that he pretty much lived up to the promise of all that talent.

As is the case with Aaron, Mays’ 1955 Topps card is drop-dead gorgeous, while his Bowman issue just sort of … is.

Still, it’s about $2000 card in graded NM condition.

1955 Bowman Hank Aaron (#179)

Sandwiched between two dudes most fans thought might have a chance to take out Babe Ruth‘s all-time record sits the dude who actually did it.

In 1955, Hank Aaron had just one season and 13 home runs under his belt, though he did have two mainstream cards that summer.

It’s hard to beat the colorful Topps issue, but this second-year Hammer card checks in at around $1500 in PSA 7.

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1955 Bowman Ernie Banks (#242)

Like Aaron, Banks made his Bowman debut in 1955, as Topps’ rival dropped the ball on the two young sluggers in 1954.

Mr. Cub looks fine enough in his television set rendering, though the lack of Cubs branding significantly diminishes the visual impact of this card.

Not significantly enough, though, to hold it below $1200 in PSA 7 condition.

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1955 Bowman Yogi Berra (#168)

There is a steep dropoff in present-day value from the big four sluggers listed above to the more middling slugger in this slot.

But Berra was more than just a power hitter — he hit for average, drove in runs, handled a championship pitching staff, excelled in the World Series, and was, in many ways, the heart and soul of the 1950s Yankees dynasty.

And, in 1955, he would nab his third American League MVP award and second in a row.

For all that, the TV-bound Hall of Fame receiver typically fetches around $325 in PSA 7.

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1955 Bowman Roy Campanella (#22)

Most of what I said about Berra applies to Campanella, too, except he won his three National League MVP awards in 1951, 1953, and 1955.

Oh, and he played for the “wait-’til-next-year” Brooklyn Dodgers.

But that included the 1955 team, the one who finally made it to next year and won a World Series.

That gives this card a bit of extra swagger — especially since Campy is absent from the Topps set — and bumps it to about $125 in PSA 7 condition.

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1955 Bowman Whitey Ford (#59)

Like Campanella and Mantle, Ford was nowhere to be found in the 1955 Topps set, so collectors had to run to Bowman to find the Yanks’ ace.

Though Ford won “only” 236 games in his career, all of the World Series sheen and Yankees mystique were enough to pave a relatively easy path to Cooperstown.

In PSA 7, this is another $125 card.

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1955 Bowman Al Kaline (#23)

Kaline shares a distinction with Aaron and Banks — while Mr. Tiger’s rookie card appeared in the 1954 Topps set, this 1955 piece is his first-ever Bowman card.

It’s a good-looking hunk of cardboard, but probably still falls short of his splashy Topps issue in terms of overall appeal.

It remains a staple of the last-ever Bowman (original) set, though, and hammers down for about $115 in PSA 7.

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1955 Bowman Al Barlick (#265)

Now we come to a run of cards that hardly any other set — ever — could match … the umpires!

Al Barlick is a Hall of Fame ump who plied his trade in the National League from 1940 through 1971. He missed multi-year stints for Coast Guard service and, later, to deal with a heart problem.

Barlick was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989.

This “rookie card” is a $175+ buy in slabbed NM condition.

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1955 Bowman Nestor Chylak (#283)

Another Hall of Famer, Chylak umped in the American League from 1954 through 1978, working in several All-Star Games, ALCS, and World Series along the way.

He passed away in 1982 and made the Cooperstown cut in 1999.

This card runs about $120 in PSA 7.

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1955 Bowman Jocko Conlan (#303)

Conlan is probably the biggest “name” among our three 1955 Bowman umps, and he handled National Games from 1941 through 1965.

That after a brief run as a Chicago White Sox outfielder, to boot.

It was his work as an umpire, though, that brought Conlan success and fame — he was elected to Cooperstown in 1974.

Like his brethren above, Conlan checks in at $110 here.

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1955 Bowman Hoyt Wilhelm (#1)

Hoyt Wilhelm made more appearances on a Major League mound than all New York Yankees pitchers combined between 1920 and 1990.

OK, that’s a lie.

But he did pitch until he was 75 years old.

No? You don’t believe that either?

Fine.

Wilhelm started MLB life as a reliever, did some rotation work there in the middle, then went back to the bullpen.

And, after 1070 appearances (for real), he’d done enough to get the call to the Hall in 1985.

Oh, he also scored the first card in the 1955 Bowman set, which makes it both his only ’55 card and hard to come by in any sort of decent condition.

So, in PSA 7, expect to pay about $100.

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I mean, if you were a young baseball fan or collector, how else would you get a look at your favorite players?

By that time, Bowman had been the only game in town for a few years, and, though Topps would soon burst onto the scene, no one knew that yet.

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No, for the moment, it was Bowman or nothing — good thing the cards were so beautiful and the checklist so full, at 324 cards.

Now, nearly seven decades later, the set is still a hobby favorite even though early Topps issues have stolen much of the limelight.

These dozen 1951 Bowman baseball cards, especially, maintain a hold on collectors … they’re the most valuable in the set according to PSA 7 values in the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide.

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie Card (#253)

So, if you really want a Mickey Mantle rookie card, this is the one you have to chase.

Of course, the 1952 Topps Mantle card is so ingrained in the hobby and public consciousness as the “Mantle Rookie” that that’ll never really change.

But this Bowman beauty was issued a full year before the ’52 Topps. “Beauty” is an operative word, too, because you could make a (really) strong case that the Bowman card is the more attractive of the two.

And there’s no need to weep from 1951 Bowman Mantle because it toils in the shadow of that ’52 Topps card, either

Today, Mantle’s true rookie card carries a price tag of $90,000 or more in PSA 7 condition.

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1951 Bowman Willie Mays Rookie Card (#305)

Same story here for Mays as for Mantle …

While most everyone thinks of Mays’ 1952 Topps card as his rookie, his actual RC is this 1951 Bowman.

Now, the 1951 Bowman set features some interesting background illustrations, and this Willie Mays card is a good example.

I mean, who doesn’t want to watch their favorite player take his swings in front of a canvas tarp with a farm shed peeking out around the edges?

The rural setting hasn’t diminished card prices any, as this is a $50,000+ buy in slabbed NM condition.

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1951 Bowman Whitey Ford Rookie Card (#1)

Whitey Ford was the most famous rotation member of the 1950s Yankees dynasty, and he got his start right at the beginning of the decade.

Ford served notice as a rookie in 1950 that he’d be a force, going 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

That earned him this 1951 Bowman rookie card the next season, even though he’d spend 1951-52 in the military.

The wiley lefty built a Hall of Fame career when he returned to the Bronx, though, and his cards reflect that legend today. In this case, the #1-card status also introduces some condition sensitivity.

All in all, it adds up to an $6000 price tag for a PSA 7 copy of the Ford rookie card.

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1951 Bowman Ted Williams (#165)

The long, tall aspect ratio of the 1951 Bowman set fits Williams’ elegant swing to a T, and the bright day and historic Fenway climes in the background don’t hurt any.

Of course, neither does the fact that this is a classic mid-career Williams card — even though the painting is identical to the one Bowman used for their 1950 card of the Splendid Splinter.

The ’51 is a $1700 card in PSA 7 condition.

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1951 Bowman Yogi Berra (#2)

This card was issued the first summer that Berra turned in an American League MVP-winning performance (the others came in 1954 and 1955).

The ’51 Bowman presents a young, smiling Yogi just on the cusp of his greatest seasons, and also on the cusp of another dominant run by the Yankees.

This is a $1100 buy in PSA 7.

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1951 Bowman Roy Campanella (#31)

While the Berra card features an ambiguous head shot, this Campy leaves no doubt you’re looking at a catcher.

Another catcher headed for Cooperstown, in fact, and another catcher on the verge of winning his first of three MVP awards (the NL version, in 1951, 1953, and 1955).

This action-packed pasteboard pushes $750 in PSA 7.

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1951 Bowman Duke Snider (#32)

Before Mays and Mantle joined him in the debate about who was the greatest centerfielder in the game — Willie? Mickey? The Duke? — Snider was already building his legend for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

This card captures a young Snider, along with some fan action in the background, in the dark recesses of Ebbets Field.

It’s about a $500 item in graded NM condition.

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1951 Bowman Nellie Fox Rookie Card (#232)

Nellie Fox made his Major League debut as a 19-year-old in 1947 for the Philadelphia Athletics.

It wasn’t until an October 1949 trade that sent him to the Chicago White Sox for Joe Tipton, though, that things changed for the Hall of Fame second baseman.

In Chicago, Fox finally got regular playing time — starting in 1950 — and his rookie card … this 1951 Bowman.

Today, the Fox RC sells for about $500 in PSA 7.

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1951 Bowman Warren Spahn (#134)

On this 1951 Bowman card, Spahn appears to have found the same sort of barn siding that backed up Mays elsewhere in the issue.

The result is a high-kicking shot of the all-time great lefty against a rustic green screen.

The classic shot of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves can generally be had for a shade under $200 in PSA 7 condition.

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1951 Bowman Phil Rizzuto (#26)

Another Yanks great, another valuable 1951 Bowman card.

This one shows scooter in full extension, climbing the ladder to nab a ball while a couple of Bomber teammates watch on from the infield in the background.

It’s an intriguing card that sells for around $300 in PSA 7.

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1951 Bowman Bob Feller (#30)

Rapid Robert was all smiles on this 1951 Bowman beauty.

Maybe he knew his Indians were about to flirt with World Series glory in the next few years, or maybe he knew that 1951 would be his last great season.

Either way, Feller remains popular with collectors, and a graded NM copy of his ’51 Bowman will set you back around $400 today.

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1951 Bowman Pee Wee Reese (#80)

This Reese card is not as exciting as that of his Yankees counterpart, Rizzuto.

It’s not nearly as iconic as Pee Wee’s own 1953 Bowman card, either.

Still, this is a prime-time card of the Dodgers’ legendary shortstop, so it’s no surprise that PSA 7 copies sell in the neighborhood of $275.

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See, when Topps first resurrected the Bowman brand back in 1989, they went with a clean design and an oversize cardstock that definitely harkened back to an earlier era.

But collector reception to the “big” cards was lukewarm, so Topps returned to their standard 2-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ dimensions for 1990 Bowman.

Still, player selection was about what you’d have expected from a large(ish) checklist — plenty of stars, some rookie cards, and a preponderance of commons.

In 1991, Topps stuck with that formula but infused Bowman with some foil stamps and an even stronger run of rookies.

Then, in 1992, Topps finally ditched its mushy brown cardstock for a more premium white medium for its base set, and the stage was set for Bowman.

Sure enough, when Bowman rolled out later in the year, it was blazing white, just like the main Topps set, and it showcased more rookies — and pre-rookies — than ever before.

In the years that followed, Bowman became the place to find baseball rookies, and that’s a trend that continues to this day.

All of which makes 1992 Bowman a sort of landmark set, even though it’s not scarce by any means and certainly falls within the heart of the vaunted/hated/maligned Junk Wax Era.

Still, will all those rookies and all those years in between, this set offers up something for everyone, and even holds some value.

Here then, are the ten most valuable 1992 Bowman baseball cards in PSA 9 condition, as determined from recent eBay sales.

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1992 Bowman Mariano Rivera (#302)

Rivera looks anything but intimidating in this preppy shot, but that slender build and relaxed right arm were already mowing down minor league hitters when this card hit the hobby.

Within three years, Mo would debut in the Bronx, and his excellent showing as a super setup man (to John Wetteland) in 1996 helped the Yankees win their first World Series in a generation.

Rivera moved into the closer role the next year and stayed there for the another 15+ seasons.

Along the way to the first-ever unanimous Hall of Fame election, Rivera predictably became a hobby favorite, and his 1992 Bowman rookie card checks in north of $125 in PSA 9 condition these days.

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1992 Bowman Mike Piazza (#461)

Piazza’s story has been told countless times through the years, but it bears repeating that the catcher worked his way up from a 62nd-round selection in the 1988 draft to standing on the brink of a Major League roster spot as the 1992 season dawned.

Sure, his initial selection may have been a favor to family friend Tommy Lasorda, but Piazza did the on-field (and off-field) work his self, breaking out with 29 home runs and 80 RBI for the high-A Bakersfield Dodgers in 1991.

That performance got him a promotion to Double-A to start 1992, and also a spot in Bowman’s revamped, rookie-focused 1992 set.

When Piazza broke into the majors for good in 1993 with one of the best offensive showings by a catcher in recent memory, this card took off and never really looked back as Piazza marched toward Cooperstown.

Today, Piazza’s Bowman RC is about a $40 buy in graded mint condition.

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1992 Bowman Trevor Hoffman (#11)

When you think about Trevor Hoffman, the Cincinnati Reds are probably just about the last team to come to mind.

After all, everybody knows the future Hall of Famer got started with the Florida Marlins before making his hay with the San Diego Padres.

Truth is, though, Hoffman was the Reds’ 11th-round draft pick in 1989 before they left him unprotected for the 1992 expansion draft.

That’s when Florida came calling.

Halfway through that inaugural season for the Marlins (1993), they included Hoffman in the deal that brought Gary Sheffield to Miami, and the Padres shifted him to closer the next season.

The rest is Hall of Fame history, even if Hoffman’s rookie card tells a different story.

This unexpected RC fetches $30-35 in PSA 9 today.

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1992 Bowman Pedro Martinez (#82)

By 1992, Martinez was the ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation — Ramon Martinez, that is.

There was hope among Dodgers faithful and rookie card speculators that younger brother Pedro could eventually approximate his sibling’s early success, but the younger Martinez’s slight frame caused some to worry.

As it turned out, that concern was valid, as Pedro had some trouble staying on the field, especially from his late 20s on. In 2000, at age 28, he dropped to 29 starts and 186.2 innings pitched, and he saw 30 starts just three more times.

Still, that 2000 season produced his third and final Cy Young Award, and Pedro went on to remain one of greatest pitchers overall in the game through the middle of the decade.

And, while Martinez appeared in the late-season sets in 1991, this is his first Bowman card. As such, it’s about a $20 buy in PSA 9 condition.

(Check out our full post on Pedro Martinez rookie cards.)

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1992 Bowman Cal Ripken Jr.(#400)

Ripken was nowhere near being a rookie entering 1992, but he was coming off arguably his finest overall season in 1991, a stellar .323/34 HR/114 RBI performance that netted Cal his second American League MVP award (1983 was the first).

It was also a “take that” sort of statement to critics who insisted that Ripken’s dogged pursuit of Lou Gehrig‘s record for consecutive games was sapping his numbers and cheating the Orioles of a better fate.

His point made to the tune of 11.5 WAR in ’91, Ripken trained his sights on the finish line, which he’d cross in 1995.

In between, Cal was always among the top few names in the hobby, and much of that shine remains today.

This 1992 Bowman Ripken sells in the $15-20 range when slabbed in mint condition.

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1992 Bowman Kenny Lofton (#110)

After coming over from the Houston Astros in a December 1991 trade, Lofton settled in to centerfield for the Cleveland Indians and set about setting the table for a franchise turnaround.

Indeed, by 1995, the Indians were in the World Series and Lofton was a four-time base-stealing champ, three-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time All-Star.

Though Lofton left town after the 1996 season, he would be back twice more before his 17-year career came to a conclusion in 2007, and he would continue to ignite offenses on the field. In all, Lofton played for 11 different teams.

Lofton hung up his spikes with more than 2400 hits, more than 600 stolen bases, and a solid case for Hall of Fame enshrinement.

That may still happen thanks to the Eras Committees, and, if it does, today’s $15-20 price tag for this 1992 Bowman card will look pretty attractive. (Note: Lofton appeared as an Astro in the 1991 Bowman set.)

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1992 Bowman Chipper Jones (#28)

Even though this card gives Jones the same prepster treatment that Rivera got, Chipper actually ran the rookie card gamut in 1991 … and that included a Bowman RC.

Still, this is an early-career card of a Hall of Famer, one of the ten or so greatest third basemen ever, and it certainly catches your eye — good or bad.

Little surprise, then, that Chipper checks in here at around $15 in PSA 9 condition.

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1992 Bowman Frank Thomas Foil (#551)

By 1992 , the Big Hurt had one monster season under his belt and was looking like he had the goods to rewrite wide swaths of the record book.

With his unmatched (at the time) combination of a high batting average, huge on-base numbers, and big power, Thomas was an instant hobby hit.

It was no surprise, then, when Topps chose Thomas as one of 45 players in the 705-card 1992 Bowman issue to be featured on gold-foil-bordered parallels. Big Frank was also among a group of 18 whose gold version was half-printed compared to the rest of the golds, which were inserted in wax packs and certain boxes of the product.

Though Thomas cooled down later in his career, he was an easy Hall of Fame choice, and his 1992 Bowman Gold is a $10-15 card in PSA 9 these days.

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1992 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr.(#100)

The hobby and the game were just waiting for Griffey to explode as 1992 dawned.

Fresh off his first 100-RBI season and showing flashes of the speed and power that had had pundits predicting greatness for him since he was a kid (the bloodlines didn’t hurt, either), The Kid was already a hobby star.

That summer of 1992 would be another all-around All-Star season, and when the power arrived in 1993, Junior’s cards blasted off from their already lofty positions.

This fourth-year Griffey was a popular pull from the get-go and today trades for $10-15 in PSA 9 condition.

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1992 Bowman Manny Ramirez (#532)

Another preppy card, this is one of several Manny rookie cards issued during 1992.

A dozen years later, Ramirez RCs were among the most popular in the hobby after he helped the Boston Red Sox win a World Series title and as he started piling up career numbers that would surely lead him to Cooperstown.

Alas, as with so many other big names of the era, Ramirez stepped knee-deep into the PED quagmire, and left his Hall of Fame hopes hanging by a thread.

Still, enough fans and collectors remember the good times to make this about a $10 card in PSA 9 condition.

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Bowman was going to be the place to come for rookie cards.

That’s pretty much an accepted part of hobby life these days, but Topps took slack in some corners for pushing the boundaries of “rookie” by including draft picks and other guys who had never seen the inside of a Major League roster — and some who never would.

And, like everything else in the era, the set was and is way too abundant on the market.

Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re worthless, though, as you’ll see in this list of the most valuable 1991 Bowman baseball cards (based on recent eBay sales for PSA 10 copies).

Batter up!

1991 Bowman Mike Mussina Rookie Card (#97)

Mussina spent just over a year in the Orioles’ farm system before making his MLB debut in August of 1991.

He went 4-5 that late summer, but with a 2.87 ERA that portended good things to come. And soon.

In 1992, Moose went 18-5 with a 2.54 ERA to finish second in American League Cy Young voting.

It was a pattern that would continue for years — great won-loss records, but a paucity of awards.

And, somehow, Mussina didn’t win 20 in a season until his final season, in 2008. By then, he been a cog in the Yankees rotation for eight seasons and had managed to raise his national profile a *smidge* through a slew of postseason appearances.

His 270-153 record made him one of the winningest hurlers of his generation and eventually landed him in the Hall of Fame.

Today, Mussina’s Bowman rookie card sells for around $70 in perfect graded condition.

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1991 Bowman Jeff Bagwell Rookie Card (#183)

The Red Sox famously traded Bagwell to the Astros late in the 1990 season in exchange for Larry Andersen.

Hard to say the trade didn’t work, because Andersen was lights-out from the Boston bullpen down the stretch, and the BoSox won the American League East crown.

But Bagwell took over the starting first base job in Houston the next spring and didn’t let go until 2005.

In between, he became one of the most feared sluggers of his generation and an Astros legend.

Bagwell also secured his place in Cooperstown, setting up today’s $50 price tag for his 1991 Bowman RC (PSA 10).

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1991 Bowman Jim Thome Rookie Card (#68)

In the midst of the steroid era, Thome was one of the few sluggers who just kept plugging along without huge peaks and valleys … and without the heavy stench of PED suspicions.

We’ll never know for sure who all used and who all didn’t but Thome’s rep seems unassailable at this point, and most see his 600+ home runs as legit.

That’s a big number, and Thome’s Bowman rookie follows suit at $40 in PSA 10.

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1991 Bowman Chipper Jones Rookie Card (#569)

When this card was issued, Jones was still two years from his Major League debut and four years from his official rookie season.

So, yeah, Bowman was ahead of the curve, but it’s all good now since Larry developed into one of the best third basemen of all time and a cornerstone of the great Braves teams of the 1990s.

Today, this Hall of Fame RC is a $40 card in PSA 10 condition.

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1991 Bowman Ivan Rodriguez Rookie Card (#272)

Once upon a time, Rodriguez was a phenom who was the Rangers starting backstop as a teenager.

That was 1991, when this $25 Bowman rookie card was issued.

At the end of his career, in 2011, Pudge was the grizzled veteran brought in to provide leadership for the Washington Nationals.

In between, I-Rod built one of the most impressive catching careers ever and reserved his Cooperstown plaque early on.

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1991 Bowman Nolan Ryan (#280)

In July of 1990, Ryan won his 300th game.

On May 1, 1991, he tossed his seventh no-hitter.

It was all just par for the course for the Texas Rangers fireballer whose legend exploded once he landed in Arlington in 1989.

It was also all the more reason for Ryan’s 1991 cards to catch on with collectors, and this Bowman version sells for around $20 today.

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1991 Bowman Ken Griffey Jr. (#246)

Griffey was sort of in-between in 1991 …

He was no longer an up-and-coming prospect or rookie, but he wasn’t a fully-baked Hall of Famer, either.

Within a couple of years, of course, Junior would fully blossom into the monster we all thought he’d be, and he took all his cards with him.

This one lines up at about $20 in PSA 10.

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1991 Bowman Kenny Lofton Rookie Card (#565)

Maybe it’s because he was a speedster in an era that feasted on power.

Or maybe it’s because he was part of those 1990s Indians teams that couldn’t quite get over the hump.

Or maybe it’s that he played one season or less for each of ten teams who didn’t call Cleveland home.

Whatever the case, Lofton never seems to get his due as one of the greatest leadoff hitters of all time and one of the best players of his generation.

At least his Bowman rookie card — with full Astros rainbow — cracks this list, at $15, and you figure it might get a bump if Lofton ever makes the Hall of Fame cut.

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1991 Bowman Cal Ripken Jr. (#104)

After taking a lot of flak for keeping himself in the lineup as he inched closer to Lou Gehrig‘s record for consecutive games played, Ripken lashed back in the best way possible in 1991.

Posting arguably the best offensive season of his career, Cal swept to his second MVP award (the first was in 1983), and cleared a path to Gehrig — the legends traded places on the streak list in 1995.

This Bowman card from Ripken’s shut-them-up summer sells for about $10 in PSA 10 condition.

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1991 Bowman Tim Salmon Rookie Card (#203)

Once upon a time, the Angels featured a young outfielder who was among the best players in the game, one who could hit for average, take a walk, and clear the fences.

And, as if we were living in some sort of fantasy world, dude was named after a fish.

So, yeah, Tim Salmon was a hotshot when he won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1993, and he kept slugging (mostly) through 2006.

(What, you thought I was going to say Mike Trout?)

Salmon’s 1991 Bowman is about a $10 buy in perfect slabbed condition these days.

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See, after enjoying about half a decade of market dominance in the hobby, Bowman ran smack-dab into a mammoth 1952 Topps set that changed everything.

Eschewing the ongoing standard of small cards and small checklists, Topps instead blasted young collectors with 407 cards of huge, full-color photos of their favorite stars.

So … Bowman pretty much had to respond.

And they did, twice.

First, there was a 1953 black-and-white set that was issued for … what? Extra market exposure? To be annoying?

Maybe.

The big news, though, was the other 1953 Bowman issue — big, bold cards that featured full-color photos and not much else on their expansive 2-1/2″ x 3-3/4″ card fronts.

It was a striking departure from the painted/drawn, 2-1/16″ x 3-1/8″ cards Bowman had offered up in 1952.

But would it be enough to save Bowman from the Topps onslaught?

Maybe for a year or two.

It sure was enough to keep collectors interested all these years later, though, as evidenced by this list of the most valuable 1953 Bowman baseball cards.

(Ranking based on PSA 7 prices in the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide)

Let’s dig in!

1953 Bowman Mickey Mantle (#59)

Mantle is the top dog in terms of card value in just about every set where you find him, and no one can touch The Mick here.

From almost the moment he set foot on a Major League diamond, Mantle inspired the imagination with thoughts about all the things he might one day accomplish in the game.

The 1953 Bowman Mantle plays right into those daydreams with its misty blue sky and Mick’s wistful, muscular swing.

Anything is possible … for a $3000 price tag (PSA 7), that is.

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1953 Bowman Yogi Berra (#121)

I’ll warn you now — if you don’t like the Yankees, the top of this list is going to be tough for you.

Because, sandwiched between a couple of his teammates is probably the greatest catcher of the 1950s (with a possible argument from one of the guys below).

Yogi was behind the plate for all six of New York’s championships during the decade (plus one in 1949 and their two 1950s losses).

He still holds some World Series records today and won three American League Most Valuable Player awards (1951, 1954, 1955) along the way.

This shot of Berra leaning against the duguout wall is an $850 card in PSA 7.

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1953 Bowman Whitey Ford (#153)

When this card was issued, Ford had played just part of one season (1950) before embarking on a two-year stint in the military.

He picked up right where he left off, though, nailing down 18 victories with an even 3.00 ERA, garnering some MVP votes in the process.

The Yankees lefty would go on to become the ace of the staff and, in 1974, a Hall of Famer.

Ford’s 1953 Bowman sells for $700+ these days.

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1953 Bowman Pee Wee Reese (#33)

Like his 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, Reese storms in here to break up the Yankees’ party.

The Dodgers shortstop played a key role in their string of National League pennants during the 1950s, and in that 1955 World Series title.

Before Dem Bums could finally find “next year,” though, collectors found this exciting Reese card.

It’s one of the hobby’s all-time classics, and you have to think it alone staved off elimination for Bowman for a couple of years.

Today, the high-flying Reese brings in about $700 in graded NM condition.

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1953 Bowman Bob Feller (#114)

Feller had an off year in 1952 (9-13, 4.74 ERA), and there had to be at least some concern that he was nearing the end of the line.

He rebounded a bit in 1953, though, before putting together a final superstar season (13-3) in 1954 as the Indians made it to the World Series.

This ’53 Bowman, showing Feller in his follow-through, is a $700 card in PSA 7.

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1953 Bowman Bauer/Berra/Mantle (#44)

Just in case collectors weren’t getting enough of the Yankees, Bowman went ahead and slipped in another card, this one featuring Berra, Mantle, and rightfielder Hank Bauer.

In 1957, after they bought out their competitor, Topps would repeat this card, except they cut out Bauer and title it “Yankees’ Power Hitters.”

To the winners go the spoils, I suppose.

And, to collectors willing to pay about $650 for the privilege, go PSA 7 copies of this superstar combo.

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1953 Bowman Duke Snider (#117)

Snider began a streak of four straight 40-homer seasons in 1953 and moved firmly into the “Willie, Mickey, or the Duke?” conversation.

While the Dodgers centerfielder would ultimately fall short of the lofty standards that Mantle and Willie Mays set, he nevertheless was a superstar for Brooklyn (and Los Angeles) throughout the 50s.

Today, Snider’s 1953 Bowman is a $600 card in PSA 7.

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1953 Bowman Stan Musial (#32)

When this card started popping out of wax packs, Musial was nearing the end of a prolonged peak that would last another couple of years, until he was 36.

In 1953 specifically, Stan the Man smashed a career-high 53 doubles to go with his .337 batting average and 30 home runs.

It was just business as usual for the Cardinals legend, who stands among the top tier of all Cooperstown enshrinees.

Musial’s 1953 Bowman card pushes $600 in PSA 7.

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1953 Bowman Billy Martin (#118)

Martin was no superstar as a player, but he was one of Mantle’s best buddies and a lively part of those great 1950s squads.

He also happened to have one of his best seasons in 1953, smacking 15 home runs and driving in 75 as the Bombers won another title.

And, of course, Billy was a superstar (if controversial) manager later in his life.

For all that, his first Bowman card is a $400 buy in slabbed NM condition.

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1953 Bowman Eddie Mathews (#97)

As a rookie in 1952, Mathews hit 25 home runs for the Boston Braves and established himself as one of the game’s rising stars at age 20.

And, when the team moved to Milwaukee for 1953, Mathews upped the ante, smashing a league-leading 47 home runs a driving in 135.

Over the next several seasons, Eddie would team with Hank Aaron to form one of the most devastating power duos in Major League history, and the Hall of Fame third baseman ended up with 512 home runs of his own.

Mathews’ first Bowman lands in the $400 range here (PSA 7).

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1953 Bowman Warren Spahn (#99)

Mathews’ teammate, Warren Spahn, on the other hand, was already well down the road toward Cooperstown by the spring of 1953.

He would add to that resume in ’53 with another 23 victories (his fifth 20-win season) and a tiny 2.10 ERA.

When he finally retired in 1965, Spahn was one of the greatest lefties of all-time, and he remains a hobby favorite.

His ’53 Bowman approaches $400 in PSA 7 today.

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1953 Bowman Roy Campanella (#46)

Campanella matched Berra hardware-for-hardware in the first half of the 1950s, picking up National League MVP awards in 1951, 1953, and 1955.

That last trophy-winning effort was expended in the service of the Brooklyn Dodgers team that finally broke their World Series trance and won a championship.

Campy remains about as popular today as ever, and his 1953 Bowman lines up at $350 or so in graded NM condition.

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I mean, the 1952s sort of stole the 1951 Bowman design, removed the little black text box, and replaced it with a facsimile autograph.

That 1951 set hogged all the big-name rookies, too, leaving precious few for the 1952s to claim as their own.

And, even though 1952 Topps should have suffered from the same second-fiddle status, the big, bold design and the events of the following years catapulted that monster of a set to hobby royalty.

So we’re left with a great-looking 1952 Bowman set that can’t hold a candle to either its direct contemporary or its own ancestors … not to mention the pure color-burst of the 1953 Bowmans.

All is not lost, though, because we’re still talking about beautiful cards from nearly 70 years ago, a set that’s jam-packed with all-time greats.

Here, then, are the 12 most valuable 1952 Bowman baseball cards, according to PSA 7 listings in the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide.

Play ball!

1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle (#101)

So, isn’t it odd that Mantle’s “rookie card” is his 1952 Topps card, and yet his 1952 Bowman is a second-year card?

Yeah, of course that’s a consequence of 1952 Topps’ dominance in general, but still.

And, also but still, this is a pretty nifty looking second-year card of the guy who pretty much catapulted us all into the modern hobby zone all on his own.

No surprise, then, that this is a $5500 card in PSA 7 condition.

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1952 Bowman Willie Mays (#218)

Second verse, same as the first.

Except, of course, that the Mays rookie card — 1952 Topps, that is — isn’t quite as iconic as The Mick’s.

And, also, Mays’ rookie card — 1951 Bowman, that is — isn’t quite as iconic as The Mick’s.

The ’52 Bowman Mays is a pretty gorgeous card, though, even if the Say Hey Kid does look a lot like a slugger-years version of Barry Bonds.

In slabbed NM condition, this is an $1800 card.

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1952 Bowman Yogi Berra (#1)

Makes sense that Berra would be card #1 in this set, right?

I mean, what with winning the 1951 American League MVP award and leading the New York Yankees to a World Series title?

Yeah, it makes sense, and so does the $600 (or so) price tag for PSA 7 copies of this card.

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1952 Bowman Stan Musial (#196)

Stan Musial, on the other hand didn’t win an MVP in 1951, though he came close.

The St. Louis Cardinals legend finished second that year to Roy Campanella (see below), but Stan the Man got a nifty 1952 Bowman card the next spring as a consolation prize.

That pasteboard, showing Musial in his home whites in front of the Sportsman’s Park grandstand is a $450 item in PSA 7 these days.

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1952 Bowman Roy Campanella (#44)

Campanella matched Yogi hardware for hardware in 1951, you know, except for that part about winning a pennant and a World Series.

Bobby Thomson and his shot heard ’round the world sort of took care of that.

No matter, though, because Campy appears on this great blue-sky 1952 Bowman card, a $200 buy in PSA 7.

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1952 Bowman Duke Snider (#116)

In 1951, Snider took a step backwards from 31 home runs in 1950 to “just” 29, and from a .321 batting average to .277.

He was still a thumper, though, and the clubhouse leader in all those “Willie, Mickey, and The Duke” discussions that must have dominated smoke-filled New York watering holes that winter.

The 1952 Bowman Snider that followed is a $200 card in graded NM condition today.

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1952 Bowman Warren Spahn (#156)

Warren Spahn was already 45 years old when he won 22 games for the Boston Braves in 1951.

That’s OK, though, because legend has it that he was 40 when he was born, and he pitched right up through the new millennium.

May still be going, for all I know.

The 1952 Bowman card of the ageless aged one pushes $200 in PSA 7.

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1952 Bowman Bob Feller (#43)

Bob Feller also won 22 games in 1951, for the Cleveland Indians.

The difference between Feller and Spahn, though, is that Feller was just 32 years old but had been in the Major Leagues since he was 17.

Rapid Robert was already on a, um, fast path to Cooperstown by the time this now-$175 card hit collectors’ hands in 1952.

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1952 Bowman Frank Crosetti (#252)

Crosetti was the Yanks’ regular shortstop for half a decade … in the 1930s.

So … a) what’s he doing in this set, and b) what’s he doing on this list?

Well, Crosetti became a full-time Bomber coach when he retired as a player in 1948, and he won nine rings in that capacity.

Bowman knew they were looking at a Yankees legend, no matter what the batting stats said, and they wisely included him.

These days, it will cost you about $175 to include this Crosetti card in your collection.

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1952 Bowman Phil Rizzuto (#52)

And … Rizzuto was the guy who pushed Crosetti to the bench and started him thinking that maybe his future lay in coaching.

Think there were any tense moments between the two of them? I haven’t specifically heard that, but, you know, human nature and all.

By 1952, Rizzuto was well on his way to wrapping up a Hall of Fame career, which helps explain why this Bowman is a $165 card in PSA 7.

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1952 Bowman Pee Wee Reese (#8)

We’ve seen the Yankee-for-Dodger tit-for-tat on this list before, and, as in those other cases, Reese the Dodger comes out below Rizzuto the Yankee.

But not by much.

The Brooklyn Hall of Famer checks in at $160 with his PSA 7 Bowman card.

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1952 Bowman Minnie Minoso Rookie Card (#5)

The only rookie card on our list belongs to perhaps the most intriguing figure on the list.

Minoso was just 21 years old when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, and Minnie made his debut with the Indians in 1949, at 23.

He did spend a few seasons in the Negro Leagues, though, so his MLB numbers might have been better than his already excellent .298 with 186 homer, 1000+ RBI, and 205 stolen bases.

Then, of course, Minoso just kept coming back later in his life to ensure that he got an at-bat in the 1970s … and the 1980s … and there was some talk that he’d make it into a game in the 1990s, but that never materialized.

All the stuff Minoso did do, though, was cool enough to build this into a $125 RC in slabbed NM condition.

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On the heels of an uninspiring debut effort, 1949 Bowman baseball cards stepped up their game to a significant degree.

Gone were the black-and-white polaroid images, replaced with color-tinted photos and bold, bright single-color backgrounds.

The checklist expanded, too, from 48 cards in 1948 all the way to 240 in 1949.

The set is fairly loaded with rookie cards, too, which has made it a popular issue over the years.

All of that is represented well in this list of the 12 most valuable 1949 Bowman baseball cards (rankings based on PSA 7 values culled from the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide).

1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson (#50)

After breaking baseball’s color barrier and winning Rookie of the Year in 1947, Robinson scored his first nationally distributed card in the 1948 Leaf set.

That rookie card has become an iconic piece of hobby history and leaves this first Bowman card a few miles in the rearview.

Still, if you wanted a Jackie card during his only MVP season (1949), this was the sole widely available option.

Today, the ’49 Bowman Robinson is about a $3700 card in PSA 7 condition.

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1949 Bowman Satchel Paige (#224)

Paige’s debut for the Cleveland Indians in 1948 after decades starring in the Negro Leagues was big news, and Leaf capitalized on that by issuing his rookie card in their inaugural set.

Bowman made sure to include Paige in their 1949 set, too, and it holds the distinction of being the last major card to feature Paige with the Tribe.

When Satchel came back to the Majors in 1951 after missing 1950, it was with the St. Louis Browns.

Today, Paige’s Bowman debut is a $3500 card in PSA 7.

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1949 Bowman Duke Snider Rookie Card (#226)

There is no doubt about which of Snider’s cards is his rookie … after debuting with an uninspiring 40-game run in 1947, Duke whiffed on the RC front in 1948.

Another 53 games with the 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers, though, netted Snider this 1949 Bowman card the same summer he started to look like a star.

Of course, he would go on to battle with Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle for supremacy among New York centerfielders, and he also made it all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Today, the 1949 Bowman Snider rookie card will set you back around $1500 in graded NM condition.

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1949 Bowman Roy Campanella Rookie Card (#84)

Like Paige and Robinson, Campanella started his professional career in the Negro Leagues before coming over to the Major Leagues.

In Campy’s case, he joined Jackie with the Dodgers in 1948 and served notice that he might be a force in the coming years, swatting nine home runs and driving in 45 over 83 games.

Of course, Campanella would go on to forge a Cooperstown career that included three NL MVP awards (1951, 1953, 1955) and helped the Dodgers win their first championship in 1955.

His Bowman rookie card is an $800 item in PSA 7 condition.

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1949 Bowman Richie Ashburn Rookie Card (#214)

In 1948, Richie Ashburn stepped into the centerfield slot for the Philadelphia Phillies and hit .333 across 117 games, and he also led the NL with 32 stolen bases.

Turns out, there wasn’t much flukish there, as Ashburn showed himself to be a consistent .300+ hitter, and he collected nearly 2600 hits over a 15-year Hall of Fame career.

Ashburn’s rookie card sells in the neighborhood of $750 today.

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1949 Bowman Stan Musial (#24)

In 1949, Musial was coming off his third MVP season for the St. Louis Cardinals and was generally accepted as the best player in the National League, and probably the entire game.

He wouldn’t slow down for a long while, either, as four NL batting titles, a slew of top-five MVP finishes, and an easy slide into the Hall of Fame all lay ahead.

Musial’s 1949 Bowman card brings over $500 in PSA 7 these days.

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1949 Bowman Larry Doby (#233)

Doby became the first black player in the American League during the summer of 1947, just months after Robinson broke in with the Dodgers.

His initial showing was abbreviated and a little rough, but Doby established himself as a star in the making in 1948 with 14 home runs, 66 RBI, and 83 runs scored.

In 1949, he took over regular centerfield duties and reeled off a string of All-Star appearances that stretched through the middle 1950s.

Doby finished his 13-year career with a .283 batting average, 253 home runs, 970 RBI … and a 1949 Bowman card that sells for $450 in PSA 7 condition.

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1949 Bowman Yogi Berra (#60)

Like Musial, Yogi had made his Bowman debut in 1948.

That summer, Berra staked his claim to the Yankees’ starting catcher job, appearing in 71 games behind the plate and batting .305.

By the time this 1949 Bowman was issued, Berra was the undisputed backstop, a move that helped set in motion the 1950s New York dynasty.

This is a $375 card in PSA 7 today.

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1949 Bowman Bob Lemon Rookie Card (#238)

After three years in the military and another two carving his spot in the Indians’ rotation, Lemon broke through with a 20-14 season in 1948.

It was the beginning of a run that would see him win 20 in seven of nine seasons and eventually lead him to the Hall of Fame.

Lemon’s rookie card is a $375 item in graded NM condition.

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1949 Bowman Robin Roberts Rookie Card (#46)

Roberts went 7-9 for a 66-88 Phillies team as a rookie in 1948, but his 3.19 ERA hinted at better days ahead.

Indeed, Roberts would go on to win 20 games six years in a row during his 14-year Phillies career.

In all, Roberts went 286-245 over 19 seasons in the Bigs and made the Hall of Fame cut in 1976.

This Bowman RC pushes $300 in PSA 7 today.

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1949 Bowman Gil Hodges Rookie Card (#100)

Hodges broke in with the Brooklyn Dodgers with a one-game flash at age 19 in 1943.

Four years later, after time in the military and some minor league seasoning, Gil was back for another 28-game cup of coffee.

Then, in 1948, he was with Da Bums to stay, and he developed into one of the most feared power hitters of the 1950s and a key member of the great Dodgers teams of the era.

After he hung up his spikes as a player, Hodges moved into the dugout full-time and led the 1969 Amazin’ Mets to a World Series title.

He also gets credit in some circles for helping develop the modern bullpen.

Whether that’s true or not, Hodges’ 1949 Bowman RC is a $250+ buy in PSA 7.

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1949 Bowman Warren Spahn (#33)

Spahn slipped from 21 wins and a 2.33 ERA in 1947 to just 15 victories and a bloated 3.71 ERA in 1948.

But the lefty was really just getting started with the Boston Braves and would soon emerge as one of the greatest starters of all-time.

Today, Spahn’s 1949 Bowman brings about $200 in slabbed NM condition.

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After a paper shortage curtailed the hobby during the Great Depression and World War II, 1948 Bowman baseball cards represented a shaky first step toward growing a new generation of collectors.

While competitor Leaf splashed at least a bit of color across their new cards, 1948 Bowman was nothing but 48 black-and-white photos with simple typeset card backs.

Still, this set was historic, and it’s still plenty popular with collectors today.

Here, then, are the 12 most valuable 1948 Bowman baseball cards, ranked by PSA 7 values culled from the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide.

Batter up!

1948 Bowman Stan Musial Rookie Card (#36)

By 1948, Musial had already won two National League Most Valuable Player Awards and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win two World Series.

He was probably the best player in the game and on a beeline for Cooperstown.

Yet, Musial had never had a nationally-released baseball card.

That all changed in 1948, when both Bowman and Leaf issued cards of Stan the Man.

Today, that 1948 Bowman rookie card sells for around $2000 in PSA 7.

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1948 Bowman Yogi Berra Rookie Card (#6)

Berra made his Major League debut in 1946 and was officially a rookie in 1947, so he was a relative unknown when this 1948 Bowman rookie card first saw the light of day.

Of course, Yogi would go on to do big things, including winning three AL MVP awards during the 1950s as the Yankees won championship after championship.

He’d also become baseball’s crown prince of malapropisms and, of course, a Hall of Famer.

Yogi’s Bowman rookie card is a $1000+ buy in PSA 7.

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1948 Bowman Warren Spahn Rookie Card (#18)

Spahn, too, was really just getting started on his MLB journey in 1948 — had debuted briefly with the Boston Braves in 1942 but then spent three years in World War II.

In 1947, though, the lefty put up his first of thirteen 20-win seasons and began to establish himself as one of the greatest starting pitchers of all time.

Today, Spahn’s 1948 Bowman rookie issue is a $400+ card in graded NM condition.

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1948 Bowman Phil Rizzuto Rookie Card (#8)

Rizzuto was a bit of a hybrid between Musial and Berra, as the Yanks’ shortstop hit the ground running in 1941 and 1942 before military service interrupted his Cooperstown run.

By 1948, he had been back in the Majors for two seasons, though, and New York was ready to reel off another run of championships.

Even given all that,, Rizzuto didn’t score a baseball card until 1948, and this short-printed Bowman rookie lines up at $400 in PSA 7.

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1948 Bowman Red Schoendienst Rookie Card (#38)

Schoendienst debuted for the Cards in 1945 and then moved into second base the next season.

He stayed there for the next ten years and helped St. Louis win a World Series in 1946.

Red also picked up a ring with the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and finished his Hall of Fame career with more than 2400 hits.

He was also at the managerial helm for those great Cardinals teams of the 1960s, and his Bowman rookie card sells for more than $300 in PSA 7 today.

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1948 Bowman Bob Feller (#5)

Feller is the first guy on this list whose 1948 Bowman is not a rookie card.

He was fresh off a 26-win season, though, and had run off tallies of 24, 27, and 25 victories right before the war.

Feller was already a Cleveland legend, in other words, and his 1948 Bowman is a $250 card in PSA 7.

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1948 Bowman Ralph Kiner Rookie Card (#3)

Kiner led the National League with 23 home runs in 1946, then upped the ante with 51 in 1947.

Turns out, he tore off seven straight homer titles before “slipping” to 35 in a 1953 season split between the Pirates and Cubs.

After a short but stellar ten-year career, Kiner developed himself into a legendary broadcaster and made the Hall of Fame cut in 1975.

Today, Kiner’s rookie card sells for north of $200 in PSA 7 condition.

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1948 Bowman Dave Koslo Rookie Card (#48)

If you haven’t heard of Dave Koslo, you’re not alone.

He spent most of the 1940s and the early 1950s piling up innings for the New York Giants at a time when the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals were the game’s dominant teams.

But Koslo did lead the NL in ERA in 1949, and he started two games for the Giants in the 1951 World Series against the Yankees — he won one and lost one.

Koslo ended with a 92-107 record — not great, but with enough New York history and the condition scarcity of being the last card in the set — to boost his RC close to $200 in PSA 7.

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1948 Bowman Bobby Thomson Rookie Card (#47)

Thomson, on the other hand, you know about … he hit the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” off Ralph Branca, after all, to cap the amazing comeback pennant run by those ’51 Giants.

But Thomson turned in a fine overall career outside of that historic swing, swatting 264 career home runs among his 1705 hits.

Today, his Bowman rookie card sells for about $175 (in PSA 7).

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1948 Bowman Pete Reiser (#7)

Reiser hit .343 to lead the National League in his second season with the Dodgers in 1941, then followed up with .310 in 1942.

He was never quite the same when he came back from the war in 1946 after three seasons away, but he remains a popular figure in Brookly Dodgers history.

This short-printed 1948 Bowman card is a $150 buy in PSA 7.

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1948 Bowman Enos Slaughter (#17)

Slaughter, on the other hand, was as good as ever when he came back from military service in 1946, leading the NL with 130 RBI.

The rightfielder’s efforts helped the Cardinals win a World Series that fall … he had also picked up a ring in 1942, and nabbed two more, with the Yankees, in 1956 and 1958.

This Hall of Fame cardboard lines up around $150 in slabbed NM condition.

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1948 Bowman Bob Elliott Rookie Card (#1)

How did Bob Elliott score the first ever Bowman baseball card?

Why, by winning the 1947 NL MVP award in his first season with the Boston Braves.

Before that, Elliott had turned in eight solid seasons with the Pirates, and he ended up with a career that looks pretty close to modern players like Amos Otis and Jose Cruz.

This historic card sells for $125+ in PSA 7 condition these days.

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