Click here for PSA Registry information on this set.

(LOT 549)
The Finest 1954 Bowman 225-Subject Basic-Set (Includes the #66 Ted Williams) - #1 Basic-Set on the PSA Registry w/a Miraculous 9.61 Set Rating!
The renowned Bowman Gum Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ended an extended drought of mainstream sports card sets when in 1948, they issued their inaugural black & white baseball, football and basketball card gatherings that, along with the Leaf Gum Co., resided as the first Nationally distributed sports cards since WWII. Piggybacking off of their newfound 1948 success, the Bowman Company continued issuing baseball sets thru 1955, with virtually all of their future distributions portraying extremely colorful poses of America's most popular ballplayers. Having now issued baseball sets for six consecutive years, the 1954 campaign would see Bowman continue their shared dominance of the baseball card market with Topps by releasing a brilliant 224-subject set. Similar to 1953, these cards would be ultra-large in size, measuring approximately 2-1/2" x 3-3/4" and continuing to utilize brilliant color images taken from original player photos, with the versos including brief player bios as well as lifetime and previous year statistics. A plethora of spellbound kids would literally flood their local "mom & pop" candy stores after scratching up their meager pennies, nickels and dimes in an effort to purchase at least one wax packs that housed these white bordered cardboard treats.

Interestingly enough, four of the ultimate Hall of Fame icons (Mantle, Campanella, Reese and Feller) were under exclusive contracts with the Bowman Gum Co., preventing Topps from including them in their '54 set and justifying why these four subjects hold a special place in collectors' hearts. The set includes 22 Cooperstown Inductees, with the two most highly coveted and valuable HOFs being #65 Mickey Mantle and #66 Ted Williams. Regarding the Williams #66 subject, it stands as the sets most elusive card due to contractual issues that forced Bowman to withdraw the Ted Williams subject and replace it with Jimmy Piersall. The 224 basic set represents a 64-card or 40% increase over the previous year's 160-subject checklist, and it is our distinct honor to present this 225-card grouping (including the #66 Ted Williams) of 1954 Bowman specimens that reigns supreme as the #1 Basic Set on the illustrious PSA Registry. Our esteemed consignor has ultimately decided to part with his pinnacle PSA Registered 1954 Bowman Basic Set, choosing to sell this museum worthy compilation via Memory Lane Auctions. Currently, the set is 100% complete, boasting an extraordinary 9.61 weighted G.P.A. w/Top Pop Bonuses (9.61 set rating)! Its unfathomable existence includes a staggering 20 PSA Gem Mint 10s; 192 PSA Mint 9s; 12 PSA NM-MT 8s; and one PSA NM 7. Nearly every card appears as if it has just been pulled from a '54 Bowman wax pack, with our consignor meticulously "cherry picking" each subject. Even more impressive is that of the 20 PSA "Gem Mint 10" marvels, 9 or 45% of them stand as true "POP 1" HIGHEST GRADED examples. As a final stamp of approval, consider that a whopping 130 or 58% of the 225 subjects reside as HIGHEST GRADED specimens, with 67 cards reflecting only one example graded higher. Indeed, this premier Basic Set has achieved the highest standard of card collecting, and we are extremely excited to now offer BOTH the complete set and individual subjects to the collecting community.

As commonly seen in the auction circuit, the highest final bid of either the complete set or aggregate sum of the individual card lots will ultimately determine whether the set sells as a whole or as separate subjects. The 22 immortal Cooperstown Inductees include: Rizzuto, Fox, Ashburn, Kiner, Kell, Wilhelm, Reese, Slaughter, Mathews, Mantle, #66 Ted Williams, Doby, Mays, Campanella, Roberts, Schoendienst, Feller, Berra, Wynn, Snider, Ford and Lemon. For your convenience, the ensuing charts list all 225 cards from this #1 Basic Set, and includes checklist#; Player Names; PSA Grade; "PSA POP" and "PSA POP HIGHER" figures. Note that all 22 Hall of Famers players are bold/italicized, with the ten "POP 1" Highest Graded subjects also highlighted. The individual card lots follow this complete set offering and as previously stated, the highest final bid(s) for either the complete set or aggregate lot total will determine the final winner(s) for one of the finest arrays of high-grade cards imaginable!

DISCLOSURE: The individual 1954 Bowman Baseball Set Break card individual lots 550-774 aggregate lot total or lot 549 Complete Set will determine the final winner(s) for one of the finest arrays of high-grade imaginable!

MIN BID $25,000

Click here for PSA Registry information on this set.

MLI is offering The Finest 1954 Bowman 225-Subject Basic-Set in an alternative selling format. All Lots numbered from 550-774 will be sold individually to the highest bidder, unless Lot # 549's hammer price exceeds the hammer price of Lots 550-774 combined cumulative total. In which case, the cards would be sold as a set. Once bidding starts, the green check mark below simply designates which format has the current high bid. In case of a tie - the set wins.

Lot 549 (Set Total):  $102,903
Lot 550-774 (Individual Card Total):  $302,913