The 1951 Bowman Baseball “Philly Find” of Uncut Sheets

Back in Newsletter #73, I shared a photo of the following 1951 Bowman baseball uncut sheet of 24 overprinted cards that Heritage Auctions offered in their September Sports Showcase auction (it sold for $610).

Heritage said the panel was new to the hobby and discovered by their consignor while renovating his home, originally used as insulation within the walls. In the newsletter, I noted that Heritage and REA have sold a handful of other 1951 Bowman baseball uncut sheets over the years that share similar descriptions. I mentioned that they might all trace back to the “Philly Find” of uncut sheets that Mastro highlighted in their December 2001 catalog. So, I thought it was time to share everything Mastro wrote about that find, and include photos of all the sheets they sold for future hobby researchers here on the blog. I’ll leave it to you to decide if any of this story is true or not.

Mastro kicked off the two-page spread in their catalog with the following description:

It always amazes us that, even in today’s market, there are still significant “finds” in our hobby. We are proud to auction a very unique offering of 1951 Bowman uncut sheets. Every “find” has a story and this one is no exception. These sheets were discovered literally a few weeks before this catalog went into production. We received a call from a gentleman who had just purchased an old house and was starting to renovate it. Upon removing the flooring in one of the rooms, he discovered these sheets. The only year that was represented was 1951, which is ironic since we know of only one other 1951 Bowman sheet in the hobby… the famous ex-Copeland example which features Mickey Mantle. We have handled a number of 1950 and 1952 Bowman sheets but never a single example from 1951. The location of the house is none other than Philadelphia, the home of Gum Inc. and their Bowman card products. There is no doubt that this house was, at one time, home to an employee of Gum Inc. who had the seized the opportunity to take a few sheets for his own personal use. How they ended up in the house’s floor no one knows. Luckily, this unusual storage space has preserved the sheets much better than other options as they have been laying flat for the past 50 years. The sheets have tremendous eye-appeal and are just waiting to be framed and displayed.

Five lots of sheets followed:

57) 1951 Bowman Uncut Sheet of 288 Cards

This is absolutely the largest sheet of any kind that we have ever offered! It measures a monstrous 38 1/2″ x 50 1/2″ from border to border. It is a “final process” proof sheet that is blank on the reverse. It has a total of 288 cards, being 18 cards wide and 16 high. This sheet pictures thirty six different cards (#217-#252) with each one being pictured an amazing eight times! Includes: Nelson Fox (rookie card), Leo Durocher, Ed Lopat, Gene Woodling, Bobby Schantz, Billy Cox and Johnny Vander Meer. The condition of the sheet is absolutely amazing, especially considering its size. There is a tear in the left hand border that affects two cards. Another small tear affects a card in the upper right. The top row of cards exhibits some creasing and a couple of cards are affected by a small border tear. Light creases, here and there, are evident on the other borders but are very insignificant. Otherwise, the cards are spectacular and the main body of the sheet is virtually void of any problems. A true Bowman rarity that displays magnificently.

58) 1951 Bowman Uncut Sheet of 91 cards with Ted Williams (3)

Offered is a 91 card sheet that measures 13 cards wide and seven high. The is the final process that has had the back of other cards overprinted on it. The reverse has appropriate backs but has been overprinted with the fronts of other cards also. The front of the sheet features an amazing three Ted Williams cards! Also included are two each of Larry Doby and Cal Abrams. The images on the back of the sheet include four each of Nellie Fox and Leo Durocher. There is light edge wear and a 1/2″ tear but the sheet is otherwise in fabulous condition with virtually no surface wear.

59) 1951 Bowman Uncut Sheets of 288 Cards

Included are two massive 38 1/2″ x 50 1/2″ uncut sheets, each containing the exact same cards. There are 36 different cards with each being pictured 8 times, making a total of 288 cards per sheet. Includes Fox (rookie card), Durocher, Lopat, Woodling, Schantz, Cox, and Vander Meer. The first sheet is a final process sheet that is blank on the reverse. The front is overprinted with the backs of other cards. The sheet exhibits some warping in the upper right corner and a few tears on the right border that affect five cards. Otherwise, it is in spectacular condition. The offered companion partial process sheet is missing the red and black ink on the front. It also has the backs of other cards overprinted on the front, with a blank reverse. The condition of the sheet is nothing short of spectacular with only a few nicks, which are relegated to the borders, not affecting the actual cards.

60) 1951 Bowman Uncut Partial Sheets (3)

Each of the three offered sheets displays the final process on the front along with the overprint of the backs of other cards. The backs contain the proper printing but have also been overprinted with the fronts of other cards. Includes: Sheet 1 has 24 different cards (8 x 3) including Ted Williams and Larry Doby. The right edge has a very minor 1/2″ tear and there is foxing on many of the cards, including Ted Williams. There is also some light creasing, which is mainly evident from the reverse. Despite these faults, the sheet is still in acceptable condition and would display very well. Sheet 2 has 40 different cards (8 x 5) including Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Allie Reynolds, Bobby Brown, Joe Garagiola, Bill Rigney, and Sal Maglie. There is some very light wrinkling on the left hand edge, which only affects a couple of cards, but otherwise it is in pristine condition. Sheet 3 has 66 assorted cards (6 x 11) including Larry Doby and Cal Abrams. There is some light creasing in the bottom border affecting only a few cards and is otherwise in fantastic condition.

61) 1951 Bowman Uncut Sheets (4)

Each of the offered four sheets has a very different “look” to it as they represent different combinations of printing. The back of each sheet is blank. Sheet 1 has 48 cards (6 x 8) with the front depicting the final process along with the overprint of another card back. Includes Fox (2), Durocher (2), and Vander Meer (2). There is some dirtiness and a tear that affects the bottom row, otherwise the sheet is in exceptional condition. Sheet 2 has 128 cards (8 x 16) with the fronts being in the partial process stage (missing the black and red) along with he overprint of another card back. Includes Fox (4), Durocher (4), Vander Meer (4), Lopat (4) and Woodling (4). There are a few small tears relegated to the oversized right hand border and a few light creases. Otherwise it is in superb condition. Sheet 3 has 84 cards (7 x 12) with the fronts being in the partial process stage with multiple overprinting. Two of the overprintings are for the backs of other cards while another is for the front of another, totally different card. Includes Fox (3), Durocher (3) and Vander Meer (3). There is a small hole affecting one card, otherwise it is in superb shape. Sheet 4 contains 88 cards (8 x 11) with the front containing the final production cards that have multiple overprints. Two of the overprintings are for the backs of different cards. Another overprinting is an additional copy of the card and yet another overprinting is for the front of yet another card. To say the least, it is very busy looking. A single, small hole affects one card, otherwise it is in fantastic condition.