Bowman (brand) facts for kids

Bowman is a famous brand of sports cards owned by the Topps card company. Long ago, the Bowman Gum Company made sweet treats and pictures of athletes. The business was based in the historic city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A businessman named Jacob Warren Bowman created this famous candy company back in 1927. The company became known across the country for making tasty bubble gum for children.

Along with chewy treats, the company packed colourful picture cards inside each wrapper. These small cardboard pictures became known to collectors as trading cards. Bowman made baseball card sets that became super popular during the 1940s. Children loved finding their favourite sports heroes inside every single package. The factory also printed American football, basketball, and hockey cards. A rival business named Topps purchased Bowman in 1956. Topps brought back the famous Bowman brand name in 1989 for modern card collectors.

History of Bowman Bubble Gum and Early Trading Cards

Jacob Warren Bowman worked as an energetic chewing gum salesman across the United States. He decided to open his very own confectionery firm called Gum, Inc. in 1927. His brand-new factory started making a tasty treat called Blony bubble gum in 1929. Blony instantly became the top-selling penny bubble gum in the whole nation. Children loved saving their shiny pennies to buy this giant, sweet pink treat.

The company registered the Blony name officially as a trademark on January 13, 1931. By 1937, Blony made up sixty percent of all bubble gum sales nationwide. It weighed 210 grains, making it the biggest gum piece sold for one penny. Colorful advertisements promised children three giant bites of chewy gum for just a single cent. An article in Time magazine called Gum, Inc. the biggest penny gum business anywhere. The busy workers occupied five full floors and a basement in a big building.

A 1950 Bowman chewing gum wrapper with baseball cards inside

Packs of Blony gum soon included special picture cards printed on firm cardboard. These colorful items covered many educational and exciting topics for curious young school students. Bowman expanded beyond sweet candy to print fascinating non-sports collector cards during the 1930s. A partner named Franklin V. Canning joined the growing candy company in 1930. He was a New York pharmacist who supplied the pink gum base ingredients. A unit of the Wrigley Company later created a cheaper gum base recipe. Jacob Bowman had disagreements with his business partners and left the company in 1936.

Bowman returned to lead the company again in July 1937 after court decisions. The candy maker earned forty-nine thousand dollars on huge sales during early 1937. Bowman started printing sports pictures with its famous Play Ball sets in 1939. Play Ball cards appeared every single summer until 1941, featuring popular baseball stars. Card production stopped when the country saved paper supplies during World War II. Bowman returned to printing picture cards under the Bowman name in 1948.

A 1953 Bowman color baseball card of Ralph Kiner

After the war ended, the brand-new 1948 Bowman baseball cards became a giant success. Bowman also released its first football set of 108 cards that same year. They printed their very first basketball set in 1948 for hoop fans everywhere. The candy company competed directly against another sweet maker named the Leaf Candy Company. Leaf stopped selling cards in 1950, leaving Bowman as the clear market leader. Bowman sold more than one million dollars worth of baseball cards that year.

A newer rival named Topps Chewing Gum began competing heavily for baseball player contracts. Both companies raced each other to sign the best baseball athletes to exclusive deals. Bowman printed great baseball cards until 1955, when competition grew very tough. Topps bought the entire Bowman company in 1956 for two hundred thousand dollars. In 1989, Topps decided to revive the beloved Bowman name for brand-new products. Today, Bowman is widely celebrated as the number one maker of special rookie cards.

Modern Bowman Sports Cards for Collectors

Bowman (brand)

Owner	Topps
Introduced	1989; 37 years ago (1989)
Previous owners	Bowman Gum Company

Modern collectors love hunting for rare Bowman sports cards inside foil packs today. The brand focuses heavily on young athletes who hope to become major league superstars. Kids and adults collect these shiny cards to trade them with their best friends.

Bowman Chrome Sets and Autographs

Bowman Chrome is one of the most popular sports card sets ever created. Topps introduced the shiny Bowman Chrome product line to card collectors in 1997. The first set featured early cards of players like José Cruz Jr. and Travis Lee. Collectors soon discovered cards of future stars like Roy Halladay and Miguel Tejada. The set also included standout rookie players like Eric Chavez and Kerry Wood. Pitcher Lance Berkman appeared in that famous 1997 checklist as an exciting young prospect.

The Chrome series became even more exciting when companies added authentic player signatures. In 2001, Bowman Chrome added special autographed cards right inside random foil packs. Star player Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals signed cards for this set. That autographed Pujols rookie card quickly became one of the most valuable modern cards. In 2002, rising baseball stars added their handwritten signatures to the popular chrome series. These players included third baseman David Wright from the exciting New York Mets. Catcher Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins signed special cards for this set. Reliever Bobby Jenks of the Chicago White Sox also had signatures in packs.

Bowman Draft Picks and Future Stars

Another exciting collector release every year is called Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects. This unique product focuses on players chosen during the annual major league draft. It features top young athletes chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game. The packs also include special relic cards containing real pieces of game jerseys. Fans can find autograph cards from the popular Signs of the Future card set. Every single foil pack includes shiny chrome versions alongside normal paper cards.

Many famous baseball heroes made their first card appearances in Bowman Draft releases. The 2002 set included talented Florida Marlins outfield prospect Jeremy Hermida. Outfielder Nick Swisher of the Oakland Athletics had his first card right here. The set introduced Jeff Francoeur from the popular Atlanta Braves baseball club. Shortstop B.J. Upton of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was in the set. Collectors also found cards of Khalil Greene with the San Diego Padres. Pitcher Dontrelle Willis of the Florida Marlins also appeared as a young rookie.

The 2003 Bowman Draft set carried even more future champions and award winners. Pitcher Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox appeared on a card here. Second baseman Robinson Canó represented the historic New York Yankees in this release. Powerful slugger Ryan Howard appeared on cards for the Philadelphia Phillies. Infielder Rickie Weeks was featured playing for the Milwaukee Brewers. Outfielder Delmon Young represented the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the checklist. Shortstop prospect Brandon Wood appeared in his uniform for the Los Angeles Angels.

The checklist also held great stars like Grady Sizemore and pitcher Mark Buehrle. Hitting sensation Ichiro appeared alongside star infielder Chase Utley on special cards. Other featured stars included J J Hardy, Huston Street, and pitcher Josh Johnson. Young outfield slugger Jay Bruce and infielder Jorge Cantu were included. Superstar Albert Pujols and swift runner Jose Reyes appeared on popular cards too.

Special High School All American Cards

In 2004, Bowman introduced redemption cards for top high school baseball tournament stars. Collectors who found special cards could mail them in to receive player sets. These cards featured future big-league stars like Cameron Maybin and Andrew McCutchen. Pitcher Chris Volstad and top athletes C. J. Henry and Justin Upton were included. Collectors had to wait patiently while the factory made these limited edition cards. The company mailed out beautiful cards featuring real signatures from these rising young athletes.

Collectors track the exact print runs for these very rare promotional card sets:

• 2004 AFLAC Bowman Chrome Refractor Set – 315 sets produced for collectors
• 2004 AFLAC Bowman Chrome X-Fractor Set – 107 sets produced for collectors
• 2004 AFLAC Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Set – 34 sets produced for collectors
• 2004 AFLAC Bowman Chrome Autograph Set – 90 sets produced for collectors

Bowman's Best and Shiny Refractor Technology

The Bowman's Best product line launched in 1994 with brand-new shiny printing technology. These cards used rainbow-like surfaces called refractors that dazzled collectors under bright room lights. Key rookie cards in 1994 included catcher Jorge Posada of the Yankees. Reliever Billy Wagner and shortstop Édgar Rentería had cards in this debut set. The 1995 edition became one of the greatest card sets of that entire decade. It featured rookie cards of future Hall of Fame hitter Vladimir Guerrero. It also held cards of Bobby Abreu, Andruw Jones, and Scott Rolen. Pitching sensation Hideo Nomo from Japan appeared in this amazing 1995 release.

The 1997 Bowman's Best set introduced on-card signatures alongside shiny refractor borders. That checklist featured early cards of Miguel Tejada, Kerry Wood, and Roy Halladay. Famous legends like Tony Gwynn and shortstop Derek Jeter signed rare cards. In 1999, Bowman's Best created amazing cards with two player signatures on one card. The 2002 release put game-worn jersey pieces directly into the main base set.

Bowman Sterling and Heritage Releases

Bowman Sterling arrived in stores in 2004 as an extra special luxury set. Every pack contained thick cards featuring genuine game-used jersey pieces and certified signatures. Normal refractor versions were strictly limited to just 199 copies for each athlete. Rare red refractor cards were ultra-rare, with only one single copy ever made. Another fun set called Bowman Heritage used vintage designs from original 1950s cards. These retro cards connect baseball's rich history with the most exciting modern stars.