1989 BOWMAN
One characteristic that is synonymous with the time period that includes the late ‘80s through the mid-‘90s, is “excess.” Excess is defined as “an amount of something that is more than necessary.” Everything in that time period was loud, flamboyant, and BIGGER! That may be the very time frame that coined the phrase “Bigger is Better,” but I have no scientific proof of that. I just know that I became very aware of that expression during those days.
If you are much younger than 30, you probably don’t remember when three-liter bottles of soft drinks were on the shelf at all of the local grocery stores. The product was officially introduced in 1985 but became mainstream around 1988. I guess you could say that when I was a teenager, the three-liter was HUGE; in more ways than one. If you had some friends over to binge on the Nintendo for the day, you’d better have a three-liter Mountain Dew or your supply would run out quickly.
“Big” wasn’t just limited to the soft drinks we had available. Mcdonalds introduced a burger in the ‘90s called the Triple-double Burger. The name really says it all, but this was a mammoth creation with three beef patties, two slices of cheese, lettuce, and the Big Mac sauce. The Smashing Pumpkins released a double CD, and still their best to date in my opinion, in 1995 named “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.” The release had a massive 28 tracks and was just over two hours long. Big Hair, oversized jeans, and even big and bulky cars were all in vogue during the ‘80s as well. Shall I remind you of the Ford Bronco or the station wagons with the wood grain siding?
It should come as no surprise that this is when the sports card market exploded, too. But there was one set in particular that took the whole idea of “Excess” to the extreme. That set was none other than 1989 Bowman Baseball. To this day, the release is still remembered as one of the times that “Bigger” was not in fact “Better.”
The 1989 Bowman product was labeled “The Comeback Edition” because it was the first release of a Bowman-named product under the Topps umbrella and hadn’t been around the marketplace as an annual release in more than 30 years. But the name was not uncommon, either, for more than your casual sports card collectors. I suppose that before we can talk about 1989, we need to go even further back in the history of sports cards.
Bowman, originally a gum manufacturer founded in 1927, has a pretty historic legacy in the trading card industry, as they first began producing non-sports cards in the 1930s. Their first sports card release was in 1939, named “Play Ball,” and it was produced through 1941. After taking a break from production during World War II, they returned to the market in 1948 and produced trading cards once again until 1955. And they were not just a minor player in the industry during the early ‘50s; they were a leading producer. Topps would acquire Bowman in 1956, after a long legal battle, and that would be the last we would see of the brand . . . until 1989.
When Topps brought Bowman back in 1989, the market was already expanding with the introduction of Score in 1988 and Upper Deck in 1989. But while Upper Deck was focusing on innovation and cutting edge technology, like holograms and tamper proof packaging, Bowman was being rolled out to collectors as a throwback to the good ol’ days. And while nostalgia is huge today, I think we were starving more for innovation in 1989 than a throwback to
the 1950s. I guess if you look at it in that aspect, 1989 Bowman could be considered ahead of its time. Nevertheless, I recall it being received as somewhat of a novelty by collectors more than a real competitor. It was a throwback in an age that wasn’t quite ready for throwbacks.
By checklist standards, the 484-card set was the smallest of the major releases in 1989. It included the main rookies from ’89 like Ken Griffey Jr., Gary Sheffield, Steve Avery, Chris Sabo, and Sandy Alomar Jr., but missed on Randy Johnson, who was included in Topps, Donruss, Upper Deck, and Fleer sets. The set also included all of the big names with Jose Canseco, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Bo Jackson, and others. On the whole, the checklist is good, with the exception of The Big Unit’s absence.
The design was fairly bland with a white border and a thin inset red trim line. The Bowman logo was in the upper left corner and there was no nameplate, team name, or logo; as would be found in most other sets from the era. The only identification on the front of the card was a facsimile signature of the player featured, and if you weren’t well versed with some of the players, you had to flip the card over to get the player name.
When you flipped the card over, it was quite unique there as well. Instead of the running seasonal stat lines that could be found in other sets, you found a large grid that covered 90% of the back. The 1988 stat categories could be found on the far left of the grid and the total stats could be found on the far right of the grid. In between, you could see a breakdown of those stats by teams played. This was before interleague play so it all fit snugly, yet still comfortably, with having 13 opponents during the year. While it took some getting used to, it was rather interesting to see how a player did against specific teams.
For the rookies, the back of the card was void of statistics. There
was a standard statement across the grid that indicated when the player made their professional debut. Much like the release as a whole, the card backs were love/ hate for most collectors.
Where 1989 Bowman really set itself apart from other releases was in the card size. e cards were larger than the standard 2 ½ x 3 ½-inch size. Bowman made oversized cards in 1953 and 1954 as well, so this is part of the “throwback” feel. e cards size (2 ½ x 3 ¾) turned out to be a major turnoff for many collectors and has to be considered the fatal flaw for the set. at quarter inch may not seem like much but was a significant difference when compared to other cards. In 1989, I couldn’t store these cards anywhere without them getting damaged unless I put them all by themselves in a box. ey were too tall for binder pages and if they were stored with standard cards, you were almost guaranteed to have crushed card tops. is simple design flaw still haunts the set today.
e hobby box configuration was 36 packs that included 12 cards and a piece of bubble gum. As always, I discourage any consumption of gum that comes in 30 year old packs of sports cards. It wasn’t all that good then, so it’s only worse now! One fun addition to ’89 Bowman was the inclusion of one Vintage Bowman Reprint per pack. ese carry the same type of minimal value as a standard reprint today but it was fun as a 12 year old to pull a Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays from a pack. I still enjoy looking at those cards.
e only other “non-standard” cards included in the set are Father-son cards but these are still found in the base set of the checklist.
When you combine the lackluster design with the oversized card and the strange card back, you have a recipe for a rather polarizing set. It is one of those sets that is forgettable in many ways but totally unforgettable in others, if that makes any sense.
1989 Bowman was mass produced like other sets from that era so they aren’t particularly hard to find. An unopened box will cost you about $15-$20 at a local card shop or $30$35 shipped online. However, there is a more limited “Tiffany” version of the set that carries a very nice value for a set from that era.
e rip is fun and the cards bring back a lot of good memories. But they are still rather difficult to store; and aside from the Griffey RC, Sheffield and handful of Superstars from ’89, you won’t find any cards worth more than a couple dollars. But while many collectors look back on the set with heartburn, I would recommend a trip down the ’89 Bowman box break path if you haven’t looked at it in a few years. It’s worth the cheap box price to give it another look.