Y.A. Tittle is one of the more popular guests at card shows across the country. Still signing away at age 85, Tittle was a seven-time Pro Bowler and one of the NFL’s most popular and respected players during the 1950s and early 60s. His career actually began in the late 1940s and he first appeared on a trading card in the 1950 Bowman football set. Right now, we’re offering a terrific example of this rookie card in our weekly eBay auctions. Graded PSA 7.5, it looks as fresh as it did when it was pulled from a pack 62 years ago. While the front is expectantly sharp and clean, the back might be even better with near perfect centering. Collectors of high grade ’50 Bowman have already discovered this card. It had received two dozen bids as of Thursday afternoon with three days still remaining in the auction! While he’s best known for his days with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, Tittle is pictured as a member of the Baltimore Colts. Owing to his status as a young player still trying to carve a niche, he’s wearing a #63 jersey! 1950 marked the first all-color, complete football card set in history and there’s no doubt Bowman put a tremendous effort into it. The cards were still created using the small size they had started with when their first bubble gum cards hit the market in 1948 but using water color renderings, Bowman created an impressive lineup. They followed it with five more sets in successive years before Topps muscled in and Bowman’s football (and baseball) issues were left to the pages of hobby history. Football rookie cards from the 1950s and 60s are gaining more respect as time goes on and new collectors realize the levels they often sell at represent a tremendous bargain. We don’t expect the Tittle rookie card to sell for a song, but when you consider the grade, the set and the player, it’s definitely not a surprise this one is attracting a lot of attention.
