Start a collection of 1950s Topps and/or Bowman cards and invariably, the subject of the 1954 Bowman Ted Williams card will come up. It’s a stretch to call it the “Honus Wagner of the 1950s” but the history is similar. Topps and Bowman were at war in the first half of the decade and when Topps got Williams to sign an exclusive contract in time for the 1954 season, Bowman’s inclusion of the popular Williams in its set didn’t sit well with the folks at Topps. They forced Bowman to change the player pictured on the #66 card after its first printing and a hobby legend was created. Williams’ Boston teammate, Jimmy Piersall became #66 as the presses rolled on and today, 1954 Bowman Williams #66 cards are scarce. This week, however, you can find one in our eBay listings - a gorgeous PSA 7 example that would fit in with any advanced collection of vintage baseball cards. When you consider that the number of Williams cards printed was miniscule compared to the others in the set and the fact that many of those that were printed became casualties of the fun-loving handling of young fingers and the simple fact is that there are only a small number of high grade 1954 Bowman Williams cards on the market. Williams stayed with Topps until he signed an exclusive with Fleer in 1959. Unlike most players of the era, he wasn’t satisfied with what one company offered. He knew his image was valuable and worked to get the best deal he could. Scarcity aside, the ’54 Bowman Williams is one of his best-looking cards. It features a smiling Williams in a waist up shot from the latter part of his career. It’s simply one of the most significant baseball cards ever produced because of the circumstances surrounding its release and the demand that continues 58 years later.
