1955 Bowman A.J. Donatelli

There’s just no way anyone today would want to pull an umpire card… but in the 1955 Bowman set, they really did it. Full-on umpires, posed up like they were stars of the show.

Some collectors hate them, some love the quirk — but you have to admit, nothing captures vintage hobby weirdness quite like these.

Would you put an umpire in your PC?

Ever since I started collecting in the mid 1980s, I’ve always been kind of fascinated by this 1955 Bowman set. I think they took a big risk in terms of style and it paid off. The wood-edged borders of a vintage television set really makes us stand out and unique and original in design. Of course, Hank Aaron cards are timeless, and I’d love to have one in a higher grade, this one still gives me the nostalgic feel without costing an arm and a leg. I would love to upgrade this at some time, but it’s not super high on my priority list.

Here’s a card back worth reading.

I won this Mickey Mantle in a teletrade auction years ago. I can’t remember the winning price but I want to say it was $125 or so. I love the TV border. The card has been taken out of the screw down holder a long time ago. It’s a beautiful card. One of my favorites.