1948 Bowman Basketball Card # 39 Ray Kuka

Description: 1948 Bowman Basketball Card # 39 Ray Kuka - New York Knicks (NM) 1940s to 1960s Basketball CardsWhen talking about pre-1970s basketball cards, there are really only a few mainstream options available to collectors. The Basketball Association of America did not begin until 1946 and the league did not adopt the NBA moniker until 1949.The first official product issued was 1948 Bowman Basketball. Nearly a decade passed before another product came in the form of 1957-58 Topps Basketball. Lastly, 1961-62 Fleer Basketball rounded out the period between 1940 and 1969. Regularly-issued basketball cards finally began with the release of 1969-70 Topps Basketball.Because of the gaps in card production, all of the releases are packed with rookie cards. The most popular rookie options include Bill Russell, George Mikan, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Bob Cousy, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West.1948 Bowman Basketball CardsThe first product dedicated to professional hoops, 1948 Bowman Basketball is a tough set to complete. The George Mikan rookie card is considered the top card in the release. Product Details 1948 Bowman Basketball card set was the first nationally distributed basketball release. It would also be the only set of basketball cards Bowman ever issued before being sold to Topps in the 1950s. At the time, professional basketball was still a fairly new and fledgling league. Founded in 1946, the card companies weren't convinced it was worthwhile. After this set, it would be nearly a decade before another national basketball set was produced.1948 Bowman Basketball Set DetailsMeasuring 2-1/16 by 2-1/2 inches, the checklist is comprised of players from the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the precursor to the NBA we know today. The set was issued in two series of 36 cards each. The second series is much tougher than the first. Series two also has the key card of the set, the George Mikan rookie card (#69). He was the first big man of the game and one of the sport's early stars.Other notable rookies in 1948 Bowman Basketball include Carl Braun (#72), Joe Fulks (#34), Red Holzman (#32), Jim Pollard(#66), Max Zaslofsky (#55), Andy Phillip (#9), Buddy Jeannette (#38) and Arnie Risen (#58).1948 Bowman Basketball Design1948 Bowman Basketball card fronts carried the same basic design Bowman would use for its first series of baseball cards in 1949. A colored-in black-and-white player picture appeared with a solid background. There are no names, team logos or any writing anywhere on the front.Backs feature a card number and the player's name at the top, followed by his vital statistics. A short biographical career write-up follows. Collectors can also learn about several wrapper redemptions available through Bowman. The backs are printed in black ink, with the card number and offer details in red. Scattered throughout the set were cards that had diagrams of plays on them as a way of helping kids understand the fundamentals of the game. The play is then described on the back.1948 Bowman Basketball Condition Issues / VariationsThe 1948 Bowman Basketball card set can be difficult to assemble in high-grade. However, no specific condition issue is common to the entire set. Instead, general wear and tear and the age of the paper stock attribute to their condition. One anomaly that often is seen in the second series is cards missing the solid color background. These variations are most likely the result of the printing press running out of ink.How We Grade: Gem Mint (GMT): (10.0) A flawless card. To be in Gem Mint condition, a card’s borders must have a ratio of 50/50 side to side and top to bottom. Mint (MT): (9.0-9.5) A perfect card. Well-centered with parallel borders which appear equal to the naked eye. Four sharp, square corners. No creases, edge dents, surface scratches, paper flaws, loss of luster, yellowing or fading, regardless of age. No imperfectly printed cards – out of register, badly cut or ink flawed – or card stained by contact with gum, wax or other substances can be considered truly Mint, even if new out of the pack. Generally, to be considered in Mint condition, a card’s borders must exist in a ratio of 60/40 side to side and top to bottom. Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT): (8.0-8.5) A super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may exhibit a very slight wax stain on reverse, slight fraying at one or two corners, or a minor printing imperfection. Centering must be app. 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. Near Mint (NM): (7.0-7.5) A nearly perfect card at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may have slight surface wear, slight fraying on some corners, slightly out-of-register picture focus, a minor printing blemish or slight wax stain on reverse. Centering must be 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. Excellent/Near Mint (EX/NM): (6.0-6.5) Card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect. A very light scratch. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may have minor wax stain on reverse, may have very slight nothing on edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. Excellent (EX): (5.0-5.5) Corners are still fairly sharp with only moderate wear. Card borders may be off center as much as 85/15. No creases. May have very minor gum, wax or product stains, front or back. Surfaces may show slight loss of luster from rubbing across other cards. Dark bordered cards may have one or two small nicks. Very Good/Excellent (VG/EX): (4.0-4.5) Shows obvious handling, but still looks nice. Corners may be rounded or have minor creases. No major creases, tape marks or extraneous markings or writing. Surfaces does exhibit loss of luster, but the printing is intact. May have paper wrinkles. May show major gum, wax or other packaging stains. All four borders visible, though the ratio may be as poor as 95/5. Exhibits honest wear. Very Good (VG): (3.0-3.5) A well-worn card, but exhibits no intentional damage or abuse. May be “Mis-cut or Off-Center” with no border visible. May have major or multiple creases, however, creases are not so deep as to show the underlying paper. This card is completely readable, has not been written on, and has no tape marks or holes. Corner rounding may extend well beyond the border. Good (GD) (2.0-2.5) Shows excessive wear, along with damage or abuse. Will show all the wear characteristics of a Very Good card, along with such damage as thumb tack holes in or near margins, evidence of having been taped or pasted, perhaps small tears around the edges or creases so heavily as to break the cardboard. Backs may show minor added pen or pencil writing or be missing small bits of paper. Still basically a complete card. Poor (P): (1.0-1.5) A card that has been tortured to death. Corners or other areas may be torn off. Card may have been trimmed, show holes from a paper punch or have been used for BB gun practice. Front may have extraneous pen or pencil writing, or other defacement. Major portions of front or back design may be missing. Not a pretty sight. We believe that all our listings are 100% Original and Authentic unless otherwise noted. Please note that this is a fully authorized "Reprint" set. They are all covered by a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, if for whatever reason you are not happy with your purchase we will exchange it, replace it, discount it or you can return it for a full refund.Standard Shipping via USPS Ground Advantage is $3.95 per individual item purchased.Standard/Combined Shipping via USPS Ground Advantage is $3.95 for the first card and $0.15 for each additional card when purchased through the E-bay Shopping Cart application, with a max. of (40) items per invoice.Shipping costs are subject to change as postal rates continue to increase. Estimated delivery is 3-5 days. Subject to change as postal delivery schedules continue to increase. Please see the shipping tab for current postage rates. 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Price: 4.95 USD

Location: Madison, Alabama

End Time: 2024-11-12T18:20:08.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.95 USD