That's Why I Don't Buy Blasters - Volume V - Sitting on the Dugout Steps

Yes, it's time for another reminder to myself that I am much better off avoiding retail wax and using my hobby funds on hand-selected cards that are more meaningful to my collection as a whole.  So, instead of buying something like this:

I used that $20 to buy Bowman product that's about 60 years older!  Here's the newest addition to my Red Sox collection, a 1954 Bowman Dick Gernert:

I've professed my love for '50s Bowman baseball cards many times on this blog, and though my absolute favorites are the smaller size cards released between 1949 and 1952, these over-sized '54s are quite beautiful.  I'm a big fan of the simplistic design and emphasis on the colorized photos, and this is a great example.  The posed shot on the dugout steps with the dugout railing, field and blue sky behind the subject is something a little different (although without looking I seem to recall quite a few dugout shots in '53 Bowman as well).

Here's a look at the back, which is unique for sure.  The stats are laid out in a non-standard format and there's a good bit of space reserved for a write-up.  The player's name in the bat along the top of the card is a nice touch.  I have to question the trivia on this one though, did this guy really throw a ball 127 mph (he wasn't even a pitcher but rather an infielder)?  How reliable was the technology to even record that data in 1930?  Interesting nonetheless!

This beautiful card set me back a total of $7.59, which left me with some more funds in my "virtual blaster".  Luckily for me the same seller had another Sox card from the same set ending at the same time:

Another '54 Bowman Red Sox card, and another posed shot on the dugout steps.  The more I look at these cards the more I like them.  I haven't been chasing a team set very actively, but I may have to specifically search out some more of these.  Unfortunately, as is normally the case with sets from the '50s, Ted Williams stands in my way, and this is one of his more sought after cards.  It's unlikely I'll ever land one unless I win the lottery.  For now I'm more than happy with these two.

Ted here set me back an even $9, making the total for these two cards $16.59.  Toss in $4 for shipping and these two cards that are now six decades old cost me about the same as a blaster, almost to the penny!

I've got some other really great (and much older) Red Sox cards coming as soon as I can find some free time to post them all...