1951 Bowman Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen original card set with 20 original one-of-a-kind artboards, two original one–cent wax packs (one GAI graded and one partially opened), and an original Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen uncut sheet of nine cards. Currently listed as ‘Bombaye—The Number One Finest Set of All Time’ on the PSA set registry, the set consists of 108 cards plus an incredible 20 of the original 4 x 6 one-of-a-kind gouache art boards created by artists from the famous George Moll Advertising Agency of New York used to print the cards in this set. This agency was also responsible for the artwork used for the most famous non-sport set of all time, Bowman's classic 1938 ‘Horrors of War’ card set that our current consignor Ronnie Paloger also put together and which he sold several years ago for $700,000—a hallmark price establishing that certain unique non-sport card offerings can command similar dollars as sports cards, which are currently selling in a ‘red hot’ market. Recently a 1952 Topps rookie card of Mickey Mantle PSA 7—with 70 other known examples in the population base—sold for an incredible $215,000!
This unique Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen set has a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 8.15 and is the only Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen set to ever grade 8.0 or higher, or near-mint condition. This particular set is so far ahead of its competition because there are an astounding 18 ‘POP 1’s’ (population meaning the total amount of cards in the same condition in a particular set) in this set. Last year PSA started adding bonus points to their grading system to acknowledge such superiority from one set to another. This set, now up for auction for the first time, has an overwhelming weighted GPA of 8.981 which is also the highest of all time. There have been a total of 3,738 Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen cards submitted to PSA for grading from its inception. From this number there have only been three cards ever rated ‘GEM MINT 10’ which is the highest possible grade for a card. This set has two of those three Gem Mint cards, #74 ‘Invention of the Zaratron’ and card #105 ‘Malpo the Mighty,’ as well as the original artwork for ‘Invention of the Zaratron.’ This set also received the 2010 PSA Set Registry Award for Best Non-Sports Vintage Set (1948–1959) and has for seven years in a row been the top rated Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen set on the PSA Registry and listed as the finest of all time. Currently 9,533 non-sport sets are registered on the PSA Set Registry. From this total only eleven sets have been voted into the PSA Set Registry Hall of Fame, setting a very, very high standard for inclusion. In 2013 this Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen set became one of those eleven sets currently in the Non-Sport HOF, making our consignor the only collector to have two non-sport sets in the HOF (Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen and Horrors of War). Also included in this lot is a graded one-cent wax pack, and another wax pack partially opened exposing its card and its 65-year-old gum, with an extremely rare albeit poor condition nine-card uncut sheet of cards from this set. Also included is the November 2011 SMR feature cover story, ‘Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen—A profile of the 1951 Bowman Classic,’ with the entire cover artwork from card #30 ’Slaying Deimos Rock’ and a picture of card #30 printed from this artwork. Both of these items are included in our auction lot. Just about every card and art board for this story was supplied by our consignor from this set. The 1951 Bowman Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen set is one of the greatest non-sport sets ever produced. A classic science fiction story manufactured by Bowman Gum, Inc., of Philadelphia in 1951 to take advantage of the incredible interest at the time in space and space travel to increase the sale of its product—gum—that was included with every package of cards. The cards depict the adventures of Dr. Zara, Captain Argo, and their crew on an exciting trek through space, and preceded the original ‘Star Trek’ television series by 15 years. While trekking between planets, our heroes deal with meteor showers, a giant space blob, space pirates, fire beetles, hypnotizing steam frogs, mantis men, saber-toothed tigers, and brain men, and the crew is shrunk into dwarfs and are menaced by vegetable men. These cards were a sensation amongst kids when initially released. Each card in this set is two and one sixteenth inches by three and one eighth inches. The original 108 card set was released both in one-cent wax packs that included one card and one stick of chewing gum and a five-cent pack with five cards and a stick of gum. The story was incredibly imaginative and the George Moll Advertising Agency artists were responsible for creating the incredibly detailed art boards, 20 of which are included in this lot. These one-of-a-kind little masterpieces were used to create the individual cards. This lot represents by far the largest amount of art boards (20) in one lot, as historically most have been offered individually which is how our consignor acquired them over the years. Twenty original Jets, Rockets, and Spacemen art boards in one lot by itself would represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors, but to acquire these art boards with the finest card set ever put together is really special and is perfect for our sale as a ‘remarkable rarity’ opportunity moment.
Additional images are available here
Images of the front and backs of all 108 cards are available here
PSA Set Registry Article Highlighting This Award-Winning Set
