Bowman Baseball Cards at Walmart
Walmart has been a destination for baseball card collectors and fans for decades to find the latest Bowman baseball card releases. Bowman is one of the premier brands in the hobby known for featuring prospects and young major leaguers. Every year, Walmart stocks their shelves with the new Bowman products, giving customers a chance to rip packs in search of the next star.
A Brief History of Bowman Baseball Cards
The Bowman Gum Company first started producing baseball cards in 1948 as inserts in their chewing gum packs. These early Bowman issues featured many of the game’s biggest stars from that era and helped grow the popularity of baseball card collecting. In the 1950s and 60s, Bowman battled Topps for licensing rights and market share. They produced some of the most iconic designs still prized by collectors today like the 1961 and 1964 issues.
Bowman lost the MLB licensing rights in 1981 but continued making cards featuring minor leaguers and prospects under licensing agreements with the minor leagues. These sets helped uncover future stars before they made the majors. In 1989, Upper Deck acquired the Bowman brand and revived the MLB license, releasing prized rookie cards of players like Chipper Jones and Nomar Garciaparra.
Today, the Bowman brand is owned by The Topps Company after they acquired Upper Deck in 2007. Each year, Walmart receives shipments of the latest Bowman releases, giving fans a chance to hunt for the next generation of baseball greats.
What to Find at Walmart
Every spring, Walmart puts out the new Bowman Draft and Bowman’s Best baseball card products. Bowman Draft features prospects selected in the most recent MLB amateur draft across three tiers of parallels and autographs. It gives a first look at the newly drafted talent.
Bowman’s Best is one of the flagship Bowman releases each year. It contains prospects, veterans, and short prints across multiple parallel sets. Insert cards spotlight Bowman Chrome prospects and Bowman Best prospects. Autograph and memorabilia cards of top names can be big money cards. Both Bowman Draft and Bowman’s Best retail for around $95-125 per hobby box at Walmart.
In the summer, Bowman Platinum arrives with its super-premium parallels, autographs, and 1/1 rare parallel cards. Platinum boxes sell for $300-400 each due to the ultra-low print runs. Walmart also receives Bowman Sterling in the fall, a high-end set with rare parallels and autographs of top prospects.
Walmart also stocks many value Bowman products at cheaper price points. Bowman Mega Boxes contain 30 packs and retail for around $30. Bowman Blasters have 10 packs for $15-20. Both offer a budget-friendly way for collectors to rip packs. Walmart also carries Bowman Chrome Update and Bowman’s Best Chrome in the summer and fall at $95-125 per box.
Hunting for Stars at Walmart
Over the years, Walmart shelves have produced big rookie card hits for collectors. In 1989, someone pulled a Chipper Jones rookie card from an early Bowman box. In the 1990s, Walmart was a source for Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, and Todd Helton rookies.
More recently, Walmart has been the site of major Bowman prospect autos. In 2017, someone hit a Ronald Acuña Jr. autograph from Bowman Sterling sold for over $1,000. In 2018, Walmart produced Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez autos that now fetch thousands. Big 2019 rookies like Gavin Lux, Bo Bichette, and Yordan Alvarez first appeared in packs from Walmart as well.
Each spring, fans flock to Walmart hoping for the next star. Names like Wander Franco, Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr. and more have all debuted in recent Bowman releases. With the low print runs of parallels and autographs, any Walmart trip hunting packs could yield a card that skyrockets in value as a player emerges. The thrill of the hunt keeps collectors coming back year after year to Walmart.
In summary, Walmart has long been a mecca for baseball card collectors and fans seeking out the latest Bowman releases. From budget Blasters to high-end Platinum, Walmart stocks a wide array of Bowman products each year. Their shelves have unearthed rookie cards and prospects who have gone on to stardom. The chance to pull the next superstar keeps the excitement high when Bowman arrives each season at Walmart.
