2006 Bowman Sterling Prospects

Set Size: 110 cards, of which 59 are autographed (stickers).

Design Notes: The high-premium set has an ornate design, bright glossy foil, and fairly empty fronts. There's a photo, a giant autograph frame, and the player's last name. The black and white backs have some more details.

Parallels and Similars: There are regular, black, gold, and red refractors, plus encased printing plate parallels. The regular Bowman Sterling set has the same design.

Distribution: Cards were sold in packs of five, with six packs per box. Each box contained at least five relic, autograph, or autographed-relic hits.

Thoughts: As I stated in my last post, I could do without Bowman Sterling. Steven Evarts is probably the worst card in the set at this point - he was a promising pitcher in 2006 but was found using performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Charleston RiverDogs - yes, that's low minor league ball. I think the 2006 design was one of the better Bowman Sterling releases to date, as it's at least a fairly bright design and it scans well. The 2006 release has a few big names, including Evan Longoria and Prince Fielder.

Additional Images:

2008 Bowman Sterling Prospects

After a six month absence, I finally return to the Zoo! It's not that I haven't wanted to write. It's that I'm just too busy or tired to write, and to be honest three blogs is a lot. However, I am still interested in this project, so we continue again... (three more posts are written for the weekend already!)


My Japanese card collection is moving along nicely, but for now I'm going to stick with US issues. I have plans...

Set Size: 85 cards

Design Notes: This is a premium release, with several of the base cards having autographs or memorabilia (as you can see with Brad Hand's card). The card is covered in a shiny foil and most of the card has a silvery background, which my scanner can't handle. The backs are basically black and white with the same picture as the front, and cards are identified by players' initials instead of card numbers.

Parallels and Similars: There are four refractor parallel sets, plus four printing plates. The design is identical to the regular 2008 Bowman Sterling set.

Distribution: Cards were sold in packs of five cards (six packs per box), with two autographs, one relic or autographed relic card, one rookie, and one prospect.

Thoughts: I'm not a fan of Bowman products, and I'm even less of a fan of Bowman's premium offerings. Sadly, most Bowman cards are forgettable and worthless - the only selling point is the chance of pulling a big hit (either now or in the future). I guess some people enjoy hoarding the cards away for a few years hoping for the next Pujols. Brad Hand got his cup of coffee in the middle of the 2011 season, but is back playing in the PCL this year.

Additional Image (Card Back):

2007 Bowman Sterling Prospect Refractors

Set size: 118 cards

Front Design: A player portrait is placed inside a shield-shaped border with the word PROSPECT across the top. The player's team is in a banner beneath the photo, followed by the Bowman Sterling logo. The player's name is in a banner at the bottom. The cards have a foil background with a refractor finish. Of the 118 cards in the set, 68 are autographed, and 18 of those have memorabilia inserts.

Back Design: The backs are monochromatic. A top banner has the card number (or, letters, in this case). Beneath the card number is a shield with a player headshot. To the left is the player's name and team, acquisition history, and a highlight paragraph. That is followed by his prior year and career statistics. The bottom holds copyright information and a serial number stamp.

Parallels and Similars: The entire Bowman Sterling line is essentially parallels. The prospects set has three refractor versions and printing plates.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into (very expensive) packs of 2007 Bowman Sterling. All the cards in the set are serial-numbered to 199, regardless of being a regular card (above), autographed, or autographed relic.

Thoughts: Bowman Sterling really hasn't changed in years, just like the other Bowman lines. However, it is the top of the line set as far as the newest prospects are concerned. The excessive use of sterling-colored foil is a turn-off for my tastes - with some color in the design it could be enjoyable. I get it - Sterling. Silver. But there's nothing that really pops on this card.