• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Wander Franco Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Rookie Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / 1930s and 1940s Brought Merging of Baseball and Gasoline

1930s and 1940s Brought Merging of Baseball and Gasoline

August 24, 2017 By Anson Whaley

Tobacco and candy companies dominated the baseball scene in the early 1900s. But as the century went on, other types of businesses began to recognize the popularity of baseball cards. One of those was the gasoline industry, which began a push with baseball issues in the 1930s and 1940s. Here are some of the more well-known issues that came out of the partnership between the sport and gasoline companies.

1930s Dizzy Dean’s Service Station Photo

Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean was one of baseball’s top pitchers in the 1930s. At some point, Dean invested into a gas station in Bradenton, Florida and it was called the Dizzy Dean Service Station. If you’re looking for a connection of Dean to the city, he was surely familiar with it as his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, had spent 1930-36 in Bradenton for spring training.

The station distributed 4X6-inch photos of Dean as a member of the Cardinals’ team. It is sometimes listed as a 1938 issue, although it could have been produced earlier. Dean’s last year as a member of the Cardinals was in 1937 as he joined the Cubs in 1938. The photos are rare (at the time of this writing, PSA has graded only one) and don’t appear at auction too often. One sold for nearly $125 in 2013.

Because Dean likely made appearances at the station from time to time, you can also find autographed copies of these as well. Typically, they are found signed with a blue ink pen. It is also possible that a large number were signed at once at an appearance where the same pen would have been used.

1934 Doyle-Texaco Rochester Red Wings Card

This pre-war advertising card was printed in the design of a baseball. One side included a picture of a baseball serving as the background along with a plea to ask for ‘Baseball Gas’ at a neighborhood gas station, Doyle-Texaco, which was located in Rochester, New York. The other side of the card was the real attraction for collectors, since it featured a team picture of the 1934 Rochester Red Wings minor league baseball team. Most of the players would not become stars but one, Johnny Mize, would go on to become a Hall of Famer.

The card is not an easy one to find and, more than 80 years old, that is understandable. It also wasn’t a traditional baseball card and most were likely discarded instead of collected. They do surface occasionally, however. One trimmed version that included autographs from most of the team sold for $160 at auction in 2013.

1947 and 1948 Signal Gasoline Minor League Card Sets

Signal Gasoline easily had the most trading cards of any gasoline company in the 1930s and 1940s. But while they had other sets, 1947 marked the apex for the company in terms of baseball cards. That year, Signal produced a whopping six sets of minor league cards for west coast entities, including the Hollywood Stars, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Oaks, Sacramento Solons, and the Seattle Rainiers.

These cards were printed in black and white and featured a close up sketch of various players. The backgrounds included small comics and facts of the particular player as well as advertisements for Signal Gasoline. These aren’t too difficult to find and commons can often be found for as little as $15 or $20. Casey Stengel and Vince DiMaggio are two of the highlights in the set and command a premium.

 

In 1948, Signal Gasoline scaled back greatly, only producing a set for the Oakland Oaks team. That issue, however, was a strong one, including Stengel, DiMaggio, a young Billy Martin, All-Star Cookie Lavagetto, and Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi, who spent the entire year (his last in baseball) in AAA with the Oaks and Solons. Contrasted with the 1947 issue, these featured color photos of actual players. Commons in the set start around $15 and in decent shape, the stars can sell for $50 and up, depending on condition.

1949 Schumacher Service Station Set

This unique issue featured black and white pictures of random baseball players. The cards are somewhat mysterious as some are found with blank backs and others have an ad printed or stamped in red ink for Schumacher’s Service Station.

According to Old Cardboard, nine cards are known in the set, including Babe Ruth, Red Schoendienst, Joe Garagiola, and more. They are very hard to find and rarely come up for auction.  

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Pitcher Turned Cartoonist: Al Demaree Known For Baseball Card Artwork Jimmie Foxx 1932 US Caramel1933 R328 U.S. Caramel Set an Iconic Multi-Sport Issue Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb Highlight Canadian V89 William Paterson Issue Ty Cobb B18 BlanketUnique B18 Blankets Have Solid Mix Of Variations And Stars Ten E90-1 American Caramel Card Favorites Seven Affordable Pre-War Cards of Hall of Famers Ty Cobb 1915 Cracker JackHuge Find of 1914, 1915 Cracker Jack Cards Consigned to Auction B18 Blankets Walter JohnsonWalter Johnson: Buying The Big Train On A Small Budget

About Anson Whaley

Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . You can email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards.

Filed Under: Sports Card News, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: Dizzy Dean, Johnny Mize, pre-War, pre-War baseball cards, Rochester Red Wings, Schumacher Gas, Signal Gasoline

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card Auctions
  • Graded Rookie Cards opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Visit The Companies Featured on Auction Report at The National July 26 – 30, 2023
  • Bid In Collect Auctions Tobacco Cards Only Auction Ending June 15, 2023
  • Grey Flannel’s Summer Games Auction Ends June 11, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window