• 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 CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani 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
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo 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 2021-22 NHL 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 / 1933 Butter Cream Confectionery Set is Different, Scarce

1933 Butter Cream Confectionery Set is Different, Scarce

March 9, 2020 By Anson Whaley

When most collectors think of 1930s baseball cards, thoughts of the popular Goudey sets or others, such as Diamond Stars or DeLong, might come to mind. But the decade also included some very rare sets and one of those is the 1933 Butter Cream Confectionery release. Here’s a little more on this unique issue.

About the 1933 Butter Cream Confectionery Set

In 1933, the Butter Cream Confectionery Corporation of New Jersey issued a small 30-card set of baseball cards. The cards were actually part of a unique promotion that required fans to make some future predictions.

The cards, all around, are unique. Fronts feature black and white images of players but without names. The shape of the cards is also quite distinctive. Measuring only 1 1/4″ wide by 3 5/8″ tall, the cards are narrow and almost have the appearance of a small type of bookmark.

Backs of the cards included information about Butter Cream’s specific promotion. In short, collectors were required to guess how well a player would perform offensively.  Fans were to guess what the player’s batting average would be in that season up until either September 1 or October 1 (the backs include one of two potential dates). As a bit of a reference point, also on the backs was the player’s name and his previous batting average from 1932. That 1932 reference, coincidentally, helps us to date this set to what is likely a 1933 issue.

Collectors were then supposed to mail in the completed card with their name and address, sending them to Butter Cream at their Union City, New Jersey address on the back. It is unclear if the cards were returned to collectors or simply destroyed.

The contest remained the same even for pitchers found in the set. While they would have more relevant statistics such as win total, ERA, or strikeouts, the statistic listed for them was also batting average, just as it was for position players.

The set is cataloged as R306 in the American Card Catalog.

1933 Butter Cream Confectionery Checklist

Jimmie Foxx 1933 Butter CreamWhat the 1933 Butter Cream Confectionery set lacks in size it makes up for in quality. The set, as mentioned, contains only 30 cards. However, the checklist is packed full of stars and that only increases the demand for it.

Leading the way in the set is the legendary Babe Ruth. Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Al Simmons are also joined by a host of other Cooperstown inductees. The set doesn’t have every single star from the period, mind you. A notable omission, of course, is Lou Gehrig. Others that are missing include Dizzy Dean and Rogers Hornsby. And given that the contest was surrounding batting average, the omissions of Gehrig and Hornsby are even more notable. Hornsby’s career was winding down by this point but he still batted .326 in 1933. Gehrig was also one of the most feared hitters in the league and his .349 average in 1932 was third best.

Despite those omissions, the set still includes quite a few big names. In all, more than half of the set is made up of players in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Here’s the complete checklist for the set:

  1. Earl Averill
  2. Ed Brandt
  3. Guy Bush
  4. Mickey Cochrane
  5. Joe Cronin
  6. George Earnshaw
  7. Wes Ferrell
  8. Jimmie Foxx
  9. Frankie Frisch
  10. Charles Gelbert
  11. Lefty Grove
  12. Gabby Hartnett
  13. Babe Herman
  14. Chuck Klein
  15. Ray Kremer
  16. Fred Lindstrom
  17. Ted Lyons
  18. Pepper Martin
  19. Bob O’Farrell
  20. Ed Rommel
  21. Charley Root
  22. Muddy Ruel
  23. Babe Ruth
  24. Al Simmons
  25. Bill Terry
  26. George Uhle
  27. Lloyd Waner
  28. Paul Waner
  29. Hack Wilson
  30. Glenn Wright

1933 Butter Cream Confectionery Rarity and Pricing

Simply put, the cards are quite rare. 

Population reports give us a nice snapshot of how difficult the cards are to find. PSA, SGC, and Beckett have combined to grade fewer than 550 of these cards in all. Because collectors were required to send these cards in to the company, that seems to help explain their rarity.

The rarity of these cards as well as the popularity of the 1930s gum/candy issues helps these cards retain quite a bit of value. Even modestly graded commons in the set generally start around $150. Hall of Famers usually start higher, obviously, depending on the player and exact condition. The Ruth card is, of course, the key to the set and is exponentially more valuable.

A PSA 5 example of the Ruth sold in a 2019 Heritage auction, fetching a whopping $192,000.  

A few cards from the set can usually be found on eBay.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

The Wayback Collector: International Babe Ruth Cards Climbing in Value 1933 Baseball Candy Card Explosion: The Less Popular Sets Babe Ruth 1934 ButterfingerVintage Baseball Pictures Key 1934 Butterfinger Set 1935 Goudey Puzzles Make For a Challenging Master Set Heritage to Offer Historic Babe Ruth 1933 Butter Cream Card in July Auction Going Beyond Babe Ruth in the 1932 Sanella / Astra Sets 5 Pre-War Exhibit Card Bargains 1938 Goudey Heads Up Issue Has Several Unique Distinctions

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: 1930s baseball cards, 1933 Butter Cream, Babe Ruth cards, Butte

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. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay 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
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Consignments Wanted – Meet Huggins & Scott at the Philly Show This Weekend
  • Heritage Auctions Icons Photography Auction Ends October 12, 2023
  • Steve Novella Offers PSA Baseball, Football & Non-Sport Cards Auction Ending Sept. 28, 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