Boxing cards have become more and more popular with vintage collectors. As such, many sets from the pre-war era have generated attention. The 1938 Church Boxing Personalities set is one that is particularly becoming an attractive target.
About the 1938 Churchman Boxing Personalities set
The cards were distributed by W.A. & A.C. Churchman for their cigarette packages. As indicated on the backs, Churchman was a branch of the Imperial Tobacco Company, which operated out of Great Britain and Ireland. While Churchman-issued sets are numerous, this is easily the company’s most popular boxing release.
Fronts of the cards featured real, sepia images of boxers. This was, of course, a stark contrast to the gum cards issued here in America at the same time. Each card front included the Churchman Cigarettes name and the name of the fighter. The distribution, too, was of course contrasting. While trading cards had shifted to gum and candy inserts here in America by the 1930s, internationally, cigarette cards were still being printed by the millions. Backs of the cards included the Boxing Personalities name, a card number, and a biography of the subject.
A total of 50 cards exist in the set. Measuring 1 3/8″ by 2 5/8″, they are sized like the other standard UK tobacco cards.
There are lots of reasons the set is becoming a popular target. One is that, as stated, the cards are readily available. At 50 cards, it is not a massive issue requiring a long-range pursuit. They are also quite affordable. And just as importantly, the set is full of big names and popular boxers.
The Subjects
The set included both some of the young stars of the era as well as retired fighters. Because of that, the checklist spans many decades and covers all sorts of ground. Boxers from the 1880s through the 1930s are found in the checklist.
The most popular of the then-current stars in the set is undoubtedly former champion Joe Louis. The card is not Louis’ rookie, but it is one of his earlier cards, having been issued only five years after his career began. Louis, though, is hardly the only key card. In all, three cards are considered the most important in the set: Louis, Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey.
Both Johnson and Dempsey had long since retired. Johnson’s last fight was in 1931 with Dempsey’s (1927) more than a decade before this set was released. None of that, however, has limited their value in comparison with other cards in the set. Today, they are among the more expensive cards within the 50-card series.
Those are the ‘big three’ but the pre-war set has all kinds of other big names, too. Other Hall of Famers and/or champions include the likes of Georges Carpentier, Max Baer, Primo Carnera, Jake Kilrain, Max Schmeling, Gene Tunney, and more.
The majority of the cards in the set feature action poses. However, some portraits do exist, including a subset of referees and managers.
The set has fighters (Kilrain) going as far back to the bare-knuckle boxing era in the 19th century. Conspicuous by his absence, though, is boxing’s first legend in John L. Sullivan. Sullivan appears in many other pre-war sets that were issued after his career. Thus, that he is not here seems odd. But no reason is known for the omission of the iconic boxer.
Album Notes
Like many other cigarette cards distributed in the UK and Europe, the cards were also intended to be kept inside of a collectible album for which they were especially made.
The albums were not fancy. They were made with paper and only had a slightly heavier stock as the cover. These albums were inexpensive and sold by tobacco dealers for only one cent. Today, it is not uncommon to find complete sets available with the original albums, even though they were made of paper. That these albums and cards survived in such large quantities, perhaps more than anything, helps to underscore just how many were printed.
One fortunate thing is that, unlike some albums, these cards were not designed to the pasted directly onto album pages like some series’. Instead, the albums had small openings for each corner of each card, so the card could be inserted and subsequently removed with ease. However, the corner openings also caused indentation marks around the corners. Cards with these marks can almost certainly be identified as once residing in one of these albums. While not quite as damaging to a card’s condition as a crease or paper loss, cards with these defects do have their technical grades affected. This corner ‘damage’ is among the chief concerns for high-grade collectors of this set, simply because it is seen so frequently. Collectors seeking high-grade examples will want to ask sellers of these cards about the corners as this wear is not always immediately evident in scans or pictures.
Prices and Rarity
Given the number of big names in it and its age as a pre-war tobacco set, this release is an inexpensive one. While the big three cards of Louis, Dempsey, and Johnson have risen in value, even in decent condition, you can find them in raw, mid-grade condition starting around $50 or even less. Ungraded commons in the set typically start in the $1-$3 range.
Collectors looking to buy those three cards may be better off by simply purchasing a complete set. Full sets of the cards vary in price quite a bit as they are an international issue with knowledge of them not quite as widespread as domestic releases. However, it is not too difficult to find complete sets in decent condition for around $150 with some searching. Given that many cards of Johnson and Dempsey can cost that much or more on their own, this set is a bargain for collectors seeking early boxing issues.
A final thing in favor of collectors is that the set is not that rare. Many singles and even complete sets are usually available on eBay.
PSA alone has graded nearly 10,000 cards in the set and, given that the vast majority are seen in raw condition, it’s easy to see that this is not a rare issue.
Related Stories:
Non-Baseball Stars in the 1933 U.S. Caramel Set are Plenty Valuable
Babe Ruth Highlights the W511 Strip Card Set
1940s Babe Ruth Editorial Bruguera Cards Remain Elusive
Stinson: Recalling a Visit to The Boxer and The Blonde
Sports Cards Highlight the Rare Obsequio de Susini Set
Vintage Cards, Ohtani Jersey Among Big Sellers in SCP Premier
Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson Collection Headlines Boxing Auction
