With prices on the rise for pre-war sports cards and memorabilia, collectors are always on the lookout for bargains. One of the better buys from that era is found in a unique 1930s set of baseball pins. Here’s a closer look at the 1938 Our National Game pins.
About the 1938 Our National Game Pins
Issued in or around 1938, this interesting set is one of the better bargains from the 1930s. In fact, it is likely one of the more significant deals to be found in the entire pre-war era.
No, these are not traditional baseball cards. While that may turn some collectors off almost immediately, they have an American Card Catalog designation (PM8, if you’re interested) and so they are considered in the same arena, just like the 1910-12 Sweet Caporal pins. Of all of the numerous pin issues found in the pre-war era, the Our National Game set is among the more popular issues.
These pins feature portrait images of baseball players from the era. The pins have a fairly basic look with the headshot, the player’s name, and his team. These metal pins measure approximately 7/8″ in diameter with the printing produced using blue ink. The pins themselves have an off white or light beige color. Many have been a bit faded over time.
It is important to note that while these are pins, they are not the traditional style that many collectors will be used to. Instead of having a sharp safety pin style, each of these has a foldable metal tab, which was used to keep them in place on the desired object.
The pins were originally distributed attached to rectangular pieces of cardboard as shown here. The cardboard was generic in nature, with an American themed red, white, and blue style. The words, “Our National Game,” are printed at the top while “A Baseball Hero” is printed along the bottom. Without the player’s name printed on them, the backs could be used for any player. That would have, of course, been intentional, helping the printer/distributor to avoid mix-ups by creating a type of ‘one size fits all’ template for all of the pins in the set.
Checklist and Stars
Overall, the set includes a strong mix of stars despite a very limited checklist. A total of only 30 pins are found in the set and more than half of the players featured have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio head this checklist that also includes other impressive names, such as Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Mel Ott, and Bob Feller. Foxx’s first name, as it is on some other pre-war items, is spelled ‘Jimmy’ here. It is also worth pointing out that the pins of DiMaggio and Feller, in particular, came early on in their careers.
While there are a slew of big names in the set, the checklist is relatively small. And because the pins are both affordable and somewhat easy to find, that makes collecting the entire set a real possibility without breaking the bank.
Here’s the full checklist for this set. As the pins are unnumbered, they are listed here in alphabetical order.
- Wally Berger
- Lou Chiozza
- Joe Cronin
- Frank Crosetti
- Dizzy Dean
- Frank DeMaree
- Joe DiMaggio
- Bob Feller
- Jimmy Foxx
- Lou Gehrig
- Charlie Gehringer
- Lefty Gomez
- Hank Greenberg
- Bump Hadley
- Gabby Hartnett
- Carl Hubbell
- Buddy Lewis
- Gus Mancuso
- Joe McCarthy
- Ducky Medwick
- Joe Moore
- Mel Ott
- Jake Powell
- Jimmy Ripple
- Red Ruffing
- Hal Schumacher
- George Selkirk
- Al Simmons
- Bill Terry
- Hal Trosky
Rarity and Pricing
Condition, as it does with just about everything, plays a determining factor in value. That is particularly true in a series like this where the objects are metal and susceptible to different damage from cards. Things like scuffs, scratches, rust, and other damage all devalue these items. In decent mid-grade condition, these pins are very affordable with commons starting around $10-$15. Lower grade examples, of course, can be found for even less. And pins complete with the cardboard backing usually sell for a few dollars more than those without it.
As stated, many stars are found in the set. But even many of the lower-end Hall of Famers do not command much more than starting prices of $15-$30. The most valuable pins in the set are those for DiMaggio and Gehrig. Those typically start in the $50-$100 range. With those being the priciest items in the release, this makes for a relatively inexpensive set build.
The pins are not abundantly common but they are not too difficult to find, either. eBay, often has 100 or so listings of them at any given time, give or take. Many dealers, of course, will not carry them. But sellers focusing on pre-war and vintage items may have some.
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