The 1933 DeLong set is one of the more popular issues for pre-war gum card collectors. The 1930s set features a really cool look with mostly black and white pictures of players against colorful backgrounds. If nothing else, they stand apart from other issues because of the aesthetics of the cards. While the Goudey sets were unmistakably king in the 1930s, sets like the 1933 … [Read more...]
Five Missing Cards from the Popular 1930s Diamond Stars Set
Goudey ruled baseball cards in the 1930s but plenty of other sets made their mark and remain popular even today. One of those is the Diamond Stars set. These cards had an art deco feel and were issued from 1934 through 1936. After the Goudey sets of the 1930s, these cards are some of the more popular ones from the 1930s. Minus variations, the set includes a healthy 108 … [Read more...]
1948 Swell “Babe Ruth Story” Card Set Promoted New Movie
By 1948, Babe Ruth had long since retired from the sport of baseball. At that point he was at the end of his life, hospitalized with cancer. But he enjoyed a few final highlights in his life before he passed away later that year and one was the making of The Babe Ruth Story, a movie about his life. Ruth attended the premiere of the movie at New York's Astor Theater on … [Read more...]
1948 Blue Tints Set Full of Confusion
After World War II ended, the 'drought' on baseball card sets was soon over. An oddball set of sorts was distributed in 1948 that provided a small measure of competition for companies like Bowman, which also began printing baseball cards that year -- the 1948 Blue Tints set. Here's a closer look at this vintage set with plenty of confusion surrounding it. 1948 Blue Tints … [Read more...]
Early and Mid 1940s Saw Few Baseball Card Sets
Baseball cards first made their mark in the late 1800s and early 1900s, primarily as tobacco card inserts. After a brief respite of sorts during World War I, the 1920s and 1930s saw the creation of even more sets. But by the 1940s, the collecting world was again on a bit of a hiatus. The 1930s brought about the gum card boom and, by that time, cards had really shifted from … [Read more...]
Goudey Had Plenty of Competition in the Pre-War Era
Plain and simple, Goudey ruled the pre-war gum card era when it came to baseball cards. Issuing numerous sets beginning in 1933, the company dominated the time period. Goudey began with an extremely popular, 240-card set in 1933 and continued producing other baseball cards through 1941. They weren't the producers of the first of the gum cards but they quickly became the most … [Read more...]
Like Brother Dizzy, Daffy Dean Cards Are Limited
Dizzy Dean was one of baseball's greatest pitchers in the 1930s. But injuries shortened his career and, as a result, he isn't found on a large number of cards. His less popular brother Daffy Dean (real name Paul) also didn't have the longest of careers, either, and that has also limited his card issues. Daffy Dean pitched in nine seasons in the majors but that number is … [Read more...]
Bargain Hall of Fame Cards of the 1920s (Part III of IV)
Many collectors don't realize how affordable some vintage baseball cards truly are. Collectors don't even have to settle for cards of lesser known players, either. While many issues depicting Hall of Famers are pricey, plenty of bargains exist, too. Over a four-part series, I wanted to take a look at some of the more affordable pre-war Hall of Fame cards available to … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: It’s Time to Update the American Card Catalog
The American Card Catalog is the most important book in the history of card collecting. I'll listen to the argument that publications such as price guides really brought collecting to the forefront and helped establish it as a lucrative venture. But for my money, the American Card Catalog is tops in terms of importance for, particularly, older cards. First created in 1939 as … [Read more...]
Six 1933 Goudey Cards That Should Have Been Printed
The 1933 Goudey set is a massive issue with 240 cards. One of the reasons that it's so collected is the large roster of incredible talent found in the release. But if you ask me, it would have been great to include a few more cards. Here are five I can think of. Ty Cobb Sure, Cobb's playing days had ended by the time the set was released. But other retired players were … [Read more...]