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Card Definitions and Designations
8 April 2007According to the American Card Catalog, all 19th Century sports cards are known as "N" cards. Other numerical codes used to describe sports cards are:
T - Twentieth-century tobacco
E - Early gum or candy
R - Gum cards produced after 1930
B - Felts, or "blanket" issues
F - Food
W - Miscellaneous issues
C - Canadian
"R" cards represent recent (post 1930) candy or gum issues, primarily produced from 1933 to 1981. Although some contain actual photographs, most depict paintings or lithographs. Many of these cards are similar in design and depict the same players. Some use the method of blending a colorful cartoon with a photograph.
It was also common for superstar players to be featured on more than one card in any given set. The production numbers for R cards were much larger than previous issues, but smaller than recent issues. Also, the use of premium R cards of the large glossy type sold at local stores and businesses, attracted collectors by the thousands.
Some of the R series are of the die-cut or punch-out design. In other words, a silhouette surrounding the depicted player had been factory-sliced (like a piece of puzzle). The collector could then punch part of the card (usually the upper-body portion of the player shown). The rest of the card could be folded, creating a sawhorse-style stand which allowed the card to sit upright. When looked at from the front, all you should see is the bottom of the card with the portrait of the player resting freely above the rest of the card.
The preferred punch-out card is one that hasn’t been punched.
Some R cards were issued as game cards. That is, the card could have been sent in for a prize. As such, the card backs, like the R306 cards, contain spaces permitting the collector to write in his or her name and address.
R cards can be found in myriad of sizes, including: 4" by 5-1/2", 2-3/4" by 2-3/8", 7-3/4" by 9-1/2", 6" by 8" (typical cabinet size), 5" by 7" (another cabinet size), 8-1/2" by 10" (composite sheet size), 4"6-1/2", 6-1/2" by 7-1/2", and various other sizes.
Several fake series can be found in the R card issues. Fake cards, issued predominately during WWII, usually depict simple and mostly non-recognizable drawings fo players in an animated setting. And, since most every resource of the day went to the, quality of paper stock is usually poor as well.
Correspondingly, they look generic and are considered by many as the least desired cards in the hobby. The player’s name is usually found somewhere on the front of the card. When more than one player appears on a fake card (a catcher behind a batter, for example), the player’s name is always shown just besie the intended player portrayed.
Photos: Oldcardboard.com
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