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1933 Goudey Big League R319

29 April 2007
Written by: admin Posted under General, Baseball, History, 1933

1933 Goudey Big League Gum Baseball Card Featuring Irving After a very slow 1920s for the hobby, another unique advancement influenced the rebirth of sports cards.  Prior to about 1930, chewing-gum, as the world called the product, was simply gum you would chew; no bubbles could be blown.  But that changed with the discovery of the material that enables us to blow bubbles.  It also changed the way sports cards were distributed.

Although the first sports card set ever released with chewing gum was the 1888 E223, which featured baseball cards quite small in size, the 1933 Goudey Big League was the first set of baseball cards issued with bubble gum.  This beautiful set was also Goudey Gum Company’s first baseball cards, and it just so happens that it is loaded with Hall of Fame players.  At 240 cards, the Goudey Big League baseball card set was the largest issue in quite some time by major baseball card manufacturers.  And it would remain as such for nearly two decades.

Goudey, who had integrated some very creative marketing with the issue of the Big League set, wanted to produce some of the finest baseball cards of the day.  Their target: children.

Skytamer.com, an online trading card site, described Goudey’s launch into the baseball card hobby:

This was a brilliant move by the Goudey Gum Company.  They "killed two birds with one stone."  They issued a psychological "slap in the face" to the Great Depression, and they challenged their competitors to "sink or swim."  This was the shot in the arm that the trading card industry needed to extract themselves from the psychological quagmire of the Great Depression.

Needless to say, the Goudey Gum Company posted record sales. The sales were to kids, not adults! We had officially entered the Golden Era of the Bubble Gum Age, 1930 to 1960.  Since 1960, the actual Bubble Gum issues have given way to stand-along collector cards.  However, the basic size and style of the current collector cards remaining the same.  Even though the present cards to not include gum, they will always be known as "Bubble Gum Cards."

The company actually issued baseball and indian cards.  Such approaches as using full color images, fancy packaging, releasing multiple cards of popular playes, and flooding the hobby with cards of players from the top two teams would not, however keep the company from making one of the greatest blunders in the history of the hobby: they forgot to issue a card for #106.  Mastro Auctions, an online auction firm selling a PSA Mint 9 Nap Lajoie #106 card, recently stated:

The story behind the creation of this universally admired and hungered-for piece is a prized component of industry lore, and it describes one of the farthest-reaching customer service efforts ever concocted. Although the impact would be considered small by today’s standards, Goudey intended to make a "splash" with its 1933 set of baseball cards.

The company planned to market a series of 240 insert items, and they were designed to be the best gumcards of their type ever seen.  Full color was to be employed, and detailed text would explain the players’ accomplishments to eager buyers of Big League bubble gum.  And, as yet another marketing innovation, the cards would be released in a timely fashion to coincide with current events.

Multiple cards of such key players as Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx and Ott were created in order to capitalize on those athletes’ popularity, and the Giants and Senators were issued largely en masse as the World Series approached. Goudey had its entire distribution strategy arranged, with only one "minor" shortcoming: the company neglected to print card number 106.

Outside the biggest stars of the day, many players are featured on two cards.  And, the biggest baseball star of the 1920s and 1930s - George Herman "Babe" Ruth - is featured on no less than 4 cards!

The American Card Catalog designation for the 1933 Goudey Big League baseball card set is R319.

Robert Plaut, author of Start Collecting Basebal Cards, describes this important era:

"Once more it was a technological development that helped bring cards back into demand.  It was discovered that when certain substances of the rubber tree plant were added to chewing gum, bubbles could be blown.  To help market this new product, the Goudey Company of Boston sold the gum with its Big League card issue in 1933.  A competitor, National Chicle in nearby Cambridge, released its gum with a set called Diamond Stars.  Successful sales figures for both companies made "bubble-gum cards" a household phrase."

1933-Goudey-BigLeagueGum-BabeRuth-BaseballCardIn describing the 240-card Goudey Big League white-bordered set, Classic Baseball Cards author Frank Slocum said, "In the language of the layman, cards of this kind were henceforth known as ‘bubble-gum cards.’"

Included in the 1933 Goudey Big League baseball card set are cards measuring a whopping 2-3/8" by 2-7/8" depicting full-color line drawings of the top baseball players of the day.  The fronts show either an action shot or a portrait of a baseball player surrounded by a white border.  At the bottom of some cards is a thick, red horizontal strip (missing on some cards), which contain the words, "BIG LEAGUE CHEWING GUM" printed in white.  Directly above this caption is a small copyright circle reading, "G.C. Co, C, 1933" or "Goudey Gum Company, Copyright, 1933."

The backs of the R319 Goudey Big League Gum cards contain the card’s number (1-240), player’s name, team name, and an informative biography (covering the previous year’s statistics, age, height/weight, and batting/throwing hand).  Also found on the backs is the paragraph, "This is one of a Series of 240 Baseball Stars.  BIG LEAGUE CHEWING GUM CO. BOSTON. Made by the originators of INDIAN GUM."

It appears that during the 1930s, protecting one’s work was a milestone of production; the copyright circle is also shown on the card backs.

There are a number of short-prints in this set.  Included are the first 40 cards, and numbers 45-52, which are about twice as rare as the rest.

One of the largest candy sets, the R319 contains an extremely rare card of Nap Lajoie (#106).  It was a card that was not circulated as promised.  Lajoie, who had long since retired from four decades of baseball, was selected to represent the missing card, after a serial number was left off the original list.  Jefferson Burdick, author of The American Card Catalog, was the first to write the company asking about the missing card.  Here is how Zachary Reid, of Tuff Stuff magazine explained Burdick’s pursuit of the rare Lajoie card:

"Burdick was a completionist.  So much so, in fact, that when the 1933 Big League Baseball series appeared without a previously announced Napoleon Lajoie card, Burdick began a letter writing campaign.  He was sure the company forgot to print this card and hoped to have them correct the oversight.  He was right and they did."

1933-Goudey-BigLeague-RogersHornsbyAs a result of the enormous responses received, the following year Goudey sent the card to everyone who requested it.  It was estimated that about 600 were printed to cover the requests.  It shows a 1934 Goudey design on its front.  The Lojoie card back is the same as the 1933 cards.  But, the term "Lou Gehrig says…" or "Chuck Klein says…" was missing.  Accordingly, the Lajoie card is quite rare, making it very valuable.  How rare?  Well, in April, 2007 the card’s closing bid at Mastro Auctions was $88,921!

Today, quite a number of early baseball card collectors consider the 1933 Goudey set complete, less the Lajoie card.  That’s why you sometimes see the 1933 Goudey Big League Baseball set listed with just 239 cards. 

Though most collectors can’t even afford to attack the 1933 Goudey Big League R319 baseball card set, a reprint set was issued and can be found on the internet.  Overstock.com, which offers a complete rendition for $25, explains:

Goudey Gum Co. originally manufactured baseball cards to insert with their chewing gum product. The 1933 Goudey Reprint is considered to be the forerunner of today’s baseball cards.

With a larger area than the original tobacco cards, the 1933 Goudey is similar in size to today’s cards. Also, with a comment on each player on the reverse of each card, fans could start to track stats. Full color was to be employed, and detailed text would explain the players accomplishments to enthusiastic buyers of Big League bubble gum.

Many baseball card collectors believe the 1933 Goudey is the best baseball card set ever printed because of the high number of Hall of Famers included in the 240-card set. Multiple cards of such key players as Ruth and Gehrig were created in order to capitalize on those athletes’ popularity, and the Giants and Senators were issued largely en masse as the World Series approached.

Hall of Fame players in 1933 Goudey Big League R319 Baseball Card Set are (with card numbers):

Complete Checklist for the 1933 Goudey Big League Gum R319 Baseball Cards

1. Benny Bengough
2. Arthur (Dazzy) Vance
3. Hugh Critz
4. Henry "Heinie" Schuble
5. Floyd (Babe) Herman
6a. Jimmy Dykes (age is 26 in bio)
6b. Jimmy Dykes (age is 36 in bio)
7. Ted Lyons
8. Roy Johnson
9. Dave Harris
10. Glenn Myatt
11. Billy Rogell
12. George Pipgrass
13. Lafayette Thompson
14. Henry Johnson
15. Victor Sorrell
16. George Blaeholder
17. Watson Clark
18. Herold (Muddy) Ruel
19. Bill Dickey
20. Bill Terry
21. Phil Collins
22. Harold (Pie) Traynor
23. Hazen (Ki-Ki) Cuyler
24. Horace Ford
25. Paul Waner
26. Chalmer Cissell
27. George Connally
28. Dick Bartell
29. Jimmy Foxx
30. Frank Hogan
31. Tony Lazzeri
32. John (Bud) Clancy
33. Ralph Kress
34. Bob O’Farrell
35. Al Simmons
36. Tony Thevenow
37. Jimmy Wilson
38. Fred Brickell
39. Mark Koenig
40. Taylor Douthit
41. Gus Mancuso
42. Eddie Collins
43. Lew Fonseca
44. Jim Bottomley
45. Larry Benton
46. Ethan Allen
47. Henry "Heinie" Manush
48. Marty McManus
49. Frank Frisch
50. Ed Brandt
51. Charlie Grimm
52. Andy Cohen
53. George Herman (Babe) Ruth
54. Ray Kremer
55. Perce (Pat) Malone
56. Charlie Ruffing
57. Earl Clark
58. Frank (Lefty) O’Doul
59. Edmund (Bing) Miller
60. Waite Hoyt
61. Max Bishop
62. "Pepper" Martin
63. Joe Cronin
64. Burleigh Grimes
65. Milton Gaston
66. George Grantham
67. Guy Bush
68. Horace Lisenbee
69. Randy Moore
70. Floyd (Pete) Scott
71. Robert J. Burke
72. Owen Carroll
73. Jesse Haines
74. Eppa Rixey
75. Willie Kamm
76. Gordon (Mickey) Cochrane
77. Adam Comorosky
78. Jack Quinn
79. Urban (Red) Faber
80. Clyde Manion
81. Sam Jones
82. Dibrell Williams
83. Pete Jablonski
84. Glenn Spencer
85. John Henry "Heinie" Sand
86. Phil Todt
87. Frank O’Rourke
88. Russell Rollings
89. Tris Speaker
90. Jess Petty
91. Tom Zachary
92. Lou Gehrig
93. John Welch
94. Bill Walker
95. Alvin Crowder
96. Willis Hudlin
97. Joe Morrisey
98. Walter Berger
99. Tony Cuccinello
100. George Uhle
101. Richard Coffman
102. Travis C. Jackson
103. Earl Combs
104. Fred Marberry
105. Bernie Friberg
106. Napoleon (Larry) Lajoie
107. Henry (Heinie) Manush
108. Joe Kuhel
109. Joe Cronin
110. Leon "Goose" Goslin
111. Monte Weaver
112. Fred Schulte
113. Oswald Bluege
114. Luke Sewell
115. Cliff Heathcote
116. Eddie Morgan
117. Walter (Rabbit) Maranville
118. Valentine J. (Val) Picinich
119. Rogers Hornsby
120. Carl Reynolds
121. Walter Stewart
122. Alvin Crowder
123. Jack Russell
124. Earl Whitehill
125. Bill Terry
126. Joe Moore
127. Melvin Ott
128. Charles (Chuck) Klein
129. Harold Schumacher
130. Fred Fitzsimmons
131. Fred Frankhouse
132. Jim Elliott
133. Fred Lindstrom
134. Edgar (Sam) Rice
135. Elwood (Woody) English
136. Flint Rhem
137. Fred (Red) Lucas
138. Herb Pennock
139. Ben Cantwell
140. Irving (Bump) Hadley
141. Ray Benge
142. Paul Richards
143. Glenn Wright
144. George Herman (Babe) Ruth
145. George Walberg
146. Walter Stewart
147. Leo Durocher
148. Eddie Farrell
149. Goerge Herman (Babe) Ruth
150. Ray Kolp
151. D’Arcy (Jake) Flowers
152. James (Zack) Taylor
153. Charles (Buddy) Myer
154. Jimmy Foxx
155. Joe Judge
156. Danny Macfayden
157. Sam Byrd
158. Morris (Moe) Berg
159. Oswald Bluege
160. Lou Gehrig
161. Al Spohrer
162. Leo Magnum
163. Luke Sewell
164. Lloyd Waner
165. Joe Sewell
166. Sam West
167. Jack Russell
168. Leon (Goose) Goslin
169. Al Thomas
170. Harry McGurdy
171. Charley Jamieson
172. Billy Hargrave
173. Roscoe Holm
174. Warren (Curley) Ogden
175. Dan Howley
176. John Ogden
177. Walter French
178. Jackie Warner
179. Fred Leach
180. Eddie Moore
181. George Herman (Babe) Ruth
182. Andy High
183. Goerge Walberg
184. Charley Berry
185. Bob Smith
186. John Schulte
187. Henry (Heinie) Manush
188. Rogers Hornsby
189. Joe Cronin
190. Fred Schulte
191. Ben Chapman
192. Walter Brown
193. Lynford Lary
194. Earl Averill
195. Evar Swanson
196. Leroy Mahaffey
197. Richard (Rick) Ferrell
198. Irving (Jack) Burns
199. Tom Bridges
200. Bill Hallahan
201. Ernie Orsatti
202. Charles Leo (Gabby) Hartnett
203. Lonnie Warneke
204. Jackson Riggs Stephenson
205. Henry (Heinie) Meinie
206. Gus Suhr
207. Melvin Ott
208. Byrne (Bernie) James
209. Adolfo Luque
210. Virgil Davis
211. Lewis (Hack) Wilson
212. Billy Urbanski
213. Earl Adams
214. John Kerr
215. Russell Van Atta
216. Vernon Gomez
217. Frank Crosetti
218. Wesly Ferrell
219. George (Mule) Haas
220. Robert (Lefty) Grove
221. Dale Alexander
222. Charley Gehringer
223. Jerome (Dizzy) Dean
224. Frank Demaree
225. Bill Jurges
226. Charley Root
227. Bill Herman
228. Tony Piet
229. Floyd Vaughan
230. Carl Hubbell
231. Joe Moore
232. Frank (Lefty) O’Doul
233. Johnny Vergez
234. Carl Hubbell
235. Fred Fitzsimmons
236. George Davis
237. Gus Mancuso
238. Hugh Critz
239. Leroy Parmalee
240. Harold Schumaker

 


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