Complete Goudey Gum Card Guide: Prices Of Key Cards From Every Set 1933-1941
Discover values, set description, and key cards of EVERY Goudey set from 1933-1941, including stars such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, and Ted Williams
In the 1930s, the Goudey Gum Company emerged as the leading producer of baseball cards, much like Topps did from mid-50s to the early 80s. Goudey created some of the most visually striking cards ever produced, featuring bright and vibrant colors. Their sets showcased legendary figures in the hobby including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio, and Jimmie Foxx, among others.
1933 Goudey Baseball Set
Set Description: The 1933 Goudey set (also noted as R319 by the American Card Catalog) is especially important since it was the first issue which included a stick of gum with every pack of cards. This paved the way for Bowman and Topps to follow their marketing path. The set includes 240 cards (239 in 1933 and 1 in 1934; this will be discussed more later), each measuring 2-3/8" by 2-7/8". The size may appear small by the Topps and Bowman's standards, but this was actually larger than most of the time. The majority contain a banner at the bottom stating " Big League Chewing Gum". Each card front contains a dramatic pose of the player and a pop of bright color in the background. The backs of the card state the players name, team, card number, and a brief description of their accolades (all in green font). This set immensely popular because of the star power included. In fact, over 25% of the cards in the set are Hall of Famers. Another interesting card is Napoleon Lajoie (#106). Goudey decided not to print this card in 1933, a marketing ploy so kids would buy more packs. After many letters were written by upset parents, Goudey decided to release the card in 1934 to anyone who requested it.
Key cards: Babe Ruth (#53, #144, #149, #181), Lou Gehrig (#92, #160), Nap Lajoie (#106), Jimmie Foxx (#29, #154)
Other important cards: Rogers Hornsby (#119, #188), Mel Ott (#127, #207), Mickey Cochrane (#76), Lefty Grove (#220), Benny Bengough (#1), Moe Berg (#158), Dizzy Dean (#223), Charles Gehringer (#222)
Babe Ruth #53
Card Value: low grade $5,000 to $15,000, mid grade $20,000 to $50,000, high grade $100,000+
Lou Gehrig #92
Card Value: low grade $1,800 to $5,000, mid grade $8,000 to $16,000, high grade $35,000+
Babe Ruth #144
Card Value: low grade $4,000 to $13,000, mid grade $15,000 to $35,000, high grade $70,000+
Lou Gehrig #160
Card Value: low grade $2,000 to $5,000, mid grade $8,000 to $20,000, high grade $40,000+
Babe Ruth #149
Card Value: low grade $4,500 to $12,000, mid grade $15,000 to $40,000, high grade $100,000+
Nap Lajoie #106
Card Value: low grade $10,000 to $40,000, mid grade $50,000 to $90,000, high grade $100,000+
Babe Ruth #181
Card Value: low grade $4,500 to $12,000, mid grade $15,000 to $40,000, high grade $100,000+
Jimmie Foxx #29 & #154
Card Value: low grade $125-$500, mid grade $600 to $1,500, high grade $3,000+
1934 Goudey Baseball Set
Set description: Goudey followed up their extremely popular 1933 set with a watered down lineup in 1934. The number of cards in the set was trimmed from 240 to 96 total cards. Babe Ruth, who had 4 different cards in the 1934 set, was left out of the '34 set. Gone were star players having multiple cards, with Lou Gehrig being the lone exception (he had 2 cards). The design of the fronts and backs are similar, and some of the same images were re-used. The big difference in this set was hiring Lou Gehrig as a spokesmen. Instead of the Goudey red banner on the bottom border of the card, Lou's face appears on 84 of the 96 cards in the set. Next to his face reads "Lou Gehrig Says" in cursive. The back of the card has a write up about the player in green font. Cards 85-96 feature another star hall of famers face on the bottom border; Chuck Klein.
Key cards: Lou Gehrig (#37, #61), Hank Greenberg (#62), Jimmie Foxx (#1), Dizzy Dean (#6)
Lou Gehrig #37
Card Value: low grade $1900 to $5,000, mid grade $6,000 to $15,000, high grade $30,000+
Lou Gehrig #61
Card Value: low grade $1,700 to $4,000, mid grade $6,000 to $13,000, high grade $30,000+
Hank Greenberg #62
Card Value: low grade $500 to $1,400, mid grade $2,500 to $4,000, high grade $6000+
Jimmie Foxx #1
Card Value: low grade $300 to $700, mid grade $1,500 to $2,500, high grade $4,000+
Dizzy Dean #6
Card Value: low grade $350 to $600, mid grade $1,000 to $2,000, high grade $3,000+
1933-34 Goudey Premiums Baseball Set
Set description: The 1933-34 Goudey premium set was issued as a way to encourage kids to purchase more cards. In order to obtain one of the 4 different cabinets available, kids had to send in 50 1933 Goudey wrappers. These large cabinet cards (5-1/2" inches wide by 8-3/16" high) were printed on thick cardboard and had a foldout easel on the back. The fronts contain a black and white image with a gold picture frame along the borders. Kids could select from Babe Ruth, 1933 A.L. All-Stars team photo, 1933 N.L. All-Stars team photo, or the 1933 World Champion New York Giants team photo. The Babe Ruth image is the same featured on card #144 from the 1933 Goudey set. Since these were a premium, they are far scarcer than 1933 Goudey cards. High grade examples are tough to come by, as many were played with and displayed.
Key cards: Babe Ruth, American League All-Stars
1933 A.L. All-Stars
Card Value: low grade $750 to $1,500, mid grade $2,000 + , high grade: no recent sales
Babe Ruth
Card Value: low grade $1,500 to $4,000, mid grade $6,000+, high grade: no recent sales
1935 Goudey (4-in-1) Baseball Set
Set description: Goudey released another smaller set in 1935. The design features 4 color portraits, typically from the same team, on each card. Borders can be red or blue. Many of the images are recycled from previous Goudey sets. There are 36 total different fronts, but each card can have 3 or 4 different back images. The master set includes 114 different front and back combinations. The backs of the cards can be arranged like a puzzle to piece together one of 9 possible larger images. A few examples of larger images include the Detroit Tigers Team photo (won the World Series in 1935), Jimmie Foxx, and Mickey Cochrane. The set is highlighted by cards featuring Babe Ruth, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Dizzy Dean. This is one of the more affordable sets from the 1930's which includes a Babe Ruth.
Key cards: Babe Ruth/Brandt/ Maranville/ McManus, Bridges/Cochrane/Gehringer/Rogell, Carelton/Dean/Frisch/Orsatti), Foxx/Higgins/Mahaffey/Williams, and Fox/Greenberg/Rowe/Walker.
Babe Ruth
Card Value: low grade $1,500 to $3,000, mid grade $3,500 to $5,000, high grade $8,000+
Hank Greenberg
Card Value: low grade $100 to $300, mid grade $500 to $1,000, high grade $3,000+
Jimmie Foxx
Card Value: low grade $100 to $200, mid grade $250 to $500, high grade $1,000+
Dizzy Dean
Card Value: low grade $100 to $200, mid grade $250 to $500, high grade $1,500+
1936-37 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums Baseball Set
Set description: Goudey "wide pens" were distributed as in-store premiums throughout 1936 and 1937 as a way to promote the Goudey brand. These larger than normal cards (3-1/4" by 5-1/2") are known as "wide pens" because of the thick cursive style font used for the facsimile signature which appear on the front of each. Besides the facsimile signature, each card contains a black and white photo on the front and a blank back. Of note, cards were printed on a very thin paper stock and are very fragile. There are 5 different types of wide pens. Differences in the types are subtle (ex: type 1s contain "Litho in USA" on the bottom border). Joe Dimaggio is part of the 2 most valuable cards in the release (see below).
Key cards: 1936 Dimaggio/McCarthy, 1937 Joe Dimaggio Portrait
1936 Joe Dimaggio
Card Value: low grade $300 to $600, mid grade $1,000 to $2,000, high grade $3,000+
1937 Joe Dimaggio
Card Value: low grade $500-$1,000, mid grade $2,000 to $4,000, high grade $5,000+
1936 Goudey Baseball Set
Set description: The 1936 Goudey set is one of the smaller releases from Goudey, with only 25 cards appearing on the checklist. Fronts contain a black and white photograph of the player with a facsimile signatures at the bottom. Backs contain a short player biography, plus game situations, such as "out", "single", "home run", ect. The set was designed for kids to play a baseball game, using the backs as playing cards. Cards were printed with multiple different backs.
Key cards: Hank Greenberg (#15)
Hank Greenberg #15
Card Value: low grade $100 to $300, mid grade $500 to $1,000, high grade $1,500+
1938 Goudey Baseball Set
Set description: The 1938 Goudey set is quite interesting. The set is commonly referred to as "Goudey Heads Up", as the design features a cartoon body with an oversized head of the specific player. Collectors either love it or hate it. The numbering system for the 1st card in the set starts at #241, which would be a continuation of the 1933 Goudey set. There are 24 different players featured twice in the set. Series 1 shows the player with a blank background. Series 2 depicts duplicate cards but the background contains cartoons or facts about the player in small print. This set is small and somewhat quirky but contains rookies of Joe Dimaggio and Bob Feller
Key cards: Joe Dimagio (#250, #274), Bob Feller (#264, #288)
Other important cards: Jimmie Foxx (#249, #273), Hank Greenberg (#253, #277)
Joe DiMaggio #250
Card Value: low grade $1,800 to $4,000, mid grade $5,000 to $7,500, high grade $10,000+
Joe DiMaggio #274
Card Value: low grade $2,000 to $4,500, mid grade $5,500 to $9,000, high grade $12,000+
Bob Feller #264
Card Value: low grade $600 to $1,500, mid grade $2,000 to $3,000, high grade $4,000+
Bob Feller #288
Card Value: low grade $600 to $1,500, mid grade $2,000 to $3,000, high grade $4,000+
1939 Goudey Premium Baseball Set
Set description: Goudey released two different but very similar premium sets in 1939. The R303-A set contains 48 cards, with front images printed in a brown toned sepia with facsimile signatures. Backs contain illustrations giving tips on how to play baseball. The cards are larger than normal cards (4" by 6-3/16"). The key card in this set is Ted Williams. The R303-B set looks similar but cards are larger (4-3/4" by 7-3/8") and use a black and white sepia tone on the front images. Facsimile signatures are also presents. This version contains on 24 cards, with the key card being Joe Dimaggio.
Key cards: Ted Williams, Joe Dimaggio
Ted Williams
Card Value: low grade $3,000 to $7,500, mid grade $10,000 to $20,000, high grade $30,000+
Joe Dimaggio
Card Value: low grade $750 to $1,250, mid grade $1,500 to $3,000, high grade $5,000+
1941 Goudey Baseball Set
Set description: 1941 was the last baseball set Goudey produced. Fronts contain a black and white photograph with a colorful background. Players appeared with multiple different colored backgrounds, such as blue, green, red, or yellow. A logo of a baseball with "Big League Gum" appears in the top corner. The players name, team and position are stated at the bottom. The backs of the cards are blank. This set contained 33 different cards, with Mel Ott being the biggest name. There are also several expensive short prints as well. Goudey printed far less cards compared with previous years, and a result, cards from this year are tough to find.
Key cards: Mel Ott (#33)
Mel Ott #33
Card Value: low grade $100 to $200, mid grade $300 to $600, high grade $1,000+