Most Valuable 1930's Goudey Cards: Price Guide & Complete List
Discover the best and most expensive Goudey baseball cards from 1933-1938
In the 1930s, Goudey was the largest producer of baseball cards. Similar to Topps in the mid 50s through the early 80s, Goudey dominated the market. Goudey produced some of the most visually appealing cards every made, with many having bright and vibrant colors. These sets included some of the biggest names in the hobby, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio, and Jimmie Foxx, just to name a few.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 (Yellow Background)
The Goudey Gum Company was smart; the biggest draw in baseball was Babe Ruth. To capitalize on his popularity, Goudey included 4 different Ruth cards in the 1933 set. The 1st appearance of Ruth is on card #53. It features The Babe with his bat on his shoulder and a vivid yellow background.
Card Value: low grade $5,000 to $15,000, mid grade $20,000 to $50,000, high grade $100,000+
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144
The next Ruth card in the set is #144. This features a full bodied pose of Ruth in the batters box, with a stadium facade behind him. Of note, card #53 and #149 are a cropped version of this card. This card is also double printed, and as a result it is more plentiful than the others. It is still highly desirable and the one that most collectors associate with the 1933 Goudey set.
Card Value: low grade $4,000 to $13,000, mid grade $15,000 to $35,000, high grade $70,000+
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149 (Red Background)
Card #149 is the next Ruth card in the 1933 Goudey set, and is actually the same pose as card #53, just with a red background instead of yellow. This version does appear more striking, and many collectors prefer this to the yellow background.
Card Value: low grade $4,500 to $12,000, mid grade $15,000 to $40,000, high grade $100,000+
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181 (Green Background)
The last Ruth card in the set is card #181. This card features a unique image (compared to the other 3) and features Ruth holding a bat, with his eyes looking towards the left border of the card. There is also a distinctive green background. This card has more detail in the face, and as a result, appears the most life like compared with the other cards in the set.
Card Value: low grade $4,500 to $12,000, mid grade $15,000 to $40,000, high grade $100,000+
1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #92
Goudey also elected to depict Lou Gehrig in 2 different cards. The first card of The Iron Horse in card #92. It features Lou in his left-handed batting stance, with a blue background behind him. Card #92 and #160 are the exact same pose, although a few subtleties do exist, mainly the tone of blue in the background. Card #92 is slightly lighter. Card #160 is more of a sky blue and appears darker when compared with #92. Card #160 is rarer and carries a premium, especially in higher grade.
Card Value: low grade $1,800 to $5,000, mid grade $8,000 to $16,000, high grade $35,000+
1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #160
Card Value: low grade $2,000 to $5,000, mid grade $8,000 to $20,000, high grade $40,000+
1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie #106
The Nap Lajoie card #106 is one that frustrated children trying to complete the set in 1933. No matter how many packs they opened Lajoie was no where to be found. And this was all planned by Goudey. The card was never actually printed! It was determined that this was done intentionally by the company, a marketing ploy to keep kids buying more packs and boosting sales. Many parents wrote to Goudey on behalf of their upset children and the company made good on the requests. They printed the missing card in 1934 (as part of the next years set) and mailed them to anyone asking for the card. Interestingly, the card seemed to be mailed with a paperclip holding it in place, as a fair amount have paperclip damage. Apparently not many people took Goudey up on the offer; PSA and SGC have only graded ~140 copies combined.
Card Value: low grade $10,000 to $40,000, mid grade $50,000 to $90,000, high grade $100,000+
1933 Goudey Jimmie Foxx #29 and #154
Similar to Lou Gehrig, Goudey also released 2 cards of Jimmie Foxx. Card #29 and #154 feature the same image of the right handed Foxx following through after a mighty swing. Of note, his first name is spelled wrong (correct spelling "Jimmie"). After Ruth, Gehrig, and Lajoie, Foxx is one of the more desirable cards in the set. Prices are fairly similar, although card #29 does carry a premium
Card Value: low grade $125-$500, mid grade $600 to $1,500, high grade $3,000+
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig #37
In 1934, Goudey switched gears and made Lou Gehrig the spokesman and central focus on the set. Instead of the Goudey red banner on the bottom border of the card, Lou's face appears on 84 of the 96 cards. Gehrig has 2 different cards in the set. #37 is one of the all time classic cards. It features a close up image of Lou smiling with a bright yellow background. It is tough to find a better looking card, and it has long been a favorite among collectors.
Card Value: low grade $1900 to $5,000, mid grade $6,000 to $15,000, high grade $30,000+
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig #61
Card #61 is Lou Gehrig's other card in the set. This card features Gehrig in his batting stance with a bat over his shoulder. The background, in contrast to the bright yellow, is a seafoam green. This card is also highly desirable.
Card Value: low grade $1,700 to $4,000, mid grade $6,000 to $13,000, high grade $30,000+
1934 Goudey Hank Greenberg #62
Besides Gehrig, card #62 of Hank Greenberg is the other major card in the set. It is considered to be Greenberg's rookie card and is his most popular card. This card features Hank posing with his hand over his arm, and the same seafoam green background as Gehrigs card #61. This card is a must for set builders, Hall of Fame rookie runs, and Greenberg collectors.
Card Value: low grade $500 to $1,400, mid grade $2,500 to $4,000, high grade $6000+
1935 Goudey 4-in-1 Babe Ruth
In 1935, Goudey elected to release this set with 4 players on each card. By far the most valuable card is the one containing Babe Ruth. After not issuing a Ruth card in 1934, Goudey re-introduced Ruth in this set. Prior to the 1935 season, Ruth was released by the Yankees and signed with the Boston Braves. This Ruth card includes him along with 3 other Braves teammates, including fellow Hall of Famer Rabbit Maranville. Goudey decided to cut a few corners and reused many images from the 1933 set, including Ruth's. This is one of the more affordable playing days cards of The Babe but still highly sought after.
Card Value: low grade $1,500 to $3,000, mid grade $3,500 to $5,000, high grade $8000+
1938 Goudey Joe DiMaggio #250
The 1938 Goudey set, also known as "Heads up", is an interesting set. It features 24 different players, each of which have 2 cards. In the first run of players, the background is blank. In the second run through, the backgrounds contain small cartoons and interesting facts about the players. The Joe Dimaggio rookie card is the most valuable card in the set. Given the odd look, with large heads on cartoon bodies, collectors either love it or hate it. It seems most love it, as even low grade examples go for several thousand.
Card Value: low grade $1,800 to $4,000, mid grade $5,000 to $7,500, high grade $10,000+
1938 Goudey Joe DiMaggio #274
Card Value: low grade $2,000 to $4,500, mid grade $5,500 to $9,000, high grade $12,000+
1938 Goudey Bob Feller #264
The second most valuable card in the 1938 Goudey set is the Bob Feller rookie card. It features a grinning 19 year old Feller winding up to throw a pitch. This card is a must for set builders and Hall of Fame rookie card collectors.
Card Value: low grade $600 to $1,500, mid grade $2,000 to $3,000, high grade $4,000+
1938 Goudey Bob Feller #288
