The 1940 Play Ball baseball card set is one of the most iconic issues from the early 20th century. Published by Play Ball, it featured cards on players from the American and National Leagues and has become highly collectible over the decades since its original release. Let’s take a deeper look at this seminal set.
Play Ball first began publishing baseball cards in 1933 and issued annual sets each year through 1941. Their 1940 set stands out due to featuring all teams from both major leagues for the only time. This marked the first time cards were produced on virtually every notable player active at the time. The set contains 198 total cards covering all 16 MLB teams from 1939.
In the 1940s, baseball cards were primarily seen as promotional materials to help market the sport to younger fans rather than serious collectibles. As such, they included more information and stats aimed at educating new followers of the game. Each Player Profile card in the 1940 Play Ball issue contained the player’s team, position, batting average, home runs and RBI from the previous season along with a black and white photo.
One of the unique aspects of these early 20th century cards was the differing image sizes used. For the 1940 Play Ball set, most cards featured larger headshots centered on a light gray background. Some players received smaller portrait photos with a white border around the edges. The photography quality was also inconsistent, with certain players having much sharper printed pictures compared to others. This reflects the less polished production standards of baseball cards during the pre-war era.
The 1940 Play Ball issues stands apart from other vintage card sets of the time period due to its massive player selection. Some notable names featured include Hank Greenberg, Bob Feller, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Enos Slaughter. Rarer short prints also exist of players like Eddie Matthews and Warren Spahn. The set was also one of the earliest to include Latino baseball pioneers like Martin Dihigo and Minnie Miñoso, helping expand baseball’s growing popularity with communities of color.
Perhaps most valuable of all the cards today is the #1 Hank Greenberg issue, considered the key card of the entire 1940 Play Ball set. In gem mint condition, a single Greenberg card can sell for well over $10,000 due to his iconic status and the card’s impressive state of preservation across eight decades. Other highly valuable commons include Ted Williams, Bob Feller, and Joe DiMaggio. Even mid-range stars from the era in top grades can fetch prices in the hundreds to low thousands.
After its initial release in 1940, the Play Ball set began gaining notoriety among collectors in the 1960s when the vintage baseball card hobby started to emerge. Its large collection of legendary players all in one set helped drive interest. Finding intact decades-old examples in top condition remains extremely challenging. The fragile paper stock and early printing processes took their toll over the decades prior to the rise of professional grading. As a result, truly pristine 1940 Play Ball cards graded gem mint are among the most exclusive trophies for serious vintage collectors.
While production values may not have matched later golden era issues, the 1940 Play Ball cards hold a special place in baseball and collecting history. They captured virtually all the giants of America’s pastime during a seminal period before World War 2 disrupted the national scene. Researchers also rely on the set today as a snapshot into the final year before many greats’ careers were postponed or influenced by enlisting in wartime service. After eight decades, this groundbreaking vintage issue continues captivating collectors with its expansive selection and prominent documentation of an iconic MLB season.
