The 1936 R314 Goudey baseball card set is one of the most highly sought after and valuable vintage card sets from the early 20th century. Issued by the Goudey Gum Company as promotional inserts in packs of chewing gum, the 1936 R314 set featured over 150 players from the American and National Leagues at the time. While production numbers for individual cards are unknown, it’s estimated only around 500,000 complete sets were printed in total, making each card quite scarce today. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the key details and valuation for specific cards from the coveted ’36 R314 set.
One of the most iconic and valuable cards in the set is the Babe Ruth card (#179). Widely considered the most famous baseball player of all time, any Ruth card is highly sought after by collectors. The ’36 R314 Ruth is particularly rare, with possibly less than 100 surviving copies in circulation today across all grades. In pristine Near Mint to Mint condition (grades 8-10 on the 10-point Sheets scale), a Ruth #179 has sold for over $200,000 at auction. Even well-worn low-grade copies still command prices in the thousands due to the extreme scarcity of this particular Ruth issue.
Another superstar with an extremely valuable card is Lou Gehrig (#139). As a member of baseball’s first famous “Iron Horse” duo with Ruth, any Gehrig issue holds prestige. Like the Ruth, fewer than 100 PSA/BGS graded examples are believed to exist. A Near Mint Gehrig recently sold for just under $100,000, while a low-grade copy may still sell for $5,000-$10,000 based on condition.
In addition to the headliners, several other Hall of Famers have highly valuable ’36 R314 cards as well. A PSA 8 Mickey Cochrane (#65) sold for $22,500. Highly graded versions of Jimmie Foxx (#117), Mel Ott (#146), and Lefty Gomez (#131) can each bring $10,000+. Even role players fetch big money, as a PSA 8 Heinie Manush (#145) went for $6,250 last year.
The set also contained several stars whose careers were cut short due to World War 2 military service, making their cards extra rare. A PSA 8 Hank Greenberg (#128) would be worth around $15,000. Similarly, a high-grade Joe DiMaggio (#150) could sell for $12,000-$15,000.
Not every card in the set commands huge five-figure prices of course. Many role players and pitchers can still be acquired for a few hundred to low thousands depending on condition. For example, a PSA 5 Rip Sewell (#154) recently sold for $375. A PSA 4 Van Lingle Mungo (#148) went for $550. But even these more affordable ’36 R314 options are great additions for any vintage baseball collection.
When considering a purchase, grade is absolutely critical to value as even minor flaws can significantly impact price. It’s highly recommended submitting any valuable vintage cards to a professional grading service like PSA or BGS to verify condition under tight quality control standards. Slabs help validate authenticity and protect the long-term investment. Provenance paperwork is also important where possible to verify a card has not been tampered with over the decades.
The 1936 Goudey R314 set holds a special place in baseball card history as one of the earliest and most collectible issues ever produced. With fewer than 500,000 complete sets believed to exist today across all grades, finding high quality examples of the superstars like Ruth, Gehrig, and others will require deep pockets. But for savvy collectors, even affordable role players from this seminal set make for worthwhile additions to any collection. With rarity and nostalgia firmly on its side, the ’36 R314 is a set that will likely retain and grow its value for generations of vintage card enthusiasts to come.
