Baseball cards were first included as incentives in chewing gum and cigarette packaging in the late 19th century, with manufacturers Frank Henry and Don Clendon attempting some of the earliest insertions. It was the launch of Goudey Gum Company’s 1938 baseball card series that really cemented the baseball card collecting craze that has persisted for generations. Including a range of vividly illustrated images of Major League Baseball stars from that era, the Goudey cards included in their gum packs still hold immense nostalgia and value for collectors today.
Goudey Gum, based in Boston, was far from the first company to include small promotional cards or images within products like gum and cigarettes. Baseball cards had been appearing sporadically in various inserts since the 1880s. The Goudey release took the concept to a new level in terms of production quality, uniformity of size and format, and its scope of coverage of the professional baseball landscape at that time. Produced on thicker card stock than previous issues, with vibrant color illustrations and bronze PhotoGravure printing, the Goudey cards made collecting a more standardized and visually appealing pursuit.
The set totalled 219 cards and was issued in several series over multiple years from 1938 to 1939. Highlights of the roster included the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx right at the peak of their Hall of Fame careers. Other notables featured were Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio and Dizzy Dean. What made the collection especially popular was that it covered players from across the American and National Leagues, whereas previous issues had focused on just one league or a handful of teams. This wider representation helped collectors build out comprehensive albums rapidly as the cards circulated.
In terms of monetary value, the most prized 1938 Goudey cards nowadays are the harder-to-find short prints and one-of-a-kind errors that were mixed into packs back in the late 1930s. Popular individual cards fetching six-figure prices at auction include the famous Babe Ruth ‘dock’ card, showing him pointing, which has been known to surpass $500,000. Other ultra-rare variations like the reverse-image Joe DiMaggio card can sell for over $200,000 in mint condition. There is big money to be made even with more common cards in pristine preserved state. A mint Lou Gehrig can sell for $8,000-15,000 online.
The design and printing quality of the 1938 Goudey set helped drive its popularity immensely. Featuring headshots or action poses of players, vibrant colors popped off the bronze photo images. Uniform sizing and positioning of stats on the back cemented it as the real start of standardized modern baseball card collecting. The cards’ durable thick stock enabled many to survive in mint condition after over 80 years encased in albums or stuck safely in attics or basements. This longevity of condition plays a huge role in the premium prices paid today by diehard collectors.
While the Goudey series only lasted from 1938-39 before World War II paper shortages halted production, its impact was huge and long-lasting. Not only did it drive the baseball card collecting craze into a nationwide phenomenon, the classic designs and roster have influenced many subsequent retro re-issues. The T206 cigarette series is considered the earliest true sports card set but it was the Goudey gum releases that established the blueprint as we know it. Their inclusion in affordable packs of chewing gum made amassing a collection an attainable hobby for many fans during a time of few diversions.
In the decades since, the 1938 Goudey cards have become some of the most prized possessions of vintage sports memorabilia enthusiasts. Often highly graded and preserved in protective sleeves, a complete PSA-graded Goudey set recently sold at auction for $2.88 million, underscoring their immense value. With online databases now cataloging each printing variation, anomalies are even more closely analyzed. This has enabled individual cards to appreciate rapidly based on scarce variations or unique production errors that place them in a class of their own. The financial potential and historical appeal ensure that Goudey cards from 1938 and 1939 will rightfully remain some of the most alluring issues in the entire sports collecting universe.
The 1938 Goudey gum company baseball card series was a true watershed moment in the establishment of baseball cards as a mainstream collecting pastime. By standardizing size and format while covering players from across the major leagues, Goudey captured the first true “set” that enabled rapid collecting. Their durable design and production quality has allowed many pieces to survive in excellent condition to this day, demanding top prices for even common Hall of Famers. While short prints and bizarre errors make headlines, the whole 1938-39 Goudey releases retain immense nostalgia and remain sought-after targets for new and veteran collectors alike due to their fundamental role in shaping the baseball card landscape.
