The 1933 Goudey baseball card set is one of the most iconic and coveted issues in the history of sports card collecting. Produced by the Goudey Gum Company, the 1933 cards were the first modern format baseball card set released. They contained a variety of stars from the early 1930s including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx. The 1933 Goudey set holds iconic status among collectors for being the first true “baseball card” set and for showcasing stars from one of the golden eras of baseball history.
The cards were included as a promotional insert in packages of Goudey baseball gum. The company decided to spice up its gum sales by including small cardboard cards imprinted with photos and stats of major league players. A total of 525,000 series 1 cards were printed featuring 161 players. The cards featured horizontal rookie card size photographs in black and white measuring approximately 2 1/4 inches by 1 3/4 inches. Printed on thick coated stock, the cards had rounded edges and were numbered on the front. Biographies of each player were printed in small text on the back.
While the inclusion of baseball cards in gum was not a new concept, the 1933 Goudey issue took the format to a new level and defined the modern baseball card template that would be followed for decades. Previously, baseball cards were made primarily for smokers included in cigarette packs but were not dedicated sets focused solely on the sporting content. The 1933 Goudey cards were the first to resemble what collectors would consider true “baseball cards”. Their success spawned many imitators and established a multi-million dollar trading card industry that still thrives today.
Some key details that make the 1933 Goudey issue so iconic and valuable among collectors include:
Star Power: The set featured huge legends of the era like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Lefty Grove. Getting rookie cards or early 20s/30s issues of these all-time greats is highly sought after.
Scarcity: Only 525,000 series 1 cards were printed. High grade copies are rare today given the cards’ age and the amount that have been lost, damaged, or worn out over nearly 90 years. population reports estimate only a few hundred PSA/BGS 9s or 10s still exist for some of the stars.
Historical Significance: As the first true modern baseball card set, the 1933 Goudey cards took the format mainstream and paved the way for the entire sports card industry. Collectors appreciate their role in documenting a golden age of the sport and in numismatic history.
Iconic Design: The classic early size, basic stat layout on the back, centered horizontal photos all lend the 1933 Goudey cards a very nostalgic and vintage baseball card aesthetic that is still replicated today. Few designs have resonated as strongly in the hobby like Goudey’s seminal 1933 template.
Condition Census: Occupying the “Mona Lisa’s” of the condition census for their respective players, high graded 1933 Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx cards especially are crown jewels among collectors due to their condition rarity, star power, and history. A PSA 10 mint Ruth could fetch over $2 million at auction.
Over the decades, the 1933 Goudey cards have become synonymous with the early glory days of the baseball card era. Finding high quality copies of the stars of that time in the first prominent baseball card set ever made holds immense appeal to collectors. While many other sets have come and gone, none have matched the 1933 Goudey issue’s blend of scarcity, condition challenge, star power, historical landmark status, and iconic nostalgic design that makes each card a true contemporary work of art to the enthusiast. The 1933 Goudey cards will always be treasured as one of the most important issues in the long and collectible history of baseball cards.
