Goudey is considered one of the most iconic early issuers of baseball cards. They began including cards with players’ images in their gum and candy products in 1933 as a promotional item and marketing tool. That 1933 Goudey Baseball Card set is considered the first mass-produced baseball card set. It featured 161 cards showing individual players. Some of the notable stars included in that set were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx.
In 1934 and 1935 Goudey continued producing baseball cards as inserts in their products. The 1934 set totaled 88 cards and expanded the roster to include players from the AL and NL. Rookies like Dizzy Dean and Lefty Gomez made their card debuts. The 1935 set was similar in size at 82 cards and also featured rookie cards for future Hall of Famers like Joe DiMaggio.
In 1936 Goudey produced one of the most acclaimed and valuable sets in baseball card history, the 1936 Goudey Baseball Cards. Unique for its time, it featured color photographs on the fronts of the cards rather than black and white images. The set totaled a then-high of 252 cards divided into three series. Among the stars included were Ted Williams’ and Bob Feller’s rookie cards which have sold for over $1 million each in recent decades.
Goudey continued their series in 1937 with a set of 199 cards divided among three series. This included rookie cards of future superstars like Bob Elliott. The 1938 set was their last large base set numbering 160 cards across two series. That set contained the rookie cards of Hall of Famers Ernie Lombardi and Billy Herman.
In 1939 and 1940 Goudey issued much smaller 20 card sets as inserts or extras in their gum to promote specific teams rather than the whole league. The 1939s featured the National League All-Stars while the 1940s showed American League All-Stars. These sets are considered invaluable today given their limited production and focus on all-star level players.
Goudey’s final baseball card production before World War II came in 1941 with small 16 card sets focused on either the NL or AL pennant contenders that year. Featuring stars in action shots rather than portraits, they represented the company’s last original baseball cards for over a decade.
In 1953, Goudey attempted a brief revival of their baseball card line to nostalgically remind consumers of their earlier issues. Known as the 1953 Goudey Baseball Card “rebranded” reissue set, it reused 180 cards from the 1933-1941 issues but with a blue border printed around the images instead of the original white or gray. High quality reproductions made it a favorite set for collectors at the time seeking to complete their vintage Goudey collections.
Between 1933 and 1941 as well as with their unique 1953 reissue set, Goudey Gum Company produced 18 different baseball card sets totaling over 1750 individual cards. They helped popularize the modern concept of trading, collecting and enjoying baseball cards as hobby and their beautifully crafted vintage issues remain highly prized by collectors today with individual cards routinely selling for six figures due to their historical significance in the early development of the modern baseball card collecting phenomenon. No other early 20th century baseball card brand left a more indelible mark on the industry.
