The Puzzling 1935 Goudey Set
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the December 1995 edition of The Vintage and Classic Baseball Collector (VCBC) magazine. We have received approval from the prior owners of VCBC magazine to republish this article in digital format. We are thrilled to be able to re-circulate the fine works of VCBC magazine for today's vintage collectors.
by Gerald Glasser
The 1933 and 1934 sets of baseball cards issued by the Goudey Gum Company of Boston are recognized as two of the most popular sets in the history of the hobby. One would think that the company would have continued to do more of the same in 1935.
Instead, as a sequel, Goudey produced cards that were quite different from the offerings of the two previous years. While they are not as sought after as cards from the other two sets, 1935 Goudeys nonetheless have an appeal of their own.
The set is known by several names. The fronts of the cards are divided into quarters, each of which includes a picture of a player. So, the cards are sometimes
referred to as “4-in-l’s.”
The backs of the cards have no biography; they show a section of a large picture. When 6, or in some cases 12 particular cards are placed together in a
proper order, the backs form a complete large picture, of either an individual player or a team. Hence, 1935 Goudeys are also called the “Goudey Puzzle Set”.
In addition, the set is sometimes referred to by its American Card Catalog number, R321.
The 1935 Goudeys are, for many collectors, fun to collect and interesting to study. In more ways than one the set IS a puzzle. The set was checklisted several years ago, but there always seem to be new and different ways of looking at the 1935 Goudeys. This article is a combination of old knowledge and new thoughts about the cards.
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