Which Play Ball set is your favorite, and which one is your least favorite?
 

Thought I would inquire on the Play Ball issues and find out what are people's favorite and least favorite among the three sets.

For me the favorite is 1941, as not only is it in color and has its own distinctive look from the other color gum issues of the 1930's, but also because of its smaller size of the set and ease of going after a complete set, with a couple of high dollar cards (Dimaggio and Williams) to add to its stature but not make it a complete money drain.

My least favorite is the 1940 set, as the washed out look and the just a little too ornate borders never have grabbed me, and I dislike all the former stars in it (Joe Jackson, Walter Johnson, etc.) that were way past their playing careers, and because of this they always felt a little like the early 1960's Fleer All-time Greats sets to me. And it adds a lot of money to pursuing a set.

For my taste I like the great photos and simple design of the 1939 Play Ball set, but the addition of the player's name on the front (perhaps as seen in the 1933 Goudey set) would have been a great addition.

How would you rank them, or perhaps you dislike them all? Feel free to respond as well with how you would rank them.

Brian

My favorite is 1941, not only because of the coloring, but because it was the last major pre-war set.

I'd rank the 1939 set second due to the presence of the Ted Williams RC.

Being honest, the '41 is the way to go for all reasons cited.

However, voted the '39 because of a fond bias. I used to have several dozen - all sample backs - including Ted and Joe. I thought it was fun with no names on the front. Got to the point where I could guess the player w/o flipping over the card (Now I can spell Vaughn as "Vaughan" too...gets me nowhere in life:)).

Examples from each set. I always especially liked the 1941 Play Ball cards that feature shadows, like the Ted Williams, as well as the McQuinn shown...just adds a little more depth and interest.

One of the drawbacks about the 1939 set is the fact that no names were printed on the front, and one of the results of this is that frequently they are seen with some kid writing the player's name on the front, or sometimes even another player's name. Hey, with no name on front it could be anyone you wanted it to be!

Brian

As my avatar indicates, 1941 is my favorite of the three. That was the first prewar card I ever got signed, as by that point Bobby Doerr was the only living player to have been depicted in a prewar set. I like the artwork, and that it was the year of Ted Williams hitting .406.

I like 1940 because it has a mix of players that were present day and old timers (retired). Mix that in with the sepia looking photos and you've got a pretty neat looking set. There's no Cobb but there is Shoeless Joe and a lot of other (Mathewson, Chance, etc) early turn of the century players.

1939 PB was the first pre-war set I completed so I have a soft spot for it. Now I'm trying to complete the sample backs. About 60% there but I need a lot of pricey cards yet.

This is also my opinion. The 41 dimaggio and Williams are the most iconic card for each of them. I believe they both had decent seasons in 41 as well.

I voted 1941 as well. Not only the best looking set of the three, but one of the best looking sets in the hobby. In addition to the DiMaggio and Williams, I've always liked the Gehringer and Doerr, among others.

I only wish the 41 set had as many cards as the 40 set....

I love the 1940 set. I have attempted it on several occasions, but never finished. I now have just a few graded ones. To me, the 1941 set just looks like someone took a crayon to the 1940 set. I like black and white photos. I like the backs. I like the ornate design. I will not attempt to complete the set again. If I do, I will strictly limit it to the current players, and ignore the legends.

'41, hands down. Not only the color, but the year Teddy and Joe had definitely adds to the appeal for me. '39 is second, for Teddy's RC and the simple photos. '40 is the worst of both sets combined into one and needlessly bulked up with a bunch of retired players.

I’ve always been a 1940 Playball guy. It’s a nice, big set with just the right amount of difficulty to attack for me. The Shoeless Joe was my first big card purchase as a young kid (I worked all summer mowing lawns for that card!) and I fell in love.

To me the 39 design is too simple and the 41 color is too modern-esque. The 1940 flavor is just the right temperature for me. A solid design but still with old school photos and that 40’s vintage feel.

Play Ball sets
 

I've put together all three sets, and the 1941 set is my favorite for several reasons. First, and foremost, it's the easiest to complete. I have two complete sets.
The 2nd reason for it's colorful appearance. And last, but not least....1941 in Baseball was a record setting year...…

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak (a record which I think will never be broken).

Ted Williams achieving .406 on the last day of the season.... 6 Hits for 8 AB's in a Double-header.

The 1st of 7 exciting "sub-way" World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...dtedwill_1.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...iMaggio25x.jpg

TED Z

T206 Reference
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1941s in a walk. They had it all. And nineteen-forty one - what a year! 56, .406 and WW2. Following is what I wrote on my '41 Play Balls ImageEvent album and explains why I love the set:

IE link: https://tinyurl.com/y639j38h

This 72 card set was issued by Gum, Inc. (later Bowman) in 1941. It was the year that Williams hit .406, DiMaggio streaked across the summer, and Lou Gehrig died. The Yanks won their Subway Series against Brooklyn in five games, and two months later our fathers went to war. So did the ballplayers. Even the cardboard would be put to better use in the war effort. Play Balls were the last pre-war baseball cards.

This grand little set has a lot of star power led by the iconic Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio cards - there are 15 Hall of Famers - but one wonders at some of the absentees such as Feller and Musial. There's not even a single player from the roster of the Chicago Cubs which included Dizzy Dean, Charley Root, and the venerable Stan Hack. (Seems Goudey Gum was sticking it to Wrigley Gum). Even so, it is hard not to love the colorful artwork nor to smile at some of the amusing nicknames like "Soupy" Campbell and "Gunboat" Gumbert and "Stormy" Weatherly. Plus ya gotta love that there are three DiMaggio brothers represented. Although this set's production precedes my birth by a decade many of these players were still active when I was a young ball fan. Saw Williams play many times when the Red Sox visited New York. Henrich and Dickey were Yankee coaches and Pee Wee Reese was a fixture on The Game of the Week along with Ol' Diz. I collected the cards one by one off eBay a few years ago. None are blazers but the set is a sentimental favorite.

https://photos.imageevent.com/kawika...l/DSC06275.JPG

Love the binder, David. I take it your '41 PBs are raw, not slabbed?

I appreciate the 1941 Play Ball set the most. It's in color. It's the final year before WWII began. It's the year DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak and Teddy Ballgame became the last hitter to hit 0.400 or higher in a season.

I've owned a lot of pieces to this set and ended up selling most of them but here are my two jewels from the set:

Very cool!!! Thanks for sharing!