1934 Goudey Gehrig availabilities
 

I've been paying attention to the market for '34 Goudey Gehrigs – 37 is the mustard yellow one and 61 is the seafoam green one – and there's something I just can't square. Number 61 is less common, but how much less?

The pop reports would seem to indicate that the green one is about 80% of the population of the yellow one. When I'm searching auction houses and walking around shows, it seems to be more like 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 in favor of the yellow.

The usual suspect of re-submissions contaminating the pops would probably affect both cards. If owners of the green one just don't let go of them when they get them, I still would be surprised if it was that much of an effect. And it seems like there are always more folks who love portrait images, too, so that would pull in the other direction.

Was #61 short-printed? Was it "redeemed," even though the back makes no mention of sending the card with a letter to the Knot Hole League of America?

The cards were issued in different series. A scarcity difference is expected as a result of being different print runs of different sheets. It’s not a redemption or similar creating it.

The 34 Gehrig is one of the most stunning portrait cards ever produced IMHO. It’s front has the same image in the World Wide Gum issue. Here’s the back of it.