Need help identifying these Ty Cobb & Lou Gehrig Cards

[kemdawg]

Hey everyone,

I picked up these four cards at a local card shop today, but I can’t find any information on them anywhere. Does anyone know the years or values on these?
They are all playing cards.

The Ty Cobb has the following text:
For a Good Deal
Rupp Bros Service Station
Mobilgas - Mobiloil
Kittanning, PA
43 - 1921

The Gehrig cards have the following text:
Red Bird Fresh Fryers
Pan Ready
Colorado Grown and Processed

One of the Gehrig’s is the Ace of Spades, which has this text:
Made by
Brown & Bigelow
St Paul, Minn
USA
12-G

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[BobC]

They were supposedly issued from 1953 to 1955, and were made as entire decks of cards with one of several HOF players gracing their backs. Either Cobb, Gehrig, Mack, McGraw, Ruth or Wagner. They didn't include all the players in every deck of cards, just one player per deck was shown. The most valuable/expensive way to get them would be to find a complete, unopened deck. The individual cards themselves aren't that rare or expensive, with Ruth's supposedly worth a little more than the others. I wouldn't expect to get or pay more than a few dollars (less than $10) for any one individual card. Hope this helps.

[kemdawg]

Thank you so much. This definitely helps. Is that the case with both the Cobb and the Gehrig? Reason I ask is that it appears they are from two different manufacturers.

[Butch7999]

kem, as far as we know, all of BobC's information is correct, and all the sets were made by Brown & Bigelow
(as always, we welcome new evidence to the contrary).
The sets were produced as advertising vehicles, and presumably businesses could obtain them, customized
with their preferred text, though some catalogue or pamphlet.
Below, the Cobb version, promoting Herman Besemer Hauling and Excavating of Ithaca New York,
the Mack version, promoting the C & H Chemical Co, and the McGraw version, unstamped.