1938 Goudey Proof

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

It's interesting but I'm not ready to write it off.

The backs of the second series of '38 Goudey cards make reference to an additional 24 cards that were never actually produced. I've often wondered what they were, or where they came from.

In 1937, Goudey acquired the assets of the National Chicle company and began using the Diamond Stars name on the backs of the 1939 R303 premiums. After the 48 cards in the '38 set, it took Goudey three years to release another set of cards (besides the premiums, which I believe were used to sell Diamond Stars Gum).

Of the 10 cards offered by this seller, two of them - Rudy York and Zeke Bonura - are a part of the '38 Goudey "Heads Up" set. Given that each of the subjects in the "Heads Up" set were duplicated twice, it makes no sense that those players would be issued a third time. It also makes no sense that while there's a Hubbell, Slaughter and Hartnett, there is still no Bill Dickey, Mel Ott, Mickey Cochrane, Lefty Gomez or Ted Williams. It also makes no sense that there would be only ten cards, since the Heads Up press sheets included 12 cards each (although it could be that two cards disappeared over time, or that the seller is still holding two more).

The copywriting on these cards is really poor - unlike the copywriting on the other Goudey cards. However, the stats on the Zeke Bonura card, and the reference to "last year," date this to 1938 for sure.

At the same time, the cards appear to be black and white, which would make sense given the economic and wartime climate in which they were issued. The puzzles on the back seem to mimic the '35 Goudey design (as has been mentioned in this thread).

In my opinion, Goudey did SOMETHING in 1938 after the first 24 subjects in the Heads Up set were issued. That something never translated into commercially-produced cards, and I've often thought that the evidence was burned up in the furnace with all the other important paperwork from that company.

I'd like to get my hands on one of these cards, pop it out of that holder, and see what kind of stock it's printed on.

-Al