1933 Goudey Sport Kings Card Set & Price Guide
1933 Goudey Sport Kings Set Description
In 1933, Goudey released their landmark baseball set. They also produced a multi-sport "Sport Kings" set. This release featured a small checklist of just 48 cards and included players from many different sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, basketball, golf, and swimming, and even dog sledding. There are athletes from 18 different sports in all. Goudey elected to include just 3 baseball players in the set, but they sure picked wisely. Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, the two biggest names in pre-war baseball, are the 1st two cards in the set. Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell joined them as the third baseball player. The football section of the set is highlighted by gridiron legends Red Grange, Jim Thorpe, and Knute Rockne. Legendary golfer Bobby Jones is also featured, and his card is one of the more sought after vintage golf cards.
The design is somewhat similar to that of the 1933 Goudey baseball set, but instead of the "Big League Chewing Gum" banner at the bottom, there is a red "Sport Kings Gum" banner on the top. Each card displays a solid color background and a waist up pose of each athlete. At the bottom of the card the athletes name appears in white font within a black block strip. A silhouette from each athlete's sport is included above the name. Backs contain the card number, player's name, sport, and biography are present, along with an advertisement for the product at the bottom. It is very common to see ink from the front bleed through to the back of the card.
Set Information
Manufacturer: Goudey
Year: 1933
Cards in Set: 48
Card Size: 2-3/8" x 2-7/8"
Series
Series 1: 1-24
Series 2: 25-48
Notes
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Card numbers 25-48 are generally considered more difficult to find than the first 24 cards.
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The most valuable card in the set is Babe Ruth, followed by Ty Cobb, Red Grange, Jim Thorpe, and Bobby Jones.
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Babe Didrickson, who is widely regarded as the best female athlete of the 1st half of the 20th century, is also featured in the set.
Key Rookie Cards
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none
Errors and Variations
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No significant errors/variations
Key Cards/Hall of Famers
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Ty Cobb (#1)
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Babe Ruth (#2)
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"Red" Grange (#4)
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Jim Thorpe (#6)
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Walter Hagen (#8)
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Jack Dempsey (#17)
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Howie Morenz (#24)
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Ace Bailey (#29)
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Knute Rockne (#35)
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Bobby Jones (#38)
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Carl Hubbell (#42)
Subsets
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none
Ty Cobb #1
Card Value: low grade $1000 to $2,000, mid grade $3,000 to $5,000, high grade $10,000+
Jim Thorpe #6
Card Value: low grade $1,200 to $3,000, mid grade $4,000 to $10,000, high grade $15,000+
Babe Ruth #2
Card Value: low grade $3,000 to $7,500, mid grade $10,000 to $20,000, high grade $50,000+
Knute Rockne #35
Card Value: low grade $400 to $1,000, mid grade $1,200 to $2,000, high grade $2,500+
Red Grange #4
Card Value: low grade $800 to $1,500, mid grade $3,000 to $6,000, high grade $13,000+
Bobby Jones #38
Card Value: low grade $600 to $1,000, mid grade $1,200 to $5,000, high grade A PSA 8.5 sold for $32,000 in 2021
1933 Goudey Sport Kings Babe Ruth #2
Ruth was the arguable the most recognizable person on the planet in 1933. Everyone knew "The Babe" and companies used his popularity to sell their products. Goudey was no different, including 4 different Ruth Cards in the baseball set. Ruth only has one card in the Sport Kings set, but it is a unique image and highly desireable. The goldish/green background, striking image of Ruth, and bright red banner make the card stand out. This card is also much rarer compared with any of the Ruth's from the baseball release. The PSA population report shows Ruths from the baseball release to have ~1200 to ~1700 graded examples. Only ~600 Sport King Ruths have been graded.
1933 Goudey Sport Kings Checklist
1 Ty Cobb – Baseball
2 Babe Ruth – Baseball
3 Nat Holman – Basketball
4 Red Grange – Football
5 Ed Wachter – Basketball
6 Jim Thorpe – Football
7 Bobby Walthour Sr. – Cycling
8 Walter Hagen – Golf
9 Ed Blood – Skiing
10 Anton Lekang – Skiing
11 Charles Jewtraw – Skating
12 Bobby McLean – Skating
13 Laverne Fator – Jockey
14 Jim Londos – Wrestling
15 Reggie McNamara – Cycling
16 Bill Tilden – Tennis
17 Jack Dempsey – Boxing
18 Gene Tunney – Boxing
19 Eddie Shore – Hockey
20 Duke Kahanamoku – Swimming
21 John Weissmuller – Swimming
22 Gene Sarazen – Golf
23 Vincent Richards – Tennis
24 Howie Morenz – Hockey
25 Ralph Snoddy – Boating
26 James Wedell – Aviator
27 Roscoe Turner – Aviator
28 James Doolittle – Aviator
29 Ace Bailey – Hockey
30 Ivan Ching Johnson – Hockey
31 Bobby Walthour Jr. – Cycling
32 Joe Lapchick – Basketball
33 Eddie Burke – Basketball
34 Irving Jaffee – Skating
35 Knute Rockne – Football
36 Willie Hoppe – Billiards
37 Helene Madison – Swimming
38 Bobby Jones – Golf
39 Jack Westrope – Jockey
40 Don George – Wrestling
41 Jim Browning – Wrestling
42 Carl Hubbell – Baseball
43 Primo Carnera – Boxing
44 Max Baer – Boxing
45 Babe Didrickson – Golf
46 Ellsworth Vines – Tennis
47 J.H. Stevens – Bobsled
48 Leonhard Seppala – Dogsled