Auction #16 - February 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/25/2024
Goudey Gum's "Some Boy Gum" set, introduced during the 1930s, was a departure from the company's more traditional focus on sports trading cards. This non-sports card series featured a diverse range of subjects, capturing the essence of the era's popular culture and reflecting the company's willingness to explore different themes. The "Some Boy Gum" set typically included vivid and imaginative illustrations of boys engaging in various activities, from adventurous pursuits to everyday scenarios. Each card offered a glimpse into the youthful spirit of the time, providing collectors with a charming and nostalgic snapshot of the 1930s American culture.
The "Some Boy Gum" set showcased Goudey's versatility and adaptability in creating captivating collectibles beyond the realm of sports. The cards became not only sought-after items among collectors but also served as a testament to Goudey Gum Company's ability to tap into the interests and preferences of a broad audience. As with their sports cards, the company's commitment to high-quality artwork and innovative design was evident in the "Some Boy Gum" set, contributing to Goudey's enduring legacy in the world of trading cards.
This lot is a literal one-of-a-kind piece being a salesman's booklet of promotional material for the seminal set of Goudey Gum's Some Boy Gum or R26 Boy Scouts as they are sometimes known. The set is a (48) card set issued in 1933 employing a red white and blue border with images of Boy Scout life and the tasks required to become a true boy scout. To sell the products to the distributors, jobbers and stores, Goudey created the booklet in this lot.
The booklet is a 23 page booklet inside a hard brown presentation folder. Within the folder, at one time, were some foldout advertising pieces that are included in this lot but not in the album itself. They include an approximately 14" wide by 6" tall red, white and blue broadside advertising "All the Wonders of Boy's Life" with images of football and boys being talked to by a figure that appears to be Baden-Powell--the founder of the Boy Scouts. There is also a glossy 8x11 black and white advertisement titled "Here are the things you've always wanted to do." And finally there's a fold out poster that measures about 11" by 17" that is a two sided advertisement for the set.
It's quite possible this is the only such piece in existence and, as such, it's importance to the history of Goudey can't be overstated. The last page in the folio has (4) of the R26 Goudey Boy Scouts cards on the four corners with a sample wrapper in the center. The new owner of this piece will have one of the most important pieces of Goudey history extant.
Below this description is a PDF of the (25) full 8x11 pages of the salesman's booklet as well as images of the extra advertising material that is included in this lot.
Click above for larger image.