Auction #18 - October 2024
Another of Gum, Inc of Philadelphia, PA's stable of 1930's/1940's war sets was the R165 War News Pictures set. The set was issued in 1940. A total of 144 cards would complete the set but collectors found out that a number of the cards were difficult to get and another group were impossible to get.
Likely printed on 24 card sheets, the set has different color schemes for blocks of the cards. The first 48 cards are black and white cards with the next 24 (cards 49-72) being full color. Cards 73-84 have orange borders, while cards 85-108 have red/black tone printing.
Card numbers 109-120 form the subset that became known in the hobby as the "Dirty Dozen"--those 12 cards that were near impossible to find. Often found in low grade or handcut, it's difficult to fully know why the disparity in distribution exists for these 12 cards. They are blue and red toned and continue to storyline of the earlier cards.
Cards 121-144 are red and black toned and have the word "FLASH" on the back at the top as if they were newsflash items. The FLASH cards are tougher than the normal cards but significantly easier than the Dirty Dozen. The set is another one of the iconic sets of the early 1940's chronicling the events leading up to and as part of World War II.
This near complete set of (132/144) cards from the R165 Gum Inc War News Pictures set is complete with the exception of the "Dirty Dozen" cards between 190-120. Cards Numbered 121-144 or the "FLASH" subset in this collection are lower grade Fair to VG with most around G. The remainder of the 1-108 cards are in VG to EXMT condition with most being around VGEX to EX. All cards in the near set have been scanned in the attached PDF.
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