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1940 Play Ball Baseball
Cards
1940
Play Ball is a fun set to collect because it contains a wide array of Hall
of Fame greats. In addition to Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Carl Hubbell,
Hank Greenberg, and Lefty Gomez, who were all actively playing in 1940, the
1940 Play Ball set contains many Hall of Famers who had long since retired.
Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, Mel Ott, Christy Mathewson, John McGraw,
Willie Keeler, and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson are found in this great set as
well. The Jackson card was produced after his banishment from the game but,
due to the fact that there are so few original Jackson cards to collect,
this card is considered highly desirable.
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At 240
cards, 1940 Play Ball is the largest of the Play Ball sets. While the player
pictures used in this set were still black and white photos, Gum, Inc. improved
upon its 1939 design by adding a banner featuring the player's name to the
bottom of the card. A glove, bat and catcher's mask adorned the banner, and a
frame was added around the player's picture. One of the more charming aspects of
these cards is the inclusion of player nicknames. The frame of each card image
was a bit more elaborate in 1940 but the reverse style is basically identical to
the 1939 issue.
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One obstacle that seems to
plague the 1940 Play Ball set is the different toning of the cards’ borders.
Some examples contain a light sepia tone while others appear yellowish/brownish
along the edges. Other notable condition problems range from poor centering, as
a result of the design on the front (very little room for error) to general wear
from age and handling. One interesting note to the overall difficulty of the set
is that these cards are generally more difficult to find than the 1941 Play
Balls (which are generally valued higher) and the earlier 1939 set. Many of the
cards in this set are simply tougher to find in high-grade -- or at all -- than
the other Play Ball issues. The examples that come to mind are the Joe DiMaggio
and Ted Williams cards. You rarely see quality examples offered of either of
these two superstars. |
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This set offers the
chance to acquire many Hall of Famers at a fairly reasonable price in
comparison to the more valuable, early tobacco cards. This set also offers
a very strong challenge as perhaps the most difficult of the three major
Play Ball sets. The size of the set (240 cards), while not extremely small,
provides an attainable goal. The bottom line is that this blast from the
past deserves a closer look. |
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Purchase 1940 Play Ball Cards Here!
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