1938 Goudey Heads-Up baseball cards
As mentioned on the previous page these baseball cards were collected by my Dad back in the 30's. I recall snickering at the sight of the cartoon-like characters when Dad showed 'em to me. I must have been 7 or 8 yrs old. The cards are smaller (2-3/8" x 2-7/8") compared to contemporary Topps and Fleer cards I was more familiar with in the 50's & 60's ("normal cards" measure 2½" x 3½"), but the thing I couldn't relate to was the format: a photo of a player's head perched on an illustration of a ball player in action. Some cards also had additional illustrations that looked more like doodles to me back then. Today, I find them to be totally charming...hence the group picture frame. These tend to be rather valuable, based on condition of the card - the slightest crease or damaged edge can cause a card to "tank" in value...but heck, these are 80-yr old pieces of cardboard...not exactly the most durable material ever created by man. Brother John has a broader view: "Your cards are more than just pieces of "cardboard"...think of them as fragile and vulnerable pieces of era-specific, sports/pop culture!" Well said. I get that, now. I also think they capture a sense of our father's youth.
Cards in my 7-panel picture (left to right): Charlie Gehringer, Al Lopez, Jimmy Foxx, Bill Werber, Ernie Lombardi, Bump Hadley, Joe "Ducky" Medwick.
