1939 Father and Son Shoes Set

‘It’s In The Details’
Title | Father and Son Shoes |
Year | 1939 |
Size | 3″ x 4″ |
Images | Black and White |
Type | Trade |
Number in Set |
16 or 17 (?) |
1939 Father and Son Shoes Overview
Father and Son Shoes produced these simple black and white baseball cards of various Philadelphia players. Issued in 1939, they are not easy to find these days.
These cards were distributed only in the Philadelphia area. They feature a player’s black and white image along with their name, position, and team at the bottom. Backs are entirely blank. Players from only the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Athletics are featured here.
Also at the bottom is the printed line of, “Compliments of Father & Son Shoes,” identifying these cards. The company surely had a Philadelphia operation but also had a national presence with stores in other states. In all, they had more than 60 locations, including a mail order department in New York. While most of the names in the set are not big ones, they are heavily desired for their rarity.
The cards are extremely rare, likely because they were a regional issue not widely distributed. They are often pursued by type collectors and even in low grade condition, typically fetch over $100 per card.
At 3″ x 4″, these cards measure slightly larger than today’s standard cards.
1939 Father and Son Shoes Checklist
- Morrie Arnovich
- Earl Brucker
- George Caster
- Sam Chapman
- Spud Davis
- Joe Gantenbein
- Bob Johnson
- Chuck Klein
- Herschel Martin
- Merrill May
- Wally Moses
- Hugh Mulcahy
- Skeeter Newsome
- Claude Passeau
- George Scharien
- Dick Siebert
Emmitt Mueller is also listed as being in this set according to most checklists. To date, however I have not seen that card or heard of one existing.
While 16 or 17 may be in the set, due to the scarcity of these cards, it is possible that more exist that have not been widely reported.
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