1935/36 Donat Indiana-Sport-Avion Set

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Donat Indiana-Sport-Avion
Year	1935/1936
Size	2 3/8″ x 3″
Images	Black and White
Type	Gum and Candy Cards
Number in Set	63 or 64

1935/36 Donat Indiana-Sport-Avion Overview

Ever heard of the Donut Indiana-Sport-Avion set? If you haven’t, you’re not alone.

The 1935/36 Donat Indiana-Sport-Avion set remains a mystery to collectors. This mixed set features a variety of sports and non-sports cards but not much more is known.

The cards are from France and obviously written in French. The backs state that there are 136 cards in the set and that the set is a ‘DONAT’ product. That is a reference to the apparent producer, printed at the very bottom, Jean-Donat Dupont, and Donat was a confectionery company offering products such as bon bons. But exactly how the cards were distributed is unclear.

Backs indicate there are supposed to be 136 cards in this set but that is not correct. Instead, the set is believed to comprise only 64. A firm date on them is unknown but they appear to have been issued in 1936 based on several of the fronts picturing events from 1935. Measuring, approximately 2 3/8″ x 3″, the cards are a bit thicker than the earlier candy cards and are black and white with white borders.

Part of the confusion with regards to the number of cards is around another set titled ‘Indiana-Sport.’ That set has cards above No. 64 but is a different issue than this one.

Babe Ruth headlines the set and only one other baseball player (Darrell Blanton) is included in the entire set. Other popular known sports include American football, boxing, and wrestling. The football card is called ‘Rugby American’ but it depicts the sport of football, not rugby. The Tour de France is also heavily featured in the set, which makes sense, given the cards’ French origins. Beyond Ruth, the boxing cards in the set are a big deal. One features a very early card of Hall of Famer Joe Louis. Hall of Famer Max Baer is also in the set.

The name is somewhat puzzling at first since ‘Avion’ translated means ‘plane’ in English. But what many collectors do not realize is that many early cards in the set’s numbered checklist are indeed cards of various airplanes. And counting some cards for auto racing, approximately 2/3 of the set features modes of transportation, such as airplanes, cars, and boats.

Fronts of the card feature the aforementioned black and white image with the ‘Indiana-Sport-Avion’ name in bold, black letters at the bottom. Below that is a caption of what is being depicted as well as a card number.

Variations and Other Sets

Two things have caused some confusion surrounding this set. First, there are actually three variations of these Indiana-Sport-Avion cards. While the subjects are believed to be the same in the three, some images may be cropped differently and the font in the three variations is different.

One font is skinny and narrow while a second, more common version has thicker letters. A third that also uses thicker letters has slightly larger letters than the second.

In addition, the company produced some other sets, including one featuring cowboys and Indians. However, the confusing set with regards to this one is one that is simply named Indiana-Sport (no Avion). A boxing card from that set is pictured here and while many of the cards have the same look, some of the Indiana-Sport cards are also found with a blue tint.

That one is a completely different (and larger) set, even though some of the subjects may be the same.