1933-34 National Chicle Sky Birds (R136) Set and Checklist

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	National Chicle Sky Birds (R136)
Year	1933-34
Size	2 5/16″ x 2 7/8″
Images	Color
Type	Gum and Candy
Number in Set	108

1933-34 National Chicle Sky Birds (R136) Set Overview

The 1933-34 National Chicle Sky Birds set is arguably the most popular pre-war aviation set even produced.

Like National Chicle’s Diamond Stars baseball card set, these colorful cards have a similar art deco style that has made them highly sought after over the years. The cards are different from other aviation sets that focus more on the planes.

This set’s focus was on the aviators themselves. The cards included color pictures of aviators and aircraft and the backs included a card number and description of the aviator.

A total of 108 cards were issued in the set which began in 1933 and concluded in 1934. 144 cards were originally planned (more on that in a bit) but only 108 were issued. The set includes some of the most famous names in flight, including Charles Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlain, Amelia Earhart, Orville Wright, and more. Wilbur Wright, the other half of the famous Wright Brothers, was not included — he died in 1912 after contracting typhoid fever.

Amelia Earhart Card

Of all of the big names in the set, none is arguably bigger than Amelia Earhart.

Earhart’s card is arguably the most valuable and is typically considered to be her ‘rookie’ card by many. However, she has at least one earlier appearance on a card in the 1932 Olympia set where she is pictured with a handful of other people. The Sky Birds card may be her earliest card where she is the only subject, however Earhart appears on other issues dated to the 1930s so even that is not certain. Nevertheless, it is her most popular card by a wide margin and one of her few true contemporary trading cards prior to her 1937 disappearance during her attempt to be the first female to complete a circumnavigational flight around the world.

Cards were issued with National Chicle’s Sky Birds gum product. For one cent, consumers got a piece of gum and one of the cards. As this site indicates, there were at least four different wrappers. All had a patriotic red, white, and blue theme, though the blue was a lighter ‘sky’ blue color.

Even in low-grade condition, the card has become quite valuable. In lesser condition as a raw card, it typically starts around $50-100.

Here’s more on the Earhart card.

Back Variations

The backs are a bit more complex. An initial series of 24 cards was issued in 1933 and the first cards produced have a 1933 copyright as well as a mention that they are part of a 48-card series. The series was continued 1934 with another 24 cards added to fulfill the 48-card promise.

However, also in 1934, National Chicle intended to expand the set to 144 cards and printed that on the backs of later cards. But only another 60 cards were issued to create a 108-card set. All of the 1934 cards have a 1934 copyright date but some still have the original 48-card mention while others mention a new total of 144 cards (even though only 108 were issued.