1933 U.S. Caramel Set (R328)

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	R328 U.S. Caramel
Year	1933
Size	2 3/8″ x 3″
Images	Color
Type	Candy/Gum
Number in Set	32

R328 U.S. Caramel Overview

The 1933 R328 U.S. Caramel set included a total of 32 cards. While 27 are baseball players, there are also five included from the world of boxing and golf.

The fronts include a color player image against a solid red background. The back included a biography of the player and also a special offer to return a full set for a baseball or three full sets for a glove. The cards were also returned to the collectors along with their chosen gift.

Baseball is the key to this issue but the five other cards of boxers and golfers are important to note as well. In particular, all five legends (Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, and Jack Sharkey) are all Hall of Famers in their respective sports.

Cards were believed to have been a regional issue and PSA says they were rumored to have been distributed only in the Boston area. In addition, PSA also notes that all of the photos are portraits and that Bill Dickey’s card, showing him holding a baseball bat, is the only instance of equipment being included in any of the pictures.

Fred Lindstrom Rarity

While the cards of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb are the biggest in terms of name recognition, it’s another card in the set that has caused quite a stir over the years.

The card of Fred Lindstrom is a frustrating one for set collectors as it is easily the rarest card in the set. Only two copies of the card are reported to have been found to this date. The card is so rare, in fact, that it was not even known to exist until the 1990s.

Here’s more on the Lindstrom card, which could be a six-figure card.

Dating

Finally, a note to the dating of this set. Many sources claim it as a 1932 issue, however, that seems to be incorrect as events referenced on the backs are often from 1932. The set is now generally viewed as a 1933 issue.

Even that may not be correct. Babe Ruth’s card, as stated here, indicates he was 39 years old but that would not have occurred until early 1934. If his age is correct, the cards would have been distributed in 1934. The exact date of distribution for these cards remains a bit murky. However, I have cataloged them as 1933 issue as that is the most accepted date for them these days.

It should be pointed out that I have never seen concrete evidence that the set is a 1933 issue. But that seems likely with perhaps the best evidence being Rogers Hornsby’s card referencing his October 1932 trade. If the cards were really distributed in 1932, that leaves little time for them to be printed and distributed. The referencing of that trade combined with the 1932 statistics listing on other cards seemingly places them into 1933.