Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	R308 Tattoo Orbit Gum Self Develop
Year	1933
Size	1 1/4″ x 1 13/16″ and 2 3/8″ x 3 3/4″
Images	Black and White
Type	Candy/Gum
Number in Set	57 (Baseball)

R308 Tattoo Orbit Overview

The 1933 R308 Tattoo Orbit Gum set included black and white player images and names on the fronts with blank backs. The cards can be found in two different sets and are therefore classified as two distinct subsets by collectors.

The R308 set is in stark contrast to Tattoo Orbit’s R305 issue. That set was colorful and vibrant, with bold backgrounds. The R308 set is somewhat morbid by comparison with images barely standing out giving the cards a somewhat dull appearance.

The R308 cards can be found in two different sizes. One is smaller measuring even smaller than traditional tobacco and candy cards in the earlier 1900s. The other is larger, measuring close to today’s typical trading cards. While both are rare, the larger cards are nearly impossible to find and, as a result, worth significantly more.

In addition to the baseball players (numbered from 151 through 207), movie stars are also in the set. While most of those are non-sports figures, boxing legend Jack Dempsey is among those included in the celebrities portion as he is seen as the referee from a 1932 movie, The Prizefighter and the Lady. Dempsey’s card is No. 55 and he is listed on the card as an ‘MGM Star.’

PSA and SGC have graded most of the cards in the set but these cards are rare. Between them, they have graded only about 150 cards in all.

R308 Tattoo Orbit Checklist

Below is a list of the known baseball cards in the set. Gaps represent cards unconfirmed to date.

151. Lefty Gomez
152. Kiki Cuyler
153. Jimmie Foxx
154. Al Simmons
155. Mickey Cochrane and Charlie Grimm
156. Bill Jurges
157. Chuck Klein
158. Dick Bartell
159. Pepper Martin
160. Earl Averill
161. Bill Dickey
162. Wes Ferrell
163. Oral Hildebrand
164. Willie Kamm
165. Earl Whitehill
166. Charles Fullis
167. Jimmy Dykes
168. Ben Cantwell
169. George Earnshaw
170. Riggs Stephenson
171. Randy Moore
172. Ted Lyons
173. Goose Goslin
174. Evar Swanson
175. Leroy Mahaffey
176. Joe Cronin
177. Tom Bridges
178. Heinie Manush
179. Walter Stewart
180. Frank Pytlak
181. Dale Alexander
182. Lefty Grove
183. Charlie Gehringer
184. TBD
185. Alvin Crowder
186. Mickey Cochrane
187. Max Bishop
188. Connie Mack
189. Guy Bush
190. Charles Root
191. Burleigh Grimes
192. Pat Malone
193. Woody English
194. Lon Warneke
195. Babe Herman
196. TBD
197. TBD
198. TBD
199. TBD
200. Gabby Hartnett
201. Paul Waner
202. Dizzy Dean
203. TBD
204. TBD
205. Jim Bottomley
206. TBD
207. Chick Hafey

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