1934 Carreras Believe it or Not Set and Checklist

It’s in the Details
Title | Carreras Believe it or Not |
Year | 1934 |
Size | 1 5/8″ x 2 3/4″ |
Images | Color |
Type | Tobacco |
Number in Set |
50 |
1934 Carreras Believe it or Not Overview
In 1934, UK cigarette manufacturer Carreras created a 50-card set of unbelievable facts. Most cards in the release were non-sports cards. However, of interest to American collectors is a card of football kicker, Sam York. The only other sports-related card is that of a jockey (Card No. 24).
The cards are a little bigger than your traditional earlier tobacco cards and have a white border along with the title of a particular interesting fact at the bottom.
Sam York Card
York was a kicker for Centenary college and in 1925, he kicked 172 field goals in a row. York’s card features a color image of him on the front with the inscription “172 goals by Sam York” at the bottom. Without reading the back that describes him as kicking field goals, the average collector might only glance at the front and mistake him for a soccer player.
The back of the card states that he kicked 172 field goals in succession with the date November 1925. The card was printed approximately a full decade after his feat. And as York confirmed later in a newspaper interview, those field goals were an informal record of sorts as they happened while practicing one day. Here’s more on the interesting York backstory and this card.
Not much information is out there on York. He is believed to have earned a B.S. degree from the school, but other than that, information is scarce.
1934 Carreras Believe it or Not Checklist
Below is a complete checklist of the set:
- The Mysterious Growing Grave
- Countless Stones
- 2,500 Miles in a Paper Boat
- S.S. Conti Di Savoia
- The Rock Church
- The Death Sign
- The Memorial at Thiepval
- The Manbuti Pygmies
- The Australian Bottle Tree
- The Chair that Grew
- Weight of Coat of Paint
- Hens Never Lay Eggs
- The Prairie Schooner
- The Talking Turkey
- A Champion Egg Layer
- Mrs. Frank Scott’s Children
- Thomas Parr, Ye Olde, Olde, Olde, Man
- Origin of the Word ‘Tip’
- Pete Markovich’s Strong Drink
- Built Without a Smokestack
- 16 Children
- Gave Away His Birthday
- The Millionaire Gladiator
- Jockey’s Day of Destiny
- The World’s Greatest Kisser
- Newsboys Profit
- Black Hole of Calcutta
- The Straight and Narrow
- A Grenade Exploded
- Lord Paulston
- Sam York (Football)
- Tsar’s Lantern Guard
- A Unique Marriage
- A Family of Admirals
- Ice Sitting Contest
- Russia’s Labour Leader
- Tom Morgan’s War Helmet
- The Living Statue
- A Sacred Chapter
- A.J. Officer’s Cycle Ride
- Father and Son
- Wedding Anniversary
- Pine Grows out of Willow Tree
- Queen Victoria Rock
- Endurance of Jekisiel Laib
- Never Slept in 71 Years
- What Happened to Wiley Post
- Moore’s Punishment
- You Can’t Take it with You
- King of Four Kingdoms at Once
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