1936 WG8 S&S Game Card Set

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	WG8 S&S Game Cards
Year	1936
Size	2 1/4″ x 3 1/2″
Images	Black and White
Type	Game Cards
Number in Set	52

1936 WG8 S&S Game Card Set Overview

The WG8 S&S Game card set included a total of 52 cards featuring baseball players from the time period. The cards had rounded corners but not quite as rounded as other playing cards. The set was issued by the S&S Games Company.

Fronts included a black and white picture of the player in question, specific actions for the game, and the player’s name. Backs were dark green or tan, and plain with a thin white border. Almost all have green backs but a small number have the rarer tan backs and those typically sell for a premium.

The cards were part of a game that was packaged in two different types of boxes. In addition to the cards, the game included a small playing field surface to simulate game play (using the actions on the cards) and instructions cards. In addition, an advertisement for a contest was also included with the game. Collectors could send in a short 100-word essay and be entered into a contest to win cash prizes.

One slight difference between the WG8 cards and other game cards is that these included biographical stats on the front as well (height, weight, etc.). It was slightly more like a true baseball card instead of simply a gaming issue.

Plenty of big name players are included here, including Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Pie Traynor, and numerous other Hall of Fame players. There’s no Babe Ruth card, but this was also issued a year after his playing days had ended. Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio are also not found. DiMaggio, in particular, was a rookie that year so his absence is excusable.

One advantage to the S&S set compared to other catalogued issues is that it is one of the most affordable issues that used actual players. Commons can be found starting around $10-$20.

Along with the game, S&S issued a slip mentioning a special promotion. They offered cash prizes for essays of 100 words or less from collectors — “Why I like the National Game.” Letters were to be sent to the S&S Games Company at their address of 436 Dearborn Street in Chicago, IL.

Kiki Cuyler Error

One interesting card is that of Hall of Famer Kiki Cuyler. Shown here is Cuyler’s card with the correct spelling.

The error misspells Cuyler’s name a ‘Cyler.’ However, while there are cards with Cuyler’s name spelled correctly, it is important to note that the error is only known on the tan-back cards. The more common cards with green backs have his name spelled correctly.

All of Cuyler’s cards with tan backs are believed to have the error and the error appears to be exclusive to that type. That is very important as it means that error was not really fixed within that tan-back set. It is similar to the Christy Mathewson one-loss error found only on his T205 Cycle back cards. It is an error but since all of those specific cards contain the error, is not really as special.

In a nutshell, in terms of value, the card should be more valuable than his cards with the green backs and the corrected name. However, the premium should really be limited to what other tan-back cards are for other players. For example, if a player’s card with a tan back is worth twice as much as his card with the green back, the ‘Cyler’ error should have a similar pricing model.

Home Run Candy Connection

The Home Run Candy cards appear to be cut middle portions from the regular S&S Game cards. However, they are a completely different issue, which is evident because the Home Run Candy cards have different backs (some plain, some with overprinted backs) and measure slightly taller.

The Home Run Candy cards are significantly rarer. While the two sets are believed to share the same checklist, not every S&S card has been found in the Home Run Candy set. In fact, only a few Home Run Candy cards have been spotted for sale in auctions to date.

While we know some about the Home Run Candy cards, many mysteries still remain.