1932 Bulgaria Cigarettes Sport-Photos Set and Checklist

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Bulgaria Cigarettes Sport Photos
Year	1932
Size	1 5/8″ x 2 3/8″
Images	Black and White
Type	Tobacco
Number in Set	272

Bulgaria Cigarettes Sport-Photos Overview

The 1932 Bulgaria Cigarettes Sport-Photos set included nearly 300 cards. Only one, however, featured a baseball player in New York Yankees star Babe Ruth.

The formal name of the release is the Bulgaria Sport-Photos set, even though most typically shorten it to Bulgaria Sport these days. That name leads some to believe they are photos but these are indeed tobacco cards, albeit less narrow than most collectors are used to. While the name might suggest these are Bulgarian cards, this is actually a German issue and Bulgaria Cigarettes was a brand name. Because of that, many of the subjects found in it are German.

The massive set of cards could really be viewed more as small photographs if they were printed on a thinner stock. But these have a slightly glossy front, thick white borders, and are printed on a standard type of cardstock you’d expect for the period, albeit a bit thin.

The set includes baseball (via Babe Ruth) as well as hockey, football, golf, tennis, boxing, and more. Bill Tilden is a key tennis card and Walter Hagen is the key golf card. Other tennis Hall of Famers include Henri Cochet and Bunny Austin. Additional popular athletes include aviator Charles Lindbergh, swimmer/actor Johnny Weissmuller, and ice skater Sonja Henie, among others. Some athletes, like Henie, are featured on more than one card. A popular non-sports subject that is that of dictator Benito Mussolini. Mussolini is shown honoring German equestrian champions and his card is valued as that of some of the star athletes.

While many of the cards reference older dates in the 1920s on the back, the set can be dated to no earlier than 1932 because of some that have a reference to the 1932 Olympics (held in February of that year), seemingly the year of production.

The set is broken down, mostly grouping athletes by sport. Below is how the checklist sorts out. The assorted athletes at the end includes a wide mix of subjects. There, coincidentally, are some of the more sought after cards of Ruth, Schmeling, Sonja Henie, and American football.

Cards 1-90 (Track and Field)
Cards 91-139 (Soccer, Rugby, Handball)
Cards 140-144 (Field Hockey)
Cards 145-150 (Ice Hockey and Winter Sports)
Cards 151-164 (Tennis)
Cards 165-179 (Swimming, Diving, Water Sports)
Cards 180-192 (Rowing and Sailing)
Cards 193-212 (Skating and Skiing)
Cards 213-215 (Fencing)
Cards 216-219 (Golf)
Cards 220-225 (Horse Riding)
Cards 226-238 (Motor Sports and Cycling)
Cards 239-245 (Aviation)
Cards 246-272 (Assorted Athletes)

Babe Ruth and Max Schmeling

A black and white image of Ruth is on the front of his card while the back includes a writeup of the pair. The card is an interesting one as Ruth isn’t the only high-profile athlete on it. Joining the future Hall of Fame baseball player was boxing champion Max Schmeling. Schmeling happened to be in Cleveland for a heavyweight fight at the same time Ruth was there with his Yankees facing the Indians on the road in 1931.

All things considered, this is a tremendous pre-war card featuring arguably the top two athletes in their sport. It is easily the key card in the set, usually starting around $200-$300 in decent condition.

As I covered here, while Ruth is what draws collectors to the card today, Schmeling would have been the focal point when the card was produced. In fact, it is possible to suggest that Ruth would have not even been in the set if not for Schmeling’s appearance beside him.

The back, written in German, gives a short biography and calls Ruth the ‘baseball king’ from the unknown sport from across the ocean. The Ruth and Schmeling card is No. 256 in the set.

Despite the card being a contemporary issue from Ruth’s playing days, it is easily one of Ruth’s more affordable cards from when he was still an active player. In even mid-grade condition, it can be purchased for only a few hundred dollars.

Hockey and Football, Too

In addition to the Ruth card, a second major American sport is included as a few hockey cards are there as well. Some action shot cards are in the set as is one for Dr. Blake Watson, a former amateur Canadian and European hockey star. Watson was likely included in the set not because of his Canadian background but because he later played in Germany, where this set was produced.

Watson, though, was known for more than hockey. He became an obstetrician and a dentist, and also is said to have had many celebrity patients, including Gary Cooper, Fred Astair, Judy Garland, Greta Garbo, and others.

On the football front, American football is featured on a singular card. Card No. 258 depicts the sport, calling it ‘Rugby in U.S.A.’ The front shows an unnamed punter and it is not clear who the player is. The back of the card talks about the popularity of the sport in America and that some of the stadiums hold 100,000 or more spectators. Interestingly, the player is shown punting the ball while he is called a full back on the reverse.