1939-46 Exhibit Salutations Set (W462)

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	W462 Salutations Exhibits
Year	1939-46
Size	3 1/2″ x 5 5/16″
Images	Sepia
Type	Exhibit
Number in Set	65 (Base set without variations) / 89 (Master set)

Exhibit Salutations (W462) Overview

While most of the W462 Exhibits were printed after 1939, the date we deem as the end of the pre-war card era, this series was started in that year.

88 cards are in the set, but there are only 63 if you don’t count the variations. In addition to the player’s image (in sepia tone) and a replica of his signature on the front, these also included a short greeting, such as ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Best Wishes.’

While the set is often referred to as the ‘Salutations’ set, the American Card Catalog does not specifically give it a name.

Numerous variations exist and in most cases, they are minor. One is that the “Made in USA” print is found in either the left or right corners on many of the cards. Other variations exist, too. One involves Andy Pafko (pictured) who has cards with both a blank cap and one with a ‘C’ on it.

Many of baseball’s biggest stars of the 1930s and 1940s are here, including Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Dizzy Dean, Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg, and more. Even beyond the biggest names, there are some other notables here, too. Hal Newhouser, another Hall of Famer, for example, has his rookie card in the set — and it’s one of the more affordable pre-war Hall of Fame rookie cards that can be bought.

Backs of the cards were entirely blank but a very small amount have been seen with stamped advertisements for Holloway Candy. Holloway stamped their advertisements onto other cards as well and their Exhibit Salutations card are extremely rare.

83 Cards vs. 89 Cards … and Additional Variations

While 83 are sometimes cited in the set, there are actually at least 89 cards.

Tommy Holmes has three variations and only two are generally cited. Typically, Holmes’ “Yours Truly” and “Sincerely Yours” variations are the ones noted on checklists. But Holmes actually has two different “Yours Truly” cards. One has ‘An Exhibit Card’in the lower left corner and the other has “Made in U.S.A.” in the right corner.

Additionally, a small and large version of picture is known for Bob Feller’s pitching card. That discovery was only recently made on the Net54 site.

A slight variance is found on a few other known cards, too. Lou Boudreau, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Williams, and Rudy York all have photo issues with slightly different projections that are generally not checklisted as separate cards. In all, you get six more cards not previously known and more could be out there. Whether or not these are significant enough to be considered as true variations is up for interpretation.

In addition, even more variations are known. As these cards were printed in various years, you will find them with various tints. Some have a reddish tint while others are closer to (or purely) black and white. Others are sepia toned. The complete number in this set, with all of the photo variances, the text variances, and tint variances is truly unknown. For purposes of the checklist below, only the recognized variances, as well as the other slight photo variances I mentioned above, are listed.

Here’s a bit more on the variations in the set.

All of that said, exactly how many cards can considered to be in the set is up for debate. Some collectors do not consider these minor variations to be needed for a set. A basic set minus any variations and errors could consist of as few as 65 cards.

Exhibit Salutations (W462) Checklist

For purposes of the checklist below, only the recognized standard checklist, as well as the other slight photo variances I mentioned above, are listed.