1932 Astra / Sanella Margarine Set

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Sanella Margarine and Astra Margarine
Year	1932
Size	2 3/4″ x 4 1/16″
Images	Color
Type	Food
Number in Set	112

1932 Sanella Margarine and Astra Margarine Overview

While the set is mostly referred to as the Sanella issue, two companies actually distributed it – Sanella Margarine and Astra Margarine.

The German manufacturers produced this multi-sport set in 1932. Since these were German issues, text on the backs is entirely in German. The 112-card issue doesn’t draw much attention these days from American collectors with the exception of two baseball cards and a few of the other sports, which appear in the set checklist.

Sanella is, by far, the more common of the two. Astra cards are much more difficult to find and, as a result, more valuable. The difference between the two cards can be found on the back. One type has the Sanella logo while the other has the Astra mark.

The two types of cards are easy to spot from their backs. Sanella cards have their cursive-type logo while the Astra cards have a simple, bolded font.

Babe Ruth and Major Sports

One baseball player is a Japanese catcher, who is not identified on his card. However, I am almost positive that it is Japanese Hall of Famer Jiro Kuji for many reasons.

The second is New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth. The 1932 Sanella Margarine card is one of the most affordable Ruth issues from his playing days that you can find. The Ruth Sanella cards can be found for as little as $100.00 – $150.00.

Another interesting card is one featuring the sport netball. Netball sort of evolved from basketball when it was a new sport and while it’s not exactly basketball, it’s close and can be considered as sort of a pre-war basketball card. Finally, of the four major sports, an ice hockey (picturing a goalie making a save) is here, too. Other popular sports in the set include boxing, tennis, wrestling, and golf. Some of the athletes are identified while others are not.

Three or Four Types?

Three types of Sanella and Astra cards are absolutely known to exist. Many listings specify there is actually a fourth type but that is actually in doubt.

The three known types of Sanella cards are as follows (and pictured left to right here):

Type 1: Logo centered with page number 83 on the back
Type 2: Logo at the bottom with no mention of Page No. 83 the top
Type 3: Logo at the bottom with a mention of ’83’ (Card No.) at the top

The fourth reported type is a version of a card with the Sanella logo centered and without the page number at the top. Adding to confusion is that at least one PSA Sanella card I have seen is labeled as Type 4 but actually Type 1. The fourth type is not likely to exist. Here’s a bit more on that claim.

To date, I am only aware of two types of Astra cards – one with a centered logo and one with a logo at the bottom. All Astra cards I have seen have included a page number but it is likely that some do not, which would mean three types exist for those, too.

One question that doesn’t seem to come up very often (likely due to the lack of interest about the other cards) is if all of the cards in the set can be found with all types of backs. While I have never confirmed that they can, my belief is that they do simply because I have seen too many front/back combinations for the same subject. It is difficult to imagine that only some have some variations.

1932 Sanella Album and Card Numbering

In addition to the cards, Sanella also produced an album, which you will see for sale from time to time. The albums included descriptions and places for collectors to store the cards. Titled, ‘Handbuch der Sports’, the translated version is “Handbook of Sports” or “Sports Handbook.”

It is important to note that the cards are not numbered but may appear that way at first. Some cards on the back mention the page number where they appear. The number can sometimes be mistaken for a card number, but it is easy to spot that is not the case as several cards have the same number. The number on the cards refers to the page in the album where the card belongs.

Dating – 1932 or 1933?

There is often some confusion among collectors regarding the date of this issue – is it from 1932 or 1933? Most, including PSA, consider this to be a 1932 issue. And unless these cards were issued very early in 1933, that seems to be correct.

The backs advertise something about missing pictures starting in February 1933. So unless these cards were distributed in January 1933, they are likely to be a 1932 issue.

1932 Sanella / Astra Margarine Checklist

The Sanella / Astra Margarine Checklist is not an easy one for American collectors since the backs of the cards are entirely in German. However, I have developed one based on the set I have.

I have tried to highlight the key German words in the title (naming a person when one is named and/or describing the scene in English). In addition, some of the cards have the aforementioned page numbers on them, depending on the variation. I have added those at the end.