1937 Godfrey Phillips Spot the Winner Set and Checklist

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Godfrey Phillips Spot the Winner
Year	1937
Size	1 1/2 x 2 5/8″
Images	Color
Type	Tobacco
Number in Set	50

1937 Godfrey Phillips Spot the Winner Overview

1934 Godfrey Phillips Spot the Winner Back.jpg Fred Perry 1934 Godfrey Phillips Spot the Winner Tennis.jpg This set featured athletes in an interesting tobacco card set. Packaged with tobacco company Godfrey Phillips’ products, this set of 50 cards displayed athletes from a variety of sports, including tennis, cricket, and soccer, among others. Included in the set is tennis legends Fred Perry and H.W. Austin, as well as boxers Len Harvey, Jack Petersen, and Tommy Farr.

Cards included color pictures of athletes on the front along with their name and a card number. A circular logo asked collectors to turn the cards over and ‘Spot the Winner.’ The backs of the cards were unique in that a mock horse race was pictured, regardless of the athlete shown on the front. Several horses were pictured and the collector had to moisten an area on the card to determine which horse was the winner.

Today, the cards are somewhat rare and not easy to find. Prices on them are generally low, however, with commons selling for $1 or less.

I have seen this set sometimes offered as a 1934 issue. However, it appears to be from 1937.

A unique quirk in this set is that cards can be found with the backs printed right side up (in line with the front of the card) or upside down. While the upside down cards are a bit unique, they are not incredibly difficult to find.