Mastro offered a complete set of 96 1934 Goudey cards in their November 2000 auction. That’s a cool enough set on its own, but what set the lot apart was the inclusion of the two albums Goudey produced to house the 1934 production.
The lot’s description started with a description of the set, which included 69 graded examples and two PSA 9s (#56 and #66). But to me, the albums were the lot’s crown jewel, and the auction house included quite a description of them:
Not widely known is that Goudey produced two albums to accommodate their 1934 production. They were created with the tradional colors of dark blue for the National League and red for the American League. (This is contrary to the colors reported in the 2000 edition of the S.C.D. baseball annual.) For the sake of simplicity, the album pages afford 10 designated spaces for cards per team, plus an introductory section for the league’s respective All-Star selections. All this was well-engineered as the 96 card production represented the 16 teams in excellent distribution. For each album, any open page represented one team, and the teams are sequenced in each according to their league standing from 1933. For good measure, each team’s vital statistics are profiled in an orderly format. A little secret is divulged in their pages however. The All-Star selection in each reports the game’s score for the 1934 showcase. Lead time to produce the albums the albums following the July 10th All-Star Game is tantamount to their late season appearances very likely with the sparsely distributed high numbers only. This is further supported by a one-page entry in both albums itemizing the 12 baseball quizes appearing on the last series card numbers 73 through 4. And, of course, the albums invite the reader to find the answer on cards 85 through 96. As for their condition, we may forgive the mild rusting of the staples especially on the strength of their immaculate condition otherwise. The National League album is slightly faded around the perimeter of the front cover which is mentioned here only for the benefit of accuracy. Both albums are unhandled; their pages firmly intact, and without blemish. The accomplishment of a complete set of ’34 Goudey is a mighty task in itself, but now, and here, is the opportunity to take this issue to its highest level one that includes both of its very rare albums.
The minimum bid was $9,000.
I’ve only found a few “recent” sales. REA sold this faded pair for $1,035 in the spring of 2004.
REA added that the “Albums were available by mail in exchange for a very expensive 50 wrappers each, and, according to advertising materials, some store owners also gave an album as a special prize to the youngster who bought the very last pack of 1934 Goudey baseball cards to finish the store’s display box.”
Heritage sold the following National League album for $210 in November 2021 and an internally damaged pair for $286.80 in May 2014.
Hopefully, the next time a pair comes to market, I’ll have enough money to afford them because, in 2024 or beyond, I suspect they’ll go for well over $1k.