Christie’s offered this extremely scarce 1941 Play Ball paper sheet of twelve cards in their October 1993 catalog. It was expected to sell for $750-$1,000.
With cardboard being a critical commodity leading up to the US involvement in World War II, Play Ball issued a 24-card paper version of their 1941 baseball set. The “cards” were issued in two 12-card sheets. A scarce test issue to begin with, these cards were more fragile than their cardboard counterparts, which has made them increasingly difficult to find.
In the lot’s description, Christie’s wrote that in 1941, Gum Inc. produced two paper proof sheets. The lot pictured above had twelve cards, numbered 1 to 12, printed on thin paper stock. This one was described as being in near-mint condition.
Heritage Auctions sold another copy of the same paper uncut sheet for $720 in May 2019.
And in August 2023, Huggins and Scott offered both sheets, but the current/final price shows “0.00” after opening at $500, so perhaps it got pulled.
