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How to Spot a 1933 Goudey Reprint

The 1933 Goudey baseball card set is loaded with popular stars of the time like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Tony Lazzeri and Nap Lajoie (Lajoie's card was not included in packs and collectors had to get it directly from the company.) Acquiring any of these cards is a dream come true for any collector. But you have to be on the lookout for cards that aren't the real deal. The 1933 set has been reprinted and someone might try to pass off the reprint as the real thing.

Things You'll Need

Goudey baseball cards
Magnifying glass
Microscope
Light source

Instructions

- 1
  Check the front of the card. Because the card is nearly 80 years old, the genuine article will show some wear and tear. Gloss may indicate a reprint and not the real thing.
- 2
  Look at the text on the card front. Goudey cards have the player's name in darker text in the upper left corner and the words "Big League Chewing Gum" on a red background at the bottom.
- 3
  Check the card's back. The text on the back of Goudey cards is green. A reprint card may have text of a different color.
- 4
  By using a microscope or magnifying glass, you can detect whether the card's text is printed in dot matrix. This type of printing was not around at the time the set was originally produced.
- 5
  Feel the card's sides. The original 240-card set was printed on thick paper stock. A card that looks or feels thin may be a reprint.
- 6
  Hold the card up to the light. A card's opacity can often determine whether the stock used to print the card was thick or thin. The 1933 Goudey stock will not let much light through.
- 7
  Beware of older-looking cards. A card may look worn, but someone might have roughed it up to make it look old and therefore real to an unsuspecting buyer.

Sports Cards Collecting