Lot # 956: 1939 R334 Play Ball Near-Complete Set (158/161)

Very attractive near-complete set of 1939 Play Balls, the first of three major baseball-card sets by Gum, Inc., consisting of 158 of the 161 total cards in the set. Missing the following three cards for completion: #26 Joe DiMaggio, 56 Greenberg, and 92 Ted Williams. This landmark near-complete set includes all of the other major stars and Hall of Famers of the era. The rarer high-number series cards (#116-162) in 1939 Play Ball have always made the assembly of a complete set particularly challenging for collectors. Low Numbers (#1-115): Condition is 8% Vg-Ex (including a couple Ex), 62% Gd to Vg, and 30% Pr to Fr (including one trimmed). Keys: #1 Powell (Vg), 3 Ruffing (Vg), 6 Durocher (Vg), 7 Doerr (Gd), 30 Dickey (Pr), 39 Ferrell (Pr-Fr), 48 Gomez (Fr), 50 Gehringer (Pr due to scraped-off writing on bottom border), 51 Ott (Pr), 53 Hubbell (Fr), 55 Vaughan (Vg), 82 Klein (Pr), 89 L. Waner (Gd), 94 Manush (Gd), 103 Berg (Pr), 112 P. Waner (Fr), and 113 Schacht (Vg). High Numbers (#116-162): Condition is 30% Vg-Ex to Ex, 52% Gd to Vg, and 18% Pr to Fr (including one altered). Key: #143 Averill (Pr). While 1939 Play Balls are numbered #1 through 162, no #126 was ever issued, making the set complete at 161 cards. The 46 high-number cards and the numerous Hall of Famers naturally give this set an impressive break value. This mostly mid-grade near-set has many highlights and offers an outstanding value, representing an extremely desirable and relatively affordable alternative to a higher-grade set of this classic prewar gum issue. Total: 158 cards.