Lot # 3158: Remarkable 1930s to 1940s R1-R224 Nonsport Type-Card Collection (375) Including R2, R7, R35, R202, R204 Holloway, and Other Extremely Rare Cards

Offered is an exceptional type-card collection of 375 "R" series nonsports cards and card-related items, representing gum cards issued during the 1930s and 1940s. Assembled over a period of many years by noted collector Chuck Ross, this collection encompasses almost the entirety of this subsection of the American Card Catalog and is noteworthy both for its overall level of completion as well as the many rarities present. It is a collection that would be nearly impossible to replicate and one that offers an immediate and wide-ranging overview of the many cards, sets, manufacturers, and subjects that populated the gum-card issues of this era. The condition of the collection ranges from Poor to Vg (with a few better), averaging Good overall.

The R1 through R180 American Card Catalog designations represent nonsport sets dating from 1933 through publication of the ACC. This offering includes a near-complete type-card collection of "R" nonsports series (167 of 180). Missing an example from the following 13 sets for completion of Burdick's original checklist: R64 Handee Cards, R82 Little Henry, R88 Matchem-Animals, R101 Novelties, R104 Nut Snax Poker, R117 Presidents, R140 Soldiers, R143 State Flowers, R148 Tattoo Prints, R149 Tilo Cards, R171 What's This (Illustrated Expressions), R178 Zoom Planes Premiums, and R179 U-Match-Em. Also missing R193 Jitterbug Dance Step Cards and R203 How-To-Do Cards.

Every other set from R1 through R180 is represented in this collection, with multiple examples from the following sets: R3, R19, R23, R24, R25, R27, R28, R40 ("Defending America" uncut 4-card panel), R43, R45, R56, R62 (includes wrapper), R77, R79, R83 (card plus premium), R91, R92, R125, R131, R146, R155 (includes wrapper), R160, R167, R168 ("War Scenes" uncut 8-card panel #133-140), R176, R177 (includes two different wrappers), R184-1 ("Indian Chiefs" complete set of 24 cards), R186, R190 ("America's Defenders" near-complete set of die-cut boxes [5 of 6], missing only Curtis P-40 for completion), R191 ("Big Alarm Candy" complete set), R192, R194 ("Our Gang" Gum Puzzles complete set of 25), and R196.

Key sets featured in this collection also include R2 Adventure Pictures (Holloway), R7 Airplane Pictures (Holloway), R32 Comic Gum Box cards, R35 Comic Pictures (Holloway), R37 Crime Did Not Pay, R45 Dopey’s Dominoes, R46 Famous Moments in American History, R81 Pulver Limericks, R106 Physical Culture Lessons, R111 Wool Candy Cards, R121 Scharley Questions, R180 Masks (Heads Up Gum), R181 Darby Picture Puzzles, R202 Firemen Pictures (Holloway), and R204 Policemen Pictures (Holloway). This impressive collection consists of cards from the 1930s and 1940s and is remarkable in its breadth, containing cards from many mainstream sets of the era in addition to a number of scarce and obscure sets (some of which we have never seen before). This group was undoubtedly assembled with great care and persistence. It is truly a collection unto itself! Total: 375 items (cards and card-related).