1934 R314-A Gold Medal Foods - Goose Goslin

HOFer Goose Goslin was an extra-base hit and RBI machine. He was also an excellent left-fielder. Most of his career was with the Washington Senators. In 1934 the Tigers traded for him as the Senators were looking to save money and couldn't afford Goslin anymore. Goose joined Detroit's other big-time players beginning with G and were collectively named the G-Men. He scored 100 runs and knocked in another 100 that season. The other G-Men, Gehringer and Greenberg, inexplicable do not appear in the set.

A note on the name of the set. Most of the old card sets bear a classification code invented by an old-time collector, Jefferson Burdick. He created the Standard Catalog way back in the day before collecting was a big-time thing. This set is designated R313-A. The "R" designates it as a gum and candy card from the 30s ("E" is used for gum and candy cards from earlier). It really should be an "F" card, which is used for food, but it is likely that Burdick did not know where they came from at the time and assumed they were similar to the Goudey and National Chicle cards from the same time. The 313 is basically where it came in the order he surmised in the sequence of R cards of the time. and the "-A" is there because the National Chicle Fine Pens are actually R313s, and presumably the Gold Medals were at one time considered related to them (although the photo quality, shine, and paper thickness are quite different).

Oddly, there are several random cards that appear to be from Gold Medal Foods that are clearly not from the World Series set. These cards are very rare and don't make a lot of sense, and are informally known as R313A-2 (whereas the Gold medals would be R313A-1). It is a fascinating subject to research though, given the oddities and mysteries involved. Some examples of how weird the "-2" cards are... there are (at least) four minor league cards of the Des Moines Demons, I only know of 1 of each in existence. There is a player who last appeared in a game in 1933 (also likely only one known), yet most of the other subjects appear to be from the 1934 season. Many of the included players are not very good. A recent team set of another minor league team was discovered and is also believed to be from Gold Medal Foods (also only one known of each). Being a full set of its own, an R313A-3 designation seems appropriate.

Tommy Bridges

Jo Jo White

Paul Dean

Pepper Martin

Fred Marberry

Bill Hallahan

Ducky Medwick

Frankie Frisch

Billy Rogell