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The 1935 National Chicle Football Set Registry Collectors Thread

The first nationally distributed set of football cards makes up a compact, collectible, and artistic set of just 36 cards. Consequently, it is remarkable to me that here in 2010 this is the first attempt to have a dedicated Set Registry thread on the Message Boards.

These cards are such important sports rarities and lately I have become impressed with them. No football cards are more museum-esque. It's little wonder that they've become so popular with collectors considering their low population numbers and the fact that they are some of the earliest cardboard depictions of what has become America's Game. Coincidentally, the cards capture a terrific time in the sport - right when the National Football League was rising out of the propulsion of Red Grange's barnstorming tours.

I personally know of two collectors that are building this Registry Set - Joe and Jasen. There is a vintage football card collector in my area that has told me that 1935 National Chicles remind him of old fair posters. It seems a most appropriate description.

Last week I registered my set only with my existing 1935 Hall Of Fame rookie cards. As tradition has it, I had to do a "Buy It Now" on a card upon registering my set to get the momentum going. I have done so and will post that new addition once it arrives.

Does anyone have a favorite Chicle card out of the set? Seeing scan would be terrific.

What better card to post than the very first card of this first nationally distributed football set - #1 Dutch Clark, and a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

image

Comments

  • BigDaddyBowmanBigDaddyBowman Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭
    my favorite...

    image

    the Nagurski would be, if I had it!


    I am "sort of" building this set. I have about 10 of them. I pick them up here and there when price is right....I would say it is a long term set build.


  • << <i>The first nationally distributed set of football cards makes up a compact, collectible, and artistic set of just 36 cards. Consequently, it is remarkable to me that here in 2010 this is the first attempt to have a dedicated Set Registry thread on the Message Boards.

    These cards are such important sports rarities and lately I have become impressed with them. No football cards are more museum-esque. It's little wonder that they've become so popular with collectors considering their low population numbers and the fact that they are some of the earliest cardboard depictions of what has become America's Game. Coincidentally, the cards capture a terrific time in the sport - right when the National Football League was rising out of the propulsion of Red Grange's barnstorming tours.

    I personally know of two collectors that are building this Registry Set - Joe and Jasen. There is a vintage football card collector in my area that has told me that 1935 National Chicles remind him of old fair posters. It seems a most appropriate description.

    Last week I registered my set only with my existing 1935 Hall Of Fame rookie cards. As tradition has it, I had to do a "Buy It Now" on a card upon registering my set to get the momentum going. I have done so and will post that new addition once it arrives.

    Does anyone have a favorite Chicle card out of the set? Seeing scan would be terrific.

    What better card to post than the very first card of this first nationally distributed football set - #1 Dutch Clark, and a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

    image >>

    Successful transactions with FavreFan1971, ffishonn, Davemri, Publius, DavidPuddy, frcarvell, recbball, and many others...
  • Keith, that is as nice as 7 as you will ever see....I cant believe how white those borders are...wow!

    Pete
    Successful transactions with FavreFan1971, ffishonn, Davemri, Publius, DavidPuddy, frcarvell, recbball, and many others...
  • nearmintnearmint Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭
    My faves are the Pirates' bumblebee uniforms.

    image


  • << <i>
    I personally know of two collectors that are building this Registry Set - Joe and Jasen.
    >>



    Keith, ssshhhhh!! Thats supposed to be on the down low buddy! image

    One of THE best sets outside the 48 leaf, definately one of my favorite sets. So hard to find centered and in the high numbers, Im half way through a 10 year plan to put this set together...

    Ive always loved this card because it looks like the guy is squatting to drop a duece

    image

    And this is the newest addition to the collection, so the one Im proudest of, until I can get my hands on another one that is image

    image


    Doug Spanning did a really good article in Gridiron Greats a few months (that shared a cover with another great set image ) on the back variations of the set. He knows more about this set than anyone I know, i think he has two sets on the registry.


    Great thread idea buddy, and one that has definately been long overdue!
  • Ryan - dude, that is one terrific-looking mid-grade Hinkle! The visual effect is enhanced with the black-framed SGC holder. I don't know if any of the set's other 36 cards look better than the Hinkle. The color and composition are stellar. In fact, I chose it as the subject of an article for a Mike Denero's Vintage Sportscards column just a few months ago. To me, that is one of the nicest scans you've shared lately - and you have been a fantastic contributor of nice scans.

    Near Mint - good lookin' out. The bumblebee-attired gridironers certainly help distinguish this set from others. I think there are three that fit the description - Ben Smith, Ben Ciccone, and the subject Warren Heller card. These guys are dressed like jailbreakers that decided to bring a football with them. image

    Joe - I'm not surprised that you checked in with some high-end quality! Your nice Turk Edwards is a card I'm familiar with from your #2 ranked HOF Rookies Set. The Redskin logo centered on the jersey is mega cool. I think that's something on Cliff Battles' card, maybe the Pug Rentner card and maybe some others. It's interesting that Chicles are a 10-year-plan for you, Joe. (That could be the same for me, especially with my distracting propensity in acccumulating HOF RCs and '52 Bowman Larges).

    As an aside, for anyone that hasn't done so, look for Joe's sets as "Publius" on various vintage football registries. He's compiling one of the best vintage football card collections in existence and he's building on it all the time. He's a great guy to chat with on the phone about cards too. image

    Thanks for the Dutch Clark compliments, Pete. I just bought that one three months ago from a Mile High Card Co. auction. When the auction opened, I knew that I wanted that card right away. Both the image and borders are every bit as bright as they appear here on the Message Board. I was ready to bid even higher so I was elated to find that no other bidder pushed the bid amount any higher. I already sent the card to PSA for review. Bump denied. It's staying a '7'.

    On some levels, it seems that the Dutch Clark card from this set can be considered the first nationally-distributed football card. Can anyone corroborate that?

    I recently received my new addition to this set - and my first common. I'll try to add the handsome antiquity to my Registry and also post a scan here by this weekend.

    For a "peace out" image, we all know that "The Galloping Ghost" Red Grange was not a part of this storied set of cards. I think he just retired the year prior. I posted this Type I photo from my collection because I think that this set conveys that same type of period imagery that makes one harken nostalgic to a more loosely-hewn league of facemaskless, lightly-padded players. These are players that mingled with the crowd during and after games and might have even had to go work at a job once the game had ended.

    Great thread idea buddy, and one that has definately been long overdue!

    Well, I figured that 75 years was long enough.

    image

  • macboubemacboube Posts: 336 ✭✭
    Keith

    AVS and I thought about attempting a high grade Chicle set, however, the Nagurski pricing makes it virtually impossible. Mike Kenyon offered us a high grade set in all 7's and 8's without the Nagurski, and by the time you finish paying for the set without him, you have spent a small fortune. Then when we started factoring in the fact that an 8 of Bronk is just insanely $$$$$ prohibitive, and even 7's are highly costly and hardly ever available, we quickly aborted any attempt to purchase. We love the set, and it is far and away our second favorite vintage football set after the All-Americans. Also, collecting anything in less than 8's is not our thing. Yes, we are spoiled, pretentious, ostentatious, etc., etc . etc.






    MacBoob
  • Jim, interesting that you rank the Chicles as your 2nd fave football set. I buy into some of your "spoiledness" as I'm mostly interested in PSA 8s going forward. Yes, the Nagurski is a tough one to figure in. It's that challenge that I like! My Nagurski 3 is a placeholder as I still have it from when I just started collecting two years ago. You guys are two collectors that I respect but it's just fine if you indeed decided not to become high end Chicle collectors. image That's because there are so few high end Chicles! When your partner Allen comes out here to fish again, I'll have to show him some of my Chicles.

    I just added my new addition to this Registry below. I figure that Pug was a major hit with the ladies and you can see why right here:

    image
  • nearmintnearmint Posts: 1,111 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Near Mint - good lookin' out. The bumblebee-attired gridironers certainly help distinguish this set from others. I think there are three that fit the description - Ben Smith, Ben Ciccone, and the subject Warren Heller card. These guys are dressed like jailbreakers that decided to bring a football with them. >>


    Yes, here are all three. Wouldn't it be fun to see the Steelers wear these as throwbacks? That would even top the Broncos' striped socks!

    imageimageimage
  • macboubemacboube Posts: 336 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Near Mint - good lookin' out. The bumblebee-attired gridironers certainly help distinguish this set from others. I think there are three that fit the description - Ben Smith, Ben Ciccone, and the subject Warren Heller card. These guys are dressed like jailbreakers that decided to bring a football with them. >>


    Yes, here are all three. Wouldn't it be fun to see the Steelers wear these as throwbacks? That would even top the Broncos' striped socks!

    imageimageimage >>




    Yes, it would be cool, and it would be way way cool if they had to wear those helmets, too! That has to be one of my favorite helmets of all time. Those really complete the whole package, eh?
  • macboubemacboube Posts: 336 ✭✭


    << <i>I just added my new addition to this Registry below. I figure that Pug was a major hit with the ladies and you can see why right here:

    image >>



    Keith, he looks way to nice be named "Pug" and playing football for the 'Skins back in the day when men were men.........Love the old parting of the hair in the middle, too. Very sweet 8.5 indeed. Wonderful card.


  • << <i>Keith

    AVS and I thought about attempting a high grade Chicle set, however, the Nagurski pricing makes it virtually impossible. Mike Kenyon offered us a high grade set in all 7's and 8's without the Nagurski, and by the time you finish paying for the set without him, you have spent a small fortune. Then when we started factoring in the fact that an 8 of Bronk is just insanely $$$$$ prohibitive, and even 7's are highly costly and hardly ever available, we quickly aborted any attempt to purchase. We love the set, and it is far and away our second favorite vintage football set after the All-Americans. Also, collecting anything in less than 8's is not our thing. Yes, we are spoiled, pretentious, ostentatious, etc., etc . etc.


    MacBoob
    >>


    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Your starting to give the Bruce's on N54 a run for their money with all your "we this" and "we that" talk. Stick to your 55's and leave the Chicles to the big boys image

    Great pickup Keith. That Pug was on Ebay for a long time, I think I made the seller 3 offers looking for a deal. I guess he was waiting for someone with deep pockets to come along, from AK, who runs marathons, with no shirt on....

    image
  • Keith,

    I'm sorry to see you are starting this set, I was hoping to put together a trade for that nice looking Dutch! image Seriously, though, I'm sure you'll really enjoy putting it together. We'll have to catch up again soon.

    Jasen
  • The Chicles on the Memory Lane site are the most amazing gathering I have ever seen in one place. My mouth is still agape. As I suggested on the other Bowman thread - lets get a consortium of sorts to purchase the No. 2 set. 10 x $25K ea. = $250K. Done. Big wow. And the Nagurski's.......my word!
  • Great pickup Keith. That Pug was on Ebay for a long time, I think I made the seller 3 offers looking for a deal. I guess he was waiting for someone with deep pockets to come along, from AK, who runs marathons, with no shirt on....

    J-Sizzle, "deep pockets"? How 'bout trying "empty pockets" - especially since landing that '48 Leaf Doak Walker 8 recently. Maybe the empty pockets are why I can't afford a shirt for those Alaskan marathons, dog. image

    Jim, I saw you write elsewhere about my Type I photograph (depicted above) that none other than Jim Thorpe is the man seated two persons away from Red Grange. I never knew that! I don't even believe that the auction house that I bought the photograph from mentioned that in their description. If so, that makes the photo much cooler to me. In fact, they would be the guys representing the first two cards of the Football HOF RCs Set.

    As for organizing a ten-buyer consortium for MLI's amazing Big Game Auction's Chicle Set - that's certainly an idea. I guess it could be hard to do too. I just wonder how one would make an equitable division of the 36 cards. Overall, what a jaw-dropping assemblage of Chicles!

    Well, at the end of the day none of the above matters anyway. Now that I'm a Facebook Fan of Squires Electric, I've accomplished all that I will ever want or need.

    image
  • I like your idea of the consortium Jim. What an awesome set. I wonder what the purchase price will end up being? It's a museum piece.
    Collecting HOF RC's in hockey, baseball, football and basketball. A fool's errand some have said.


  • Jim, I saw you write elsewhere about my Type I photograph (depicted above) that none other than Jim Thorpe is the man seated two persons away from Red Grange. I never knew that! I don't even believe that the auction house that I bought the photograph from mentioned that in their description. If so, that makes the photo much cooler to me. In fact, they would be the guys representing the first two cards of the Football HOF RCs Set.

    Can't believe you didnt realize that was the All-American himself, Jim Thorpe, on the bench next to Grange. Perhaps the fact that he is in a suit threw you. It is a wonderful photo - classic look on Grange's face. Who do you think the babe in the middle is? Thorpe's wife? Girlfriend? Or some lucky bimbo who has the today's world equivilant of Peyton Manning and Joe Montana sitting on each side of her? LOL


  • << <i>I like your idea of the consortium Jim. What an awesome set. I wonder what the purchase price will end up being? It's a museum piece. >>



    Vince - I am guessing it won't sell - $225K to start is a pretty big nut - and add in the BP and your over a 1/4 mil.

    See, my consortium idea is not all that crazy. Get ten fools from this mssg. bd. to pony up, and we set up a rotation so that each gets to hold the set for 2 to 3 months, then on to the next guy. Hey, instead of buying a new car or sending the kids to private school, you own 1/10th of the second greatest Chicle set in the galaxy. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
  • Not crazy at all Jim. Nutty but not crazy, if that makes sense.

    The set will be a good litmus for the market -- I think it'll go. God knows there are quite a few of us tragics out here.
    Collecting HOF RC's in hockey, baseball, football and basketball. A fool's errand some have said.
  • There's a nice column out there about the Second-Highest Rated 1935 National Chicle Set that's currently offered at the much-celebrated Memory Lane "Football-Only" Big Game Auction.

    Joe, yeah dude that's a pretty funny moniker you've attached to your Turk Edwards (HOF) card above. It's interesting - lots of Yogi Berra cards depict him in that squatting position but no one ever thinks about him that way. Also, congrats to you in adding your #4 Ed Matesic card to move up to the 13th Rank. It also looks like there are only two collectors above you that are doing it with loftier grades. Nice stuff.

    Despite Mr. Pug Rentner's dashing good looks (some call him "The Squires Of The '30s"), three cards I've taken a particular aesthetic liking to are #24 Clark Hinkle (HOF), #26 John Isola, and #30 Ernie Caddel. If one has an Isola or Caddel scan to drop here, that would be mega-cool. Here's my Hinkle - a Green Bay Packer Rusher and Kicker. Hinkle was once the NFL's All-Time Leading Rusher and was chummy with Bronko Nagurski...

    image

  • ...three cards I've taken a particular aesthetic liking to are #24 Clark Hinkle (HOF), #26 John Isola, and #30 Ernie Caddel. If one has an Isola or Caddel scan to drop here, that would be mega-cool.

    Go fo' what you know, bro. And One!

    image

  • Really? No one is going to step up with a Caddel scan? I'm going to have to break out my ghetto example? Fine, ya' bastids...

    image

    One of the ugliest PSA 3 cards you will ever see, but when it comes to these high numbers, I take them when I can get them.

    Keith, dibs on that Bronk when you upgrade!

    Snorto~


  • << <i>, but when it comes to these high numbers, I take them when I can get them.

    Keith, dibs on that Bronk when you upgrade!

    Snorto~ >>



    No kidding. I have my eye on quite a few of them in the memory lane auction, you dont get a chance to pick up this many chicles at once very often.

    Great looking Isola Keith, really nicely centered, looks like you and I butted heads on that card buddy, lets try to coordinate that a bit better like we were talking about image

  • To me, there's no "ghetto example" of that fine Caddel! Scott, what a card - in any grade. Thanks for completing the Hinkle-Isola-Caddel trifecta. Is the grass always greener? Yes - the Caddel is the one of those three cards that I don't own and of course I marvel most at the imagery. Caddel is running hard with an intense look. The background is special too. It looks like one of the "jailbroken" Pittsburg(h) Pirates (Pittsburgh Steelers) couldn't make the tackle and the referee is even amped as he's about to thrust his arms up to signal for a touchdown!

    J-Sizzle, yeah you know me - denigrating the hobby by spearheading auction collusion rings. image ...ain't how I roll. Just added the Isola to my Chicle Registry.

    -Keith
  • Collectors are awfully lucky that these Chicles "piggybacked" onto the format of baseball's well-designed 1934-36 Diamond Stars. Otherwise, I doubt that the National Chicle Gum Co. would have spent much time concurrently in building an independent design for their football cards at a time when the NFL was little more than a fledgling institution. The beneficiaries of this terrific design are...well, collectors like those here.

    Chicles are pretty special. Surrounding oneself with a number of high grade examples of this first nationally-distributed football set make one feel like they're building a real legacy collection - or even a family heirloom. There are not many football cards that emit such an aura. They're the earliest depiction of our nation's most popular sport - printed upon the most popular sports memorabilia collecting medium ever known.

    -----------------------------------------

    Does anyone have an example of Hall Of Fame rookie Cliff Battles' card without the usual print defect (PD)?

    The defect shows near the center of the card, just behind Battles' left elbow. The Battles PD is common and appears to have no significant effect on sale price. The pose and color of the card make #10 Cliff Battles one of the better-looking Chicles. My Battles is below.

    image
  • Anybody have low grade chicles FS, PSA 1 or 2?
  • FavreFan1971FavreFan1971 Posts: 3,105 ✭✭✭
    Hey Colts. If you are looking for 1's and 2's Ebay has a decent amount of Raw out there for the more common cards. Good luck with the set
  • Ya but I don't have a PSA subscription so I could never send them in.
  • recbballrecbball Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭
    FSH
    I paid $132.50 for this card on 4/23/14
    Selling for $125.00 shipped.


    image
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Man this thread brought a tear to my eye, some great Football collectors in this thread from back in the day!

    Seeing Weinhold's posts reminded me of how great a collector he was and how much he appreaciated the artwork of the Vintage Football, unfortunately I havnt seen him around in years.

    Also a big shout out to my old friends BigDaddyBowman and Publius if your still poking around here! image
  • Recbball, Did you upgrade your Caddel? I'd love to see it.
  • recbballrecbball Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭
    Thanks for asking.

    '35 National Chicles
  • DavemriDavemri Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭
    Beautiful Nags.... image

    FINISHED 12/8/2008!!!
    image
  • Nice Cadell! I saw that on PWCC, but decided to stick with my 3.5. I think you can really climb if you upgrade the rest of your high numbers ( other than Nags and Cadell). I'm personally shooting for 3s on high numbers.

    That looks an awful lot like Dave's Nags image


  • << <i>Man this thread brought a tear to my eye, some great Football collectors in this thread from back in the day!

    Seeing Weinhold's posts reminded me of how great a collector he was and how much he appreaciated the artwork of the Vintage Football, unfortunately I havnt seen him around in years.

    Also a big shout out to my old friends BigDaddyBowman and Publius if your still poking around here! image >>



    You rock Paul! I enjoyed reading this thread too. image

    Make it to a national someday and let's grab a drink
  • I have a question on the weights. Does anyone know why the Battles, Strong, Edwards, and Hinkle only have a 2.0 weight? As a result 4/6 of the HOFers in the set have the same weight as many of the commons. Thnaks for any comments - I know no one has posted here in a while.
  • recbballrecbball Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭
    My set is up for auction at Huggins and Scott, (ends 08/06):

    '35 low #s
    '35 Hi #s
    '35 Nagurski
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