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In 1933, the Goudey Gum Company
of Boston, Massachusetts, produced a
240 set of "Big League Chewing Gum"
baseball cards. The packs were issued
with a stick of bubble gum, making them
the first baseball gum cards. Endorsed
by Lou Gehrig in 1934, Goudey created
the Knot Hole League, a new collecting
club that rewarded members that saved
Big League wrappers with "New Free
Baseball Premiums." All you had to do
was send in twenty Big League wrappers,
with 3¢ in stamps, and you became a
member.
In 1935 Bill Devlin was appointed the new President of Goudey's Knot Hole
League of America, with Lou Gehrig and
Goudey parting ways. Gehrig's name on
the Knot hole League emblem featured on
the wrapper, was replaced with the word
"Official." The 1935 Big
League Chewing Gum wrappers featured a
silhouette of Babe Ruth swatting a home
run, and a cut out premium redemption
coupon. Send in 150 Big league Coupons
or 50 coupons and 10¢ (stamps or coin) Goudey sent you a
1935 Knot Hole League
Membership card, the 1935 premium list,
and the Official Ring of the Knot Hole
League.
The coupons could be redeemed for premiums which included, a Knot hole
baseball for 200 coupons, a fielders
glove for 300 coupons (Official Knot
Hole fielders glove 500 coupons), or a
Big League baseball cap for 200
coupons. These "swell" premiums were
also made available for a lower number
of coupons íf accompanied with with
money ranging from .10-.50 cents. The
big item, a
"Dizzy and Daffy" baseball
suit, which would set you back 1,000
coupons, could be had for 250 coupons
and $1.00.
You could also save the remaining part of the wrapper, and for 10 of
these, your storekeeper will give you a
large 5½" x 9½" picture of one of the
following; Washington Senators, Oscar
Melillo, Wally Berger, Lefty Gomez,
Cleveland Indians, Vito Tamulis, Johnny
Babich, Dick Bartell, Mel Ott, or the
Boston Red Sox
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