In 1935, the National Chicle gum company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, manufactured the first football card set, which included 36 cards. The inaugural set shows that the company put tremendous thought into each issue’s design. Every card presents collectors with an artistic masterpiece. In an era when so many sports cards showed static headshots, National Chicle mastered the action shot, which helped fans connect to the game.
National Chicle sold the cards in a pack with gum for a penny. Except for Knute Rockne, who is featured posthumously as a coach in this set and previously appeared in the 1933 Goudey Sport Kings set, every player’s card serves as their rookie. But none of them compare to card #34.
Widely considered the most famous and beloved vintage football card, it’s been well over a year since an example of as high a quality as this PSA 5.5 has hit the auction block. Considering its status in the collecting industry and the condition of this example, it’s likely plenty of bidders will be doing everything they can to ensnare this Bears legend before auction’s end.
Learn more about this legendary issue in our Guide to Bronko Nagurski’s 1935 National Chicle #34 Rookie Card: https://www.fanaticscollect.com/definitive-guides/a-guide-to-bronko-nagurskis-1935-national-chicle-34-rookie-card
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 10/09/24.
