This is a complete 72-card run of 1941 Play Ball. It was the first color issue from Gum, Inc., and the company’s last prewar baseball release. The hand-tinted portraits and action poses against bold, solid backgrounds make this one of the most attractive sets of the era. The key card is Joe DiMaggio’s #71, which shows the Yankee Clipper mid-swing on a deep purple background. He’s joined by his brothers, Dom #63 and Vince #61, so all three DiMaggios are here together. That’s a favorite feature of the set.

Ted Williams appears on #14, released in the year he hit .406, and Pee Wee Reese’s rookie card is #54. Other Hall of Famers include Carl Hubbell, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, Red Ruffing, Bill Dickey, Lefty Gomez, Chuck Klein and Bobby Doerr. Many of them come from the scarcer high-number series (49-72).

Two back styles appear in the set. Some backs advertise Blony Super Bubble Gum and carry a 1941 copyright, and others promote the “Sports Hall of Fame” series.

The cards grade mostly in the VG range overall. Color is bright and the images are clean, with the expected rounding at the corners and some wear on the edges. The set has strong eye appeal and is a complete example of one of the best-loved prewar issues.