Bernie James - 1933 Goudey #208
1933 Goudey #208 Bernie James
No team banner: this card comes from Goudey's late-1933 press sheets 8-10, which dropped the team-name banner from the front design.
About Bernie James
Robert Byrne "Bernie" James was born September 2, 1905, in Angleton, Texas. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, he broke into pro ball at 18 with Ardmore, Oklahoma, and later starred at second base for Dallas of the Texas League, hitting .298 with 42 stolen bases in 149 games. That performance earned him a shot with the Boston Braves, where he debuted on April 24, 1929, and split the 1929-1930 seasons as a utility infielder. The Giants purchased him from Dallas for the 1933 season, when New York won the National League pennant and beat the Washington Senators in the World Series for their first title since 1922. James, a reserve who played second, third, short, and even center field, later said he "didn't get to play in that World Series" as a utility man, though he did draw a winner's share check. His final big-league game came October 1, 1933; over three seasons he hit .257 (61-for-237) with 1 home run and 20 RBI in 114 games. He died August 1, 1994, in San Antonio, Texas.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 305 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 29 | 30 | 54 | 171 | 3 |
| SGC | 136 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 87 | 8 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-03. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1933 Goudey Bernie James card?
It is card #208 of the 1933 Goudey (R319) Baseball set - the 240-card, 2-3/8 by 2-7/8 inch color-art set issued in 1933 with Big League Chewing Gum. It pictures Bernie James with the New York Giants.
Why does this card have no team banner?
It comes from Goudey's late-1933 press sheets 8-10, which dropped the team-name banner from the front design - 72 cards in the set share the bannerless look.
Is the 1933 Goudey Bernie James #208 a rookie card?
By modern catalog convention, yes. 1933 Goudey is treated as the hobby's first major nationally distributed gum set, so nearly every card in it carries the rookie-card (RC) designation - a modern label applied retroactively, since many of these players had earlier tobacco, caramel, or strip cards.
How many cards are in the 1933 Goudey set?
240 numbered cards, though collectors usually count 241 collectible cards because #6 Jimmy Dykes exists in an error and a corrected version. Only 239 numbers were in 1933 packs - #106 (Nap Lajoie) was printed in 1934 and issued by mail.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-04.