This 1936 R312 "Pastel" premium set from National Chicle features hand-tinted coloring and, for many players, rosy features. Its beautiful central portraits shows Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey just short of 30, in the prime of his Cooperstown career. He spent many years New York as player and coach, even managing for a season in 1946 and garnering his 11th All-Star Game. His experience organizing Pacific theater teams during WWII no doubt influenced his decision to remain in the game as a leader thereafter.

Clean examples of any R312 player prove hard to find, let alone in middle or high grades. The set's oversized (5 3/8" x 4"), paper-thin stock left them vulnerable to a whole range of issues. This Dickey premium escaped almost all potential harm and SGC's population report shows none graded higher than EX 6! Its slight print tilt, light corner touches, and reverse ink ghost merit the technical grade. This otherwise stands out as a near-perfect example from a classic 1930s set.