The 1933 Goudey set is one of the few sets (like the T-206 set or the 1952 Topps set, for example) that is so big, so innovative, and so loaded with important cards that it has come to practically define its era. When a collector thinks about the gum card issues from the 1930's, one of the first sets that will come to his mind is the 1933 Goudey. A landmark set, it was one of the first set issued in gum packs -- a practice that would continue for decades. At the time it appeared, this was (at 240 total cards) the largest set in quite a number of years, and the largest major set to appear on the market until 1949.

The card fronts feature a color reproduction of either an action shot or a player portrait. The player's name appears against the solid-colored background. At the bottom of some cards, there is a red box with the "Big League Chewing Gum" name; however, the box does not appear on some cards in this set. A Goudey logo appears in a lower corner of the card, whether or not the box shows up at the card bottom. The card backs feature a written summary of the player's career. Above the summary are the card number and the player's name and team affiliation. Below the summary, an advertisement appears for Goudey's "Big League" chewing gum and "Indian" gum, and identifies the card as one of 240 (making this the only Goudey set which gets right the number of cards in its set).

With such a large number of cards compared with other sets of its era, many cards of Hall of Famers are found throughout the set. Aside from featuring most of the stars of 1933, some players are featured twice, with Babe Ruth having four cards in this set. There are several key cards in this set, including all four Ruth cards (#53, 144, 149 and 181), both Lou Gehrig cards (#92 and 160), and card #29 of Jimmy Foxx. Card #1 of Benny Bengough is hard to find in any condition. The major key card of the set, however, is card #106 of Napoleon Lajoie, who had played 30 years previously and had long been retired. This card was actually printed in 1934 (and features a 1934 Goudey design on its front, but without the "Lou Gehrig says..." or "Chuck Klein says..." panel added), and was only available through a mail-in promotion for those wanting to complete their sets. As a result, the Lajoie card is so scarce and valuable that many collectors of the 1933 Goudey set will consider it complete without card #106.