No film exists of professional baseball in the nineteenth century. Without moving pictures we are left with colorful, often embellished, words to describe the early greats of the game. In those early days in the league's formative years no player's exploits jump off the page more-so than Mike 'King' Kelly. While we can't hear him speak in his thick Irish brogue, we can … [Read more...]
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19th Century Baseball Cards: 10 Great Players to Consider
Baseball cards didn't really gain mass popularity until the 1950s, but that doesn't mean cards weren't produced for any number of other greats. Just a few years ago, one of the world's oldest cards, thought to be a team shot of the 1865 Brooklyn Atlantics sold at auction for $92,000. There are many collectors who specialize in cards that date back a century or more and many of … [Read more...]
Report: FBI Raid Included Cards Listed as Rogers Loan Collateral
As a growing stack of lawsuits against him continues, questions are mounting about the collateral Arkansas sports memorabilia dealer and photo archivist John Rogers listed in exchange for millions of dollars in bank loans that remain unpaid. According to Arkansas Business, federal agents hauled out a double-lock safe containing what Rogers claimed were valuable … [Read more...]
First of Tobacco Card Find Sold at Auction; But Old Judge Negatives Score, Too
An avid smoker’s collection of early baseball cards including hundreds of T206s began finding new homes Wednesday night. The collection of over 1,400 ungraded tobacco cards was revealed when Saco River Auction Company announced the consignment last year. The first of what is expected to be several separate sales of the cards, many now graded by SGC, took place at the … [Read more...]
Top Baseball Cards of Players Born on Christmas Day
Back in the day of early childhood, when the great matters of life were discussed and settled on the playground between innings — or during rounds of “pickle” if we did not have enough players for a game — there was rarely consensus on any issue. Even if everyone present agreed that the Tigers were the only team that mattered in the American League (that is how it was growing … [Read more...]
Antique Printing Processes Identification Part 5 of 6: Miscellaneous Processes
This is the fifth in a series of six columns on identifying common antique commercial printing processes to make sports prints including trading cards, ad signs and signs, premiums, postcards and more. This segment is on the miscellaneous processes including collotype, photogravure, rotogravure, woodbury type, gilding and screen printing. COLLOTYPE (Also known as Albertype, … [Read more...]
1/1 Ruth-Frazee Legendary Cuts Card Joins Other Rarities in Beckett Auction
A 2005 SP Legendary Cuts card featuring cut signatures from Babe Ruth and the man who famously sold him to the New York Yankees headlines the Legends of Baseball Auction now underway at Beckett Auctions. The Ruth-Harry Frazee 1/1 card carries a $25,000 opening bid. In January 1920, Frazee agreed to sell Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 cash and a reported $300,000 in loans … [Read more...]
Vintage Buy of the Week: Thousands of Vintage Cards to Enter Market
Vintage card collectors will soon have a crack at thousands of vintage baseball cards after a Tennessee man sold his lifelong accumulation. The collection is our Vintage Buy of the Week from Just Collect, Inc., and will be offered on eBay later this summer. The 'Volunteer Collection', named for the owner's location near Knoxville, TN, features hundreds of tobacco cards … [Read more...]
Hoard of Old Judge Cabinet Cards at NYC Public Library
The New York Public Library has apparently uncovered some remarkable 19th century Old Judge Cabinet cards. Billy Parrott, the Managing Librarian for Art and Picture Collections, tweeted a photo Monday showing a stack of 42 cards with an Amos Rusie on top that he indicated he had found when preparing for an exhibition. The cards were in the library's collection but were … [Read more...]
Sorting Out the 1800s to 1900s Old Judge ‘Proofs’ and Display Photos
There are a variety of so-called Old Judge Cabinet 'Proofs' and other Old Judge photo displays directly or indirectly related to the popular 1880s N172 and N173 Old Judge baseball cards. They come is different forms and were made in different time periods. As there is common confusion and misdating, the following is a quick description of the types. Background New York's … [Read more...]
