Oldest known baseball card?

vintagerookies51 · Sep 6, 2010

I thought it was the 1869 Peck and Snyder card that sold for around 70K not too long ago. These cards are graded by SGC (the best company for pre-war stuff like this) and are from 1866. Is this the true oldest card? http://cgi.ebay.com/1866-E-S-Sterry-Co- ... 5d270a88c5

Fandruw25 · Sep 6, 2010

Not sure, but this site may be of interest. They show 3 sets from 1886 and a few from before that.

http://www.oldcardboard.com/listByYear.asp

JoshHamilton · Sep 6, 2010

It depends on what you consider a card, what you consider a CDV, what you consider a cabinet, etc. There isn't really a definitive answer

fkw · Sep 6, 2010

There are 3-4 answers, depending on what you consider a baseball card...

Oldest of all would be the 1863 Jordan & Co. cards. But they were really a ticket with a players photo on them.
On back they say "Admit Bearer to the St. George's Cricket Ground" for a benefit games in Sep 1863. The reason it is considered a baseball card is because 2 of the 4 players known are the Wright's (Sam Wright and Harry Wright), the father's of baseball as we know it.

Next would be the 1866-67 Sterey Photographers Troy Haymakers cards which are really CDVs. The cards that BMW had on eBay.

The 5 different Peck and Snyder team cards from 1869-70 would be the first true baseball card (ie Jefferson Burdicks definition of a collecting card in the ACC) is the sense that they was issued FREE with a product or service of some kind, with its Sporting Goods advertisement on back. But they picture complete teams, not single players.

The first solo player cards issued in a product were the 1886 N167 cards found in Old Judge cigarettes (not the common N172 OJs), a rare set that includes only NY Giants players.

WoundedDuck · Sep 6, 2010

Very interesting info. Thanks for the read

tramers · Sep 6, 2010

fkw said:
There are 3-4 answers, depending on what you consider a baseball card...

Oldest of all would be the 1863 Jordan & Co. cards. But they were really a ticket with a players photo on them.
On back they say "Admit Bearer to the St. George's Cricket Ground" for a benefit games in Sep 1863. The reason it is considered a baseball card is because 2 of the 4 players known are the Wright's (Sam Wright and Harry Wright), the father's of baseball as we know it.

Next would be the 1866-67 Sterey Photographers Troy Haymakers cards which are really CDVs. The cards that BMW had on eBay.

The 5 different Peck and Snyder team cards from 1869-70 would be the first true baseball card (ie Jefferson Burdicks definition of a collecting card in the ACC) is the sense that they was issued FREE with a product or service of some kind, with its Sporting Goods advertisement on back. But they picture complete teams, not single players.

The first solo player cards issued in a product were the 1886 N167 cards found in Old Judge cigarettes (not the common N172 OJs), a rare set that includes only NY Giants players.

you were thanked for this info

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