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[Adamsince1981]

Is it really even a baseball card?

It is a business card. If something was produced as a business card, before baseball cards even existed; how can you call it a baseball card 140 years later?

Sure, it's an ad-back, like almost every tobacco card produced from the 1880s until 1920s. It's arguable, but that series (and all of its varieties) are the first known examples of images of a baseball player(s) being created for mass distribution. Either way, I'd like to own one.

Was the 1869 PECK & SNYDER RED STOCKING card part of a set or was this the only "card" made?

The tobacco series were sets.

 

[BunchOBull]

At the time of its production, they were only the "professional" team...that being said, one of the determining factors of an item being cataloged as a baseball card or not is it being an advertisement of some kind. This is the first example of a "trade" card or advertisement featuring baseball players. There are older images of baseball players (ticket stubs, event flyers, etc), but this is the first that meets the aforementioned qualification. Oh, and there are several variations of this card, with different card stock, type set, so on.

Here are a couple of images of the one that sold for ~$25k a few years back...similar condition to the one found by the little old lady in Cali.

 

[Adamsince1981]

At the time of its production, they were only the "professional" team...that being said, one of the determining factors of an item being cataloged as a baseball card or not is it being an advertisement of some kind. This is the first example of a "trade" card or advertisement featuring baseball players. There are older images of baseball players (ticket stubs, event flyers, etc), but this is the first that meets the aforementioned qualification. Oh, and there are several variations of this card, with different card stock, type set, so on.

Here are a couple of images of the one that sold for ~$25k a few years back...similar condition to the one found by the little old lady in Cali.

The one she is selling is missing a lot of the card...look at the scans on the back.

I just don't like that it wasn't in a series...like the tobacco cards.

 

[BunchOBull]

The one on eBay isn't her card...it’s someone jumping on the fanfare. First of all, that seller is in Ohio if I remember correctly...she is in California. Also, I have a sneaky suspicion that one of the major auction houses has contacted her already and offered to host the card for little to no fees. It would be free advertisement for said auction house because they'll be bandwagoning the existing coverage.

 

[Adamsince1981]

The one on eBay isn't her card...it’s someone jumping on the fanfare. First of all, that seller is in Ohio if I remember correctly...she is in California. Also, I have a sneaky suspicion that one of the major auction houses has contacted her already and offered to host the card for little to no fees. It would be free advertisement for said auction house because they'll be bandwagoning the existing coverage.

Ahhh, ok....I just figured that was her card.

None the less, the current card on ebay is selling fairly well considering it's condition compared to one that sold for $24,000.

 

[BunchOBull]

Here's the little old lady with her card...

 

[Adamsince1981]

I just personally don't view that as a baseball card. That is just my opinion.

I understand the tobacco cards were used for marketing as well, but the cards had individual players and were a set.

BTW, that picture and the quote, "as she puffs on her cigarette" gave me the inspiration for one of my earlier posts in this thread.

 

[BunchOBull]

I understand feeling that way. I think no matter how one views the item, everyone can agree it's an awesome record of the early game. I'd love to own one, even more so than a t206 Wagner or '52T Mantle, but not because it is or isn't a baseball card, but an awesome piece of sports history. I'm just sharing what little info I know as to why the 19th Century hounds tag this as the "first."

 

[Adamsince1981]

I understand feeling that way. I think no matter how one views the item, everyone can agree it's an awesome record of the early game. I'd love to own one, even more so than a t206 Wagner or '52T Mantle, but not because it is or isn't a baseball card, but an awesome piece of sports history. I'm just sharing what little info I know as to why the 19th Century hounds tag this as the "first."

Oh, I'm with you. It is a very cool piece. Thanks for the information as well...I enjoy being informed.

 

[jeremy]

I would rather have a 1952 Mantle.

i would rather have the first baseball card ever than mantle's second card

You were thanked for that.

thanks dog

 

[Terry]

Ends at $30,100.

They were saying 6 digits, nowhere close to that. :?

 

[BunchOBull]

Ends at $30,100.

They were saying 6 digits, nowhere close to that. :?

That's extremely impressive for that extremely hacked up version...I believe a new record. If that's a true sign of market value, that little old lady's card will do better than any previous example by far.

 

[jlvjr16]

something is better than nothing. Nice find on her part. It's just silly how the card was overvalued by that person whom she knew.

 

[BunchOBull]

Her card hasn't sold yet.

I'm pretty sure Joe Orlando gave her the 4-1-1 on that card and his estimate wasn't anywhere in the 6-figs. The last recorded auction (before this ebay auction) was with Robert Edward Auctions, closing at ~$25k.

Quoted from article:

Orlando offers: "The last one that I'm aware, it sold about a year to a year and a half ago and it sold for well into five figures. You have to let the market decide what it's worth when you're dealing with something this scarce, because there's just not the market history to determine it."

She will not get six figures either, but it looks like this attention has driven prices upward.

 

[Billy Packer]

After just having watched the episode of Ken Burns' Baseball about the Red Stockings and learning about the history represented by this card, I would love to own one of these.