Rarest Pre-War Rookie Cards
 

What are some of the rarest pre-war baseball rookie cards, specifically talking about significant stars and Hall of Famers? I’ll start things off with a few here in no particular order:

1922 William Paterson - Travis Jackson
1933 Worch Cigars - Joe Medwick
1909 Cabanas - Pete Hill
1946 Sears St Louis Cardinals - Red Schoendienst
1908 Rose Company - Walter Johnson
1921 Tip Top Bread - Lefty Grove

tough back 1916 M101-4 (or5) Dave Bancroft, Babe Ruth
1921 W-Unc Self-Developing Urban Faber

Al Spalding: 1872 Warren Studio CDV
Hoss Radbourne: 1886 Red Stocking Cigars
Dan Brouthers: 1886 Tomlinson Studios cabinet
Tim Keefe: 1886 N167
Roger Connor: 1886 N167
Cy Young: 1892 Ryder Studio cabinet
Honus Wagner: 1902 W600 (or 1899 Henry Reccius)
Eddie Plank: 1902 W600
Nap Lajoie: 1902 W600
Addie Joss: 1903 W600
Christy Mathewson: 1903 E107
Eddie Collins: 1907 W600
Walter Johnson: 1907 Weiser Wonder
Lefty Grove: 1928 Star Player
Mel Ott: 1929 Leader Novelty

I think there's a pretty good chance Mel Otts Goblin Merrymint is a true 1926 rookie. It also has a cool story so I nominate it.

Just So Cy Young. The Ryder cabinet is just a photograph put out by a local photographer.
Frank Selee Whitehead and Hoag pin
Wares, Holmes to Homes, or Green Joyce Ruth


All of the above are unique as far as I know

This is the only D350-2 in the combined PSA & SGC pop reports for this RC of Sam Rice. The date is incorrect on the PSA flip - the correct year is 1917.

One of my favorite cards in my collection.

https://live.staticflickr.com/1891/3...9a3cbbc2_c.jpg

Beauty, Jeff!

Thanks, Jay.

As for Cobb "rookie" cards, if these are thought of as cards, they are really rare:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...268fa935_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4be7f68b_c.jpg

Amazing card Jeff!! That’s the same card that was once owned by Lew Lipset and is on the cover of his Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards. At the time, it was 1-of-1 known (with the 1886 schedule on back). Now there are two….although I think I’d much prefer yours!!

https://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...20Radbourn.jpg

1913 Zeenut Harry Heilmann

(One of only 2 known with the Coupon attached)

Great card Rhett.

The one that haunts my dreams and whispers, "you'll never find me...."

https://i.psacard.com/cardfacts/1903...7541.jpg?h=600

This hangar (paper front that is linen backed with metal strips at the top and bottom with a loop at the top so it can be displayed in a store) was issued prior to the 1891 season to illustrate Cleveland's 1891 schedule. The image of Cy Young is certainly one of his earliest, if not his earliest.

Jay:

I remember bidding on that at a National live auction maybe a dozen years ago or so now. Didn’t end up winning it. :(

Wouldn’t that also count for George Davis as well?

Judson--Absolutely!
Phil-I believe it was a Mastro live auction so it was more than a dozen years ago. I think we talked about the piece after the auction.

Not sure of its rarity, but a tough card to find in good shape, the 1947 Bond Bread Musial.

John:

I would say not easy to find in higher grade, not quite at the level of Tip Top Bread from the same year though. Definitely increased a lot in value over the past couple of years, like a lot of other things. 1946 Propagandas Montiel for Musial though.

Yes, Jay, you are correct.

A few more:

1993 Just So Tobacco - Jesse Burkett
1911 T332 Helmand Stamps - Max Carey
1907 W600 Ty Cobb
1898 Cameo Pepsin Pins - Jimmy Collins

Super nice Cobbs, Jeff. I had both of those at different times, not the quality of your’s though. Also, enjoyed your recent YouTube video interview.

Here’s the Helmar Stamp of Carey:
https://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...11%20Carey.jpg

Traded my 1896 Cameo Pepsin Pin to Jay about 7 years ago…would love to get that one back…btw, I think this particular pin was produced in 1896 - Boston Series, according to research I once saw on the matter.

https://photos.imageevent.com/derekg...20-%201896.jpg

Derek--Great pin---I still have it as well as the Lincoln Tree Planter cabinet with Jake Beckley.

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Not sure how rare it is, maybe less than 10?

1909 Cabanas Armando Marsans
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A few really tough exhibits from the ‘20’s:

1926 - Earle Combs
1925 -Bill Terry
1925 - Kiki Cuyler
1926 - Tony Lazerri (‘22 Zee-nut Pre-Rookie)
1926 - Charlie Gehringer
1923-24 - Al Simmons

Beautiful display piece. Some of the images for that 1891 calendar were supplied by Ryder Studios. Here is the Cy Young. I believe that there are two known.

Yes, my guess is that Ryder was hired to photograph the team for the schedule hangar and after that project was completed Ryder made use of the images and issued separate cabinets of the players.

I am not sure about that since the producer of the calendar also used earlier images from 1889 and 1890, such as this one from 1889 of McKean produced by G Waldon Smith. Ryder was also taking images of the Cleveland players in 1890 and continued until at at least 1895. My guess is that the maker of the calendar contacted local photographer Ryder Studios and used whatever they had on hand at that time.

Could that dude possibly wear a tighter jersey?! It’s like European cut 135 years before that was a thing.

That Cy Young cab is the bees knees. Kevin, do you agree the one in Goldin is his rookie though?

God willing their pants were not that tight too

Got it last year, one of my favs.

https://allthecubs.com/wp-content/up...5/Cuyler-s.jpg

Some pretty tough ones:

1909 Colgan's Chips Joe McCarthy
1909 Colgan's Chips Harry Hooper (Nat'l Variation)

Not quite a rookie, but the only other card of McCarthy as a player.

This one of Joe. I agree with Jeff and think that these count. Only two known to my knowledge

Attachment 621260

Just a heads-up, Hake's Auctions will be offering a fresh to the hobby example of that 1908 W601 Philadelphia (AL) w/Joe Jackson (Rookie) in our upcoming July catalogue auction.

I stand corrected. That makes 3!

That lineup was so tough that even Joe Jackson himself couldn't start!

As Glenn (darwinbulldog) mentioned, 1929 Leader Novelty Ott.

Arguable on this one.

Helmar leathers
Darby choclates

A couple of more:

1927 Middy Bread Die-Cuts Chick Hafey
1930 Baguer Chocolates Al Lopez
1936 R312 Johnny Mize (not quite as tough but not common either)

No arguments here, Brian, on the Earle Combs rookie, super rare!