Buying my first Old Judge (OJ) card - advice?

[Belfast1933]

I have always appreciated getting advice here from collectors who have vastly more experience than me in areas that interest me.

I have always admired the Old Judge (OJ) cards but have never pulled the trigger or put a ton of thought into it - perhaps, until now.

I am a HOF collector and also a Boston local/fan so I would probably narrow my choices that way - I also have seen how faded images can be and wouldn’t be willing to spend $$ on a card without a sharp image.

I’m not too worried about the grade - an “authentic” would be fine… numerical is better, of course.

And lastly - some of the fun cards have great and super cheesy poses, sliding into bases, hanging fly balls on a string and I have also heard some like the “hot dog” brand included on some cards.

My budget is not terribly impressive but I could probably sell enough to get something in the $1500-2000 range.

I’d love and welcome thoughts and advice as I start my Old Judge journey!

Thx all

Jeff

[BioCRN]

They're small. Get one that looks good to you.

Even if the centering is awesome (if you're a centering person) a faded out one can be a bit of a letdown. Image sharpness can be all over the place, even on ones that are technically in good condition.

If you go for a slabbed one, you can find really nice ones for relative deals if they have back damage. There's nothing on the backs on OJ's. This is a dealbreaker for some and for someone like me, if the front looks sharp and there's paper loss on the back I'm picking it up.

[oldjudge]

Buy a copy of the Old Judge book from Kevin in the BST and read it before you spend any money. It will help you appreciate what you are buying and may help you avoid a costly mistake in the future. Good luck!,

[boneheadandrube]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Buy a copy of the Old Judge book from Kevin in the BST and read it before you spend any money. It will help you appreciate what you are buying and may help you avoid a costly mistake in the future. Good luck!,

I would second this, it will give you perspective on what's actually out there to chase.

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Buy a copy of the Old Judge book from Kevin in the BST and read it before you spend any money. It will help you appreciate what you are buying and may help you avoid a costly mistake in the future. Good luck!,

what a great idea... I will do that.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

don't buy from Dean's Cards?

[BobbyStrawberry]

Keep in mind that not all HOFers are created equal in the OJ set. Your budget could get you a fraction of an Ed Delahanty or several Tommy McCarthys.

[Fred]

Image quality is #1. Assuming that alterations (reback, trimmed) are already precluded.