10 cents each - 1908 Ad for Sporting Life "Cabinet Style Phototypes"

[orator1]

I came across this ad in Sporting Life from Nov 7th 1908.
I like seeing original ads for cards, cabinets, etc.
This ad lists every player in the set.
They were being sold for $1 per dozen.
For those also interested here is the link:

http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5209011.pdf

[Kawika]

"Here is an opportunity to ornament your room with photos of your favorite base ball players at small expense."

[Mrc32]

David- I bet that cost a lot of dimes!

[thegashousegang]

I have a couple Sporting Life issues - they provide some really good reading. Stats, current happenings, ads, transactions, rumors - you get it all. Good stuff!

[Rob D.]

Here's a two-sided, 1909 advertising flier (measures 8 1/2 by 11 inches):

Edited to add: A few folks have e-mailed to request higher-resolution scans so they could read the flier. If anyone else wants hi-res scans, just e-mail or PM me. Thanks.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Thanks for posting that Paul. Since Branch Rickey's name does not appear on that 1908 checklist and his only ML time came by 1907, we can rest assured that a W600 of Rickey was never produced as it would not make sense to issue a cabinet two or more years after a player's single ML season.

[sb1]

Phil,

From 1902 thru 1911 Sporting Life promoted W600's thur SL and other newspaper ads. Each year the list "available" was slightly different. They continued to promote the cabinets well into 1913 and perhaps longer, selling "leftovers".

Just because a person i.e. Rickey does not appear on 1909 does not mean he wasn't offered other years. According to information I have Rickey was offered in 1907.

Scott

[orator1]

I recently stumbled across the www.la84foundation.org site (1st letter is "L", not "I").
For those interested, there are many Sporting Life issues online:
(1885-1893, 1896-1898, 1904-1914, 1917).

The search feature makes this site a great resource.
You can search each issue for specific words or phrases.

Just click on the search button at the top right corner of the home page.
Sporting Life is listed under Magazines.

[uffda51]

That's a NICE Matty, David.

[Kawika]

Thanks, Bruce. Like the man said, it cost a lot of dimes.

PS. I finally learned what uffda is.

[Baseball Rarities]

Phil/Scott,

I have gone through countless old issues of the Sporting Life and I have never seen Rickey on a list. I have seen every other HOFer in at least one issue.

[sb1]

I take that as further informed data and will rejoice in the fact I no longer need to look for the Rickey cabinet.

Scott

[bcbgcbrcb]

Me too, thanks, Kevin.

[orator1]

Sorry to dash your rejoicing, but I just did a search for Branch Rickey in the Sporting Life magazine online archive.

Branch Rickey IS included in the checklists published in these 1907 issues:
March 30th, April 6th, and April 27th.

These are the only dates for ANY year in which Branch Rickey is checklisted , so it appears there was a VERY narrow window to order his cabinet.

To see the checklist for those dates, in the search box for www.la84foundation.org type:
Phototypes, "Branch Rickey"

The checklist states:
AMERICAN LEAGUE FOR 1907
NEW YORK CLUB
...Branch Rickey

[paul]

I thought it was interesting that both Ned Hanlon and George Van Haltren are listed, even though they were out of major league baseball by 1908. I guess they had a hard time selling these, even for a dime, and had some leftovers to get rid of.

Coincidentally, this arrived today. It cost more than a dime. My guess is that it was printed in 1902, but may have sat around in a Sporting Life warehouse until 1908 or later.

[jerrys]

Hi Paul,
Your Van Haltren Cabinet was issued in 1902.

[Baseball Rarities]

Sorry Scott and Phil, but Paul C. (orator1) is 100% correct. I searched many papers (but obviously not all) and looked for Rickey's name in both the New York and St. Louis headings and never saw him listed.

I cannot believe that he was just offered in three issues of the Sporting Life, but that seems to be the case. I wonder how many, if any, were ever ordered.

I assume that the cards were produced ahead of time, but who knows. Maybe they were made to order and Rickey was never even produced.

[baseballart]

doc w600

[pro9]

a trapshooter

[sb1]

So he was offered, well at least my info was correct.

Kevin, I believe all were made in advance, as they were offering players well after their playing days and even after they initally quit in 1911 they were still offering limited players in 1912 and 1913.

[Baseball Rarities]

Scott, yeah that would only make sense.

[paul]

It's definitely true that for some players, the cards were made available for many years after first issuance. That's why the same name pops up again and again on the lists of available players, even after the player retired. Either the cards were leftovers from a large printing, or perhaps for some really popular former players, Sporting Life just kept printing them.


But for Rickey, I think it's different. His name does not appear year after year. So I think there are two possibilities. First, a very limited number were printed and either ordered or discarded when no one ordered them. Second, his name was listed, and when no one ordered any, Sporting Life didn't even bother to print any. Either scenario would explain why the Rickey is either very rare or non-existent.

The same is probably true of other tough players like Burkett. His cards were not offered after he retired. So, they probably printed a few, sold them, had no leftovers. So they had nothing left to offer in later years, and probably decided that despite his great skills as a player, he wasn't popular enough to justify printing more.

[sb1]

Burkett seems to appear on many of the offerings over several years, there should be quite a few of those around.

[paul]

I hope you're right, Scott. Since there should be so many around, maybe you'll be willing to let yours go someday!