Chasing a ghost card

[Archive]

Posted By: john/z28jd

It appears that a card I've been looking to get for about five years now doesn't actually exist. I brought up in the master thread for Pittsburgh cards that there was a Bill Sowders Old Judge card showing him with Pittsburgh(Im going to edit my mistake so it won't be there for net54 eternity). Apparently there isn't a KNOWN copy showing him with Pittsburgh. My original mistaken identity came from an old checklist and a poor scan of a card of him that actually had "Pittsburgh" hand written over the word Boston.

It should be noted that Pop Smith started the year with Pittsburgh and left the team at the end of July 1889,being sold to Boston and his card was updated to show that change. Sowders started the year with Boston but was sold to Pittsburgh 10 days earlier than Smith. Finding Smith on Boston is a pretty tough task,I've seen 2 ever in years of collecting. Another note,from that same checklist,they also list Jack Rowe as having a Pittsburgh card(he started the 1889 season with Pittsburgh) and any Detroit collector, who isn't holding a secret with them they haven't told anyone,knows he doesn't have a Pittsburgh card or they would've most certainly ran across one by now.

While this new fact now moves me within just 2 cards of finishing a Pittsburgh OJ player set,it is a bit disappointing to find out I've been chasing a ghost card all this time. If anyone can prove to the contrary,I'd love to see it.