Henry Reccius HONUS WAGNER card

[terjung]

Originally Posted by Baseball Rarities

Trade cards seem to have phased out in the 1890's. I personally think that it is from 1897-99, but it would be nice to be able to definitively date it.

Would you consider Cobb / Cobb to be a trade card?

[barrysloate]

Wasn't the cigar box bearing the same image dated to around 1920? I would think the trade card and the cigar box would have some connection.

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Wasn't the cigar box bearing the same image dated to around 1920? I would think the trade card and the cigar box would have some connection.

AFAIK, it was for a completely different company and not associated with Reccius at all. Not uncommon for companies to use old images to advertise their products.

[Bicem]

Anyone care to share the reasons why people think that it may be a 20th century piece?

[barrysloate]

My reason is purely observational: it doesn't look that old. It doesn't strike me as a late 19th century piece. I know that's not very scientific, but I've looked at an awful lot of 19th century material over the years and this just looks to have been made a little bit later. And that seems to be the opinion of many of the collectors I've talked to about it.

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

My reason is purely observational: it doesn't look that old. It doesn't strike me as a late 19th century piece. I know that's not very scientific, but I've looked at an awful lot of 19th century material over the years and this just looks to have been made a little bit later. And that seems to be the opinion of many of the collectors I've talked to about it.

I agree with you - it does not have that typical 19th century look to it, but there really is not much in our hobby that emanates from the 1897-99 time period to compare it to. I do think that it is very similiar to the 1897 Page Fence Giants trade card in terms of looks - especially in size and paper stock.

M101-1's do not look like typical 19th century items to me either, but they are obviously from 1899. I typically envision 19th century items as being either photographic in nature or multi-color lithographs, not the monotone printed images that seem to come into vogue in the late 1890's.

[barrysloate]

Kevin- I respect your opinion as much as anyone's, and you surely have handled more rare baseball cards than I have. But based on the price it realized, the hobby emphatically rejected it as a period piece. Take for example the Baltimore News Ruth, which is currently a half a million dollar card, or the Just So Cy Young which if auctioned could easily surpass that amount. Those are rookie cards that would reach the stratosphere.

The Reccius Wagner, on the other hand, sold for less than 5% that amount. That does not reflect the bidders merely uncertain of the date, it shows them categorically rejecting it. If it were believed to be an 1897 issue I would guess it would sail past the quarter million dollar mark. So it doesn't appear that anyone really thinks it was issued when Wagner played for Louisville.

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by terjung

Would you consider Cobb / Cobb to be a trade card?

I guess, in theory, it could be viewed as a trade card, but i consider it a baseball card that took the place of the traditional trade card and served the same advertising purpose.

It is a good example of what i mean by the advertising mediums seemed to have changed from trade cards in the 1890's to others, such as postcards and, in this case, traditional baseball cards.