19th century cards

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Here's a recent addition, Shorty Fuller OJ with Buck Barker style notations on back. Also shown, Fuller's Pelicans cabinet...

That Old Judge indeed has Buck Barker's handwriting on back. Also, I can't quite make it out because it looks like it was partially erased, but on the bottom it should also indicate the last name of whom Buck received this card from in 1958.

Brian

[jcmtiger]

Can’t find any Detroit that I need. Of course what I need are tough finds.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Interesting. This is a recent pickup of mine. Could this be Barker's handwriting as well?

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

That Old Judge indeed has Buck Barker's handwriting on back. Also, I can't quite make it out because it looks like it was partially erased, but on the bottom it should also indicate the last name of whom Buck received this card from in 1958.

Brian

[riggs336]

Here's a Tim Keefe I picked up on Facebook.

[the-illini]

IMO most of the "new" money coming in to the hobby is spent on mainstream cards of the bigger stars or more widely known sets like T206

No one wants to spend 1k for a nice OJ of Tommy McCarthy

[GaryPassamonte]

Originally Posted by the-illini

IMO most of the "new" money coming in to the hobby is spent on mainstream cards of the bigger stars or more widely known sets like T206

No one wants to spend 1k for a nice OJ of Tommy McCarthy

But someone did for a Yum Yum Ewing, Chris. Great card!

[bcbgcbrcb]

As previously mentioned, the investors are after the GOATS, very difficult to compare the modern game to the 1880’s-1890’s, where the likes of Cap Anson would be recognized as the greatest of that era. I bet you that 95%+ of investors have never heard of Cap Anson without google searching him.

The best way to gauge true collector interest is that almost every BST ad on Net54 in the 19th century section is BUYING this HOF’er or that HOF’er, rarely, if ever, SELLING a HOF’er. Look it up.

[Bartholomew_Bump_Bailey]

*deleted/mistake/duplicate*

[Bartholomew_Bump_Bailey]

Originally Posted by bcbgcbrcb

As previously mentioned, the investors are after the GOATS, very difficult to compare the modern game to the 1880’s-1890’s, where the likes of Cap Anson would be recognized as the greatest of that era. I bet you that 95%+ of investors have never heard of Cap Anson without google searching him..

Sweet!!! I'm in the 5%

And I was told the Simpsons would "rot my brain"....HA

[rats60]

Originally Posted by bcbgcbrcb

As previously mentioned, the investors are after the GOATS, very difficult to compare the modern game to the 1880’s-1890’s, where the likes of Cap Anson would be recognized as the greatest of that era. I bet you that 95%+ of investors have never heard of Cap Anson without google searching him.

The best way to gauge true collector interest is that almost every BST ad on Net54 in the 19th century section is BUYING this HOF’er or that HOF’er, rarely, if ever, SELLING a HOF’er. Look it up.

It is not PC to buy Anson cards. The new money wouldn't be interested.

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

But someone did for a Yum Yum Ewing, Chris. Great card!

Try saying “Yum Yum Ewing” ten times fast.

[the-illini]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

But someone did for a Yum Yum Ewing, Chris. Great card!

Ha thanks Gary!

Andrew - Yum Yum Ewing doesn't flow right off the tongue. I wonder who decided to name a tobacco brand "Yum Yum"

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by the-illini

Ha thanks Gary!

Andrew - Yum Yum Ewing doesn't flow right off the tongue. I wonder who decided to name a tobacco brand "Yum Yum"

I'm sure it was named after the character in The Mikado, which was massively popular in the late 1880s. There were tons of Mikado-themed trade cards issued at the time, including many picturing Yum Yum.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Interesting. This is a recent pickup of mine. Could this be Barker's handwriting as well?

Image is kinda small, but it does look like it is possibly Buck's handwriting. Post a bigger image and I should be able to more positively identify.

Brian

[BobbyStrawberry]

Thanks Brian, here is a larger image of the back.

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Image is kinda small, but it does look like it is possibly Buck's handwriting. Post a bigger image and I should be able to more positively identify.

Brian

[brianp-beme]

That appears to be Buck's handwriting...always fun to see it on cards other than Zeenuts.

Brian

[mouschi]

The noise level for new stuff is incredibly high. I see 19th century baseball as a much smaller voice - but a voice that has a whole lot more meaningful things to say.

For years, I was caught up in new stuff, but once I discovered 19th century baseball, I couldn't get enough. I think it is all a matter of educating newer collectors about 19th century baseball.

I love being able to talk to others about this time period, and have perked up more ears than I can count. It is one of the greatest "untapped" time periods in the history of our sport - for the 2021 collector, that is.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Good to know! I appreciate the input, Brian

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

That appears to be Buck's handwriting...always fun to see it on cards other than Zeenuts.

Brian

[G1911]

1) Lack of recognizable names today restricts the 19th market to people who are interested in that period, eliminating the #investor crowd. There is also not an iconic card to drive interest to the rest of the set. most hobbyists know T206 Wagner, 1952 Topps Mantle's, 33 Lajoie's, even things like T206 Cobb's. There are some great and very expensive 19th century cards, but there's not really an iconic card to the rest of the hobby that draws more eyes to it.

2) It's a struggle for set collectors. Sets are for the most part extremely rare and difficult, most of them practically impossible for even the wealthier. The easier ones are usually not really baseball sets like N28/N29. Those of us primarily interested in set collecting thus tend to stick with other things. I'm sure someone has an example of a set for which this is not true, but it is mostly true.

3) Maybe it's just me, but a mangled T206 is still a nice looking image. Fading has ruined the appearance of a large number of the surviving 19th century cards that are mostly photographic. Later photographic cards mostly do not have this problem.

4) Tied to 3 somewhat, the grading companies appear to ignore or mostly ignore fading and stock damage (frequently slabbing excellent old Judge's which are obviously heavily faded and damaged) further discourages the #invest, and also some mid-grade collectors. The registry is also less of a factor, a little bit of cards being "too rare" going on here.

5) It is difficult to dip one's toes into the 19th century water. Collectors tend to start at the low-end of the scale, picking up a common T206 or something as a first of an era. This is still a pretty cheap "that's cool" whim buy, you can get a T205 or T206 for less than $20, a Goudey for less than $10 to get a card from an era collectors today didn't witness and have memories of. 19th century baseball, there isn't such a common low-price buy-in to serve as a starting point and have that "that's cool" turn into "wow, I want to get more of these!". Most people don't start with the marque cards outside of the #invest crowd, which other factors discourage.


I like 19th century baseball, I love seeing the cards posted here, but I don't have many myself primarily for reason 3, I love set-building and sets are generally either too rare or too expensive for me to justify doing. Just some thoughts.