Baseball tin type question

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Posted By: Alan Elefson

Hi-
Please note that the tin type pictured below is not mine. It was won in an antique ephemera auction in Connecticut last night (It went for more than I could afford, although I won a few interesting items that I will post about later today). I am posting this for two reasons. One, I hope this might be a new tin type image that folks have not seen before (I am particularly curious about the belt as it has an arrow on it. Were there any well known teams from the era of the photo that had a belt like this?). Two, I wanted to know the approximate value for this piece. The buyer indicated to me following the sale that he was prepared to go much higher, so I do not feel that bad dropping out when I did. I realize if he is identifiable, the value increases exponentially, but I also realize there is value simply in the player/uniform/equipment image. Please also feel free to post your own baseball tintypes!
Thanks in advance,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

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Posted By: barrysloate

There are very few baseball tintypes that have been positively identified, and this one is likely to remain in the generic category. As for a value, it's a nice image but not particularly early. I would guess a couple of hundred dollars, but I suspect from your post that it went for far more.

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Posted By: leon

We just had one in our auction go for almost twice what we thought it might....it was really nice and the player was identified......

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Posted By: barrysloate

Leon- yours was a very early one and the player identification (even though we don't know who that is) added quite a bit to it.

The one Alan posted looks 1880's, and that is somewhat late for a baseball tintype.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Agree with Barry. This one is a nice, but average late 1800s example. The one in the B & L auction was a classic 1860s example, with 1860s being early. The main value difference between the two is the ages, with earlier being rarer. 90+ percent of baseball tintypes have unidentified players, so, unless its a famous player or team, identification is not a big issue.

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Posted By: Alan Elefson

Thank you very much to every one who responded! I am also glad the approximate value is around what I was bidding (it actually sold for 250ish, closer to 280 with the premium.). Thank you again for all of the information!
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

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Posted By: Jimmy

Alan,

I have sold similar items in the past and player is most likely from a club team from a larger city or large town. The picture is most likely from the 1870s or 1880s as the uniform style is similar to others I have seen from town and city teams. The added background seems to be like many tintypes from the 1880s, and agree with the above, but could be earlier. The value depending on interest would be 300.00-500.00 and I certainly would have paid what the buyer paid even maybe a bit more.

Take Care

Jimmy

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Posted By: jamie

looks like youve got a second chance at your tintype. seller thinks he has an id on it
http://cgi.ebay.com/Civil-War-Era-Baseball-Tintype-Photo-Al-Phonney-Martin_W0QQitemZ170237834503QQihZ007QQcategoryZ360 39QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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Posted By: barrysloate

This i.d. is a bit of a stretch.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

Phonney Martin stood 5'7" and weighed 148 lbs soaking wet. The guy in the tintype sure looks bigger than that.

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Posted By: Brock G.

Its funny that the guys supposed name is Phonney. Phoney is probably more accurate.

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Posted By: barrysloate

His first name was Alfonse. "Phoney" was a nickname. A friend actually purchased a small group of objects from his family that belonged to him from his playing days, and I ended up with two of them. I still have one, an 1859 NAABP League Constitution.

Interestingly, Martin was the oldest living National Association player in 1932, and he wrote a long letter of reminiscences at that time. That is one of the things purchased from the family, and while I don't have the original, I do have a photocopy.

And finally Martin and I share the same birthday. That stuck out in my mind.