Baseball cards have been around since the late 1800s and have grown to become a multi-billion dollar industry. For collectors, finding rare, valuable cards from the early days of the hobby can be the holy grail. One such group of rare cards are known as the “77 baseball cards”.
In 1877, the first baseball cards were produced as promotional items by tobacco companies like Goodwin & Co. and Allen & Ginter to help sell more of their products. These original baseball cards featured individual player portraits on the front with statistics or biographical information on the back. Only a tiny number of the cards from this era have survived to today in collectible condition.
It’s believed that only around 77 cards are known to exist from 1877 and 1878, thus giving this small group their name – the “77 baseball cards”. Finding any of these cards in even moderately preserved condition would be an incredible feat, as the fragility of the paper stock and over 140 years of exposure to the elements have destroyed nearly all that were originally printed.
Some of the most famous and iconic cards that make up the “77” include:
1877 Goodwin & Co. “Cap Anson” – Considered the “Mona Lisa” of baseball cards due to its rarity and subject matter. It’s the oldest known card of Chicago White Stockings first baseman Cap Anson, who had a Hall of Fame career. Only 3-5 examples are known to exist.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “King Kelly” – Shows Boston Red Stockings catcher King Kelly, who was one of baseball’s first stars. He pioneered the techniques of sliding and hook sliding. Even in poor condition, this card can fetch over $100,000 at auction.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “Al Spalding” – Spalding was a star pitcher and manager who later founded the sporting goods company that still bears his name. His is one of the most iconic early baseball images.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “Lip Pike” – Portrays the popular Harry “Lip” Pike of the Boston Red Stockings. He was known for his defensive skills as an outfielder.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “Cal McVey” – Features the player-manager of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, one of the great early professional teams. McVey was a star catcher and one of baseball’s first great strategists.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “George Wright” – Shows the star shortstop of the Boston Red Stockings and one of the pioneers of modern baseball. He later became the first professional manager of the Cincinnati Red Stockings.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “Pud Galvin” – Depicts Hall of Fame pitcher Pud Galvin of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. He won more than 300 games in his career and still holds the record for career wins by a left-handed pitcher.
1877 Goodwin & Co. “Deacon White” – Portrays the first baseman for the Boston Red Stockings known for his power hitting and leadership. He was one of the first five players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
1878 Goodwin & Co. “Adrian “Cap” Anson” – Considered the rarest of all the “77” cards due to its subject matter and date. It shows Anson in an action pose swinging a bat, possibly the first baseball action image ever printed on a card.
While the rarity and history behind these cards is fascinating, finding any of the “77” in a collectible state would require an incredible stroke of luck combined with a large financial investment. The most famous examples that have survived, like the 1877 Goodwin & Co. “Cap Anson”, regularly sell at auction for over $1 million when they very rarely become available. For collectors, laying eyes on any true piece of the earliest baseball card history would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although over 140 years old, the allure and mystique of the “77 baseball cards” continues to capture the imagination of fans and collectors alike. They represent the humble beginnings from which the entire modern sports card industry was born.
