The 1888 N172 Old Judge tobacco card series is widely considered to be the first modern set of baseball cards produced. Issued as promotional inserts in packages of the Old Judge brand of tobacco, the 88-card series included individual portraits of major league players from that era. While earlier sports cards existed dating back to the late 1860s, the 1888 N172 set pioneered the concept of cards specifically focused on baseball players that would come to define the modern baseball card collecting hobby.
At the time of their original distribution in 1888, these cards were simply seen as promotional inserts with no significant collector value attached. Beginning in the early 20th century, new generations of baseball fans began more actively collecting and trading these nostalgic remnants of 19th century baseball stars. The rarity and historical significance of complete 1888 sets grew considerably over the decades as the fragile paper cards continued degrading with age. By the late 1950s, the remaining population of preserved 1888 cards was quite low and an intact set represented one of the most prized possessions a dedicated baseball card collector could hope to obtain.
The famous tobacco manufacturer Goodwin & Company issued the Old Judge series as part of a marketing campaign for their brand of chewing tobacco and cigarettes which began in the late 1880s. At the time, inclusion of premiums and inserts in tobacco products was a growing trend to incentivize purchases by including extra perks unrelated to the actual tobacco goods. For the 1888 N172 set, Goodwin & Company secured individual portrait photographs of prominent big league ballplayers from both the National League and American Association of that season. These original photos were then reproduced as crude lithographic prints to be inserted at random in Old Judge products.
Each card in the 1888 N172 set measures approximately 2 1/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches in size. The card fronts feature a central oval photograph of the player encased within an ornate decorative border. Below the photo, the player’s first initial and full surname are listed in printed text. There is no other stats, team information, or any substantial written details included on the fronts of the cards. The backs are completely blank aside from the goodwin & Company advertising text printed in the center. The paper stock used for the cards was quite low quality even by the standards of that era. As a result, heavy creasing and degradation occurred over time for most surviving examples.
In total, 88 individual player cards were produced to represent the major leaguers of the time between the National League and American Association. Some of the notable stars featured include hall of famers Cap Anson, Jim O’Rourke, Tony Mullane, Ned Hanlon, and Tim Keefe. More obscure ballplayers of the late 1880s also received cards in the set like Dave Orr, Chicken Wolf, and Barney Gilligan. The inclusion of players from both leagues made it the first baseball card set depicting stars from multiple professional circuits. The selection seems to have been somewhat arbitrary with several top talent of 1888 left unaccounted for in the set.
Perhaps the most desirable card among collectors of vintage baseball sets is the prized “Buck Ewing” from the 1888 N172 issue. Considered one of the all-time great catchers of the 19th century, Ewing’s impressive mustachioed portrait is among the most visually striking and historically recognizable in the set. In pristine condition, an example of this single card could be valued anywhere from $10,000 up to $50,000 or more depending on quality. Finding any 1888 card in untouched Near Mint condition would be nothing short of a miracle considering their extreme age and fragile paper composition. Even heavily worn copies trade hands for thousands of dollars among dedicated vintage collectors.
The immense rarity and high collector demand for complete 1888 N172 sets has made them notoriously difficult to assemble in modern times. It’s estimated less than 50 intact sets with all 88 cards still exist today in either private or museum collections. In 2006, one exemplary set in very fine conditioned achieved a record-breaking auction price of $25,400. Other highlights sales have included a near-complete 87 card grouping selling for $15,450 in 2010. While individual cards continue to be acquired and traded, finding a donor willing to part with their prized set is exceedingly uncommon. As such, the chance to view a fully assembled 1888 N172 set on public display is a once in a lifetime thrill for devoted baseball memorabilia fans.
The humble origins of the 1888 Old Judge tobacco card series as a simple tobacco product premium could never have predicted the immense historical importance and lasting influence they would have on the future hobby of baseball card collecting. As the first widely distributed set solely focused on depicting big league ballplayers as individual trading cards, they effectively established the paradigm that all future baseball card issues would follow. Over 130 years later, these fragile remnants of late 19th century American professional baseball remain among the most treasured artifacts in the collecting world – a true testament to the lasting legacy and passionate fan base of the national pastime.
