The 1887 N172 Old Judge tobacco card series produced by the American Tobacco Company is famously known as one of the very earliest sets of baseball cards released. Packaged along with various brands of cigarettes and chewing tobacco, the cards featured individual portraits of prominent baseball players from that era and helped drive interest and awareness of the growing sport across America in the late 19th century.
With around 200 total cards issued as part of the set over multiple print runs in 1887 and 1888, the Old Judge cards introduced the novel concept of including sports heroes on trading cards that could be collected and swapped between fans. Prior to this, sports figures were not really featured on cards alongside more mainstream topics of the time like actresses, statesmen, and military leaders. The popularity of the Old Judge cards demonstrated there was a large untapped market among the millions of new baseball enthusiasts across the country hungry for information and collectibles centered around their favorite ballplayers and teams.
Some key details about the 1887 Old Judge tobacco card series:
The complete set featured players from both the National League and American Association of that time period. Top stars included Cap Anson, Pud Galvin, Tim Keefe, Ned Hanlon, and Jimmy Galvin.
Cards measured about 2.5 x 3.5 inches and were printed utilizing a process called lithographywhich helped mass produce colorful images on sturdy cardboard stock.
On the front of each card was a single portrait of an individual player. Information like their name and team was printed below the photo.
The backs of the cards were left blank without any stats, biographies or other details about the players. This was likely done both for cost reasons as well as due to limited space.
It’s estimated around 50,000 sets were printed in total between 1887-1888. Due to poor conditions over 100+ years, only about 100 examples are known to exist today in well-preserved condition.
The rarity and historical significance of being among the earliest baseball cards make high grade 1887 Old Judge issues highly valuable. PSA-graded examples in Gem Mint condition have sold at auction for over $100,000. Even poorly-preserved but identifiable cards can bring $5,000-$10,000.
While tobacco companies had released occasional store-giveaway cards promoting specific brands before 1887, the American Tobacco Company is credited with being the first to develop full-fledged sets distributed factory-sealed inside packages as the precursor to modern trading cards.
The popularity of the Old Judge cards spawned other tobacco-affiliated baseball card series over subsequent years in the 1880s-90s put out by companies like Goodwin & Company and Maple Leaf. But the 1887 set remains the one that started it all and is considered the most important and valuable in the entire hobby.
In the post-Civil War era, America was becoming enthralled with baseball as the new national pastime. Thanks to the innovative Old Judge cards, tobacco firms realized players could drive advertising and sales just as much as movie stars or politicians. They helped bridge the gap between the fields of sports, entertainment and collecting that has only grown massively in scale over the decades since. For these reasons, the 1887 N172 Old Judge cards are revered as one of the true founding fathers of the modern sports card industry and the genesis of what we know today as the hugely popular hobby and business of collecting trading cards featuring professional athletes.
