The Boston Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team, forming in 1871. They were incredibly popular and successful, helping to spark the growth of professional baseball across the United States. Given their status as the first professional team, baseball cards featuring Boston Red Stockings players from the 1870s are among the most historically significant and valuable in the sport’s history.
Some of the earliest known baseball cards date back to the late 1860s and early 1870s, when players’ images first began appearing on tobacco products, candy wrappers, and other memorabilia. The quality and production of these early cards was inconsistent. The first baseball cards that could be called true “trade cards” came in the late 1880s, printed as promotional items by tobacco companies to help advertise their products.
In 1887, the American Tobacco Company began the first major production of baseball cards as part of its cigarette and chewing tobacco brands. Over the next few decades, dozens of tobacco companies would issue baseball cards as premiums in their products. The earliest Red Stockings cards come from this late 1880s/1890s era, when the team had long since disbanded but remained a key part of baseball history.
Some of the rarest and most valuable Red Stockings cards include:
1887 N172 Old Judge Harry Wright: Considered the “Mona Lisa” of baseball cards, this is one of the earliest known baseball cards ever produced. It pictures legendary Red Stockings manager and shortstop Harry Wright. In near-mint condition, examples have sold for over $200,000 at auction.
1888-1890 Goodwin Champions Harry Wright: This card features another image of Harry Wright and was issued over multiple years in the late 1880s. High grade copies have sold for $50,000+.
1889 N15 Old Judge Player-King Kelly: Showcasing Red Stockings star pitcher/outfielder King Kelly, this is one of the most iconic cards of the 19th century. In top condition it can fetch six figures.
1889 N30 Old Judge Jim O’Rourke: O’Rourke played for the Red Stockings 1871-1875 and is considered one of the first true stars of professional baseball. Mint examples have sold for over $15,000.
1890-1891 Mayflower Harry Wright: Continuing to honor the legendary manager’s place in baseball history, this color illustrated card also commands high prices in top condition.
1891 Mayo’s Cut Plug Billy Nash: Nash pitched for Boston 1871-1872, making this one of the earliest Red Stockings player cards available. Near-mint copies have sold for around $8,000.
While the Red Stockings disbanded as a team in 1875, their legacy as the first pro franchise lived on through these classic tobacco era cards issued in the late 1880s-1890s. The players depicted were genuine 19th century stars and pioneers who helped grow baseball from a amateur pastime to the national professional sport it is today.
In the early 1900s, multiple new companies like American Caramel, Continental Tobacco, and Utz entered the baseball card market. Many of these issues also included past star Red Stockings. The quality, condition, and rarity of late 19th century tobacco issues makes them the most historically important when it comes to collecting cards of this pioneering franchise.
In the modern era, the rise of direct internet sales and third party grading services has made even common Red Stockings tobacco cards significantly more expensive than in previous decades. While the highest grades of the rarest names like Wright, Kelly, and O’Rourke remain out of reach except for the wealthiest collectors, it’s still possible to acquire lower grade examples for thousands of dollars.
For those seeking a connection to the earliest days of professional baseball, Red Stockings cards will always remain a vital part of the sport’s collectible culture. They represent the transition of America’s pastime from amateur fields to big city stadiums and the first true superstars that drove baseball’s massive growth. As a result, they continue to hold tremendous significance for historians and fans alike over 130 years after the team first took the field.
