Tag Archives: 1887

1887 BASEBALL CARDS

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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.

1887 TOPPS BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1887 N172 Old Judge tobacco card set, issued by the American Tobacco Company, is widely considered the very first major set of baseball cards produced. Containing seven different cards featuring individual baseball players, the 1887 N172 set represented the start of a new collecting phenomenon that would grow into an international multi-billion dollar industry over the ensuing decades.

Each card in the 1887 set measured approximately 2 1/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches and was printed lithographically in black and grey scale on thin cardboard stock. The front of each card featured an image of an individual baseball player in their uniform along with their name and team. On the back was printed colorful advertising copy and imagery promoting Old Judge tobacco. The seven players included in the inaugural 1887 set were Jim O’Rourke, Tim Keefe, John Clarkson, Ned Williamson, Charley Jones, Dan Brouthers and Deacon White.

While some individual baseball player cards had been issued prior to 1887 in newspaper and magazine promotions, the Old Judge set was unique in that it marked the first time a major company mass produced sets of multiple unique cards solely as a promotional vehicle for a product. As such, the 1887 N172 set is widely credited with inventing the modern format for trading cards, collectors, and the broader sports card industry that would follow.

Beyond introducing the concept of sets and collecting, the 1887 cards were also significant because they preserved images and statistical information about some of baseball’s earliest stars from the formative years of professional leagues in the 1880s. Tim Keefe was one of the first truly dominant pitchers, leading the National League in wins five times. Dan Brouthers was a slugging first baseman who still ranks among the all-time leaders in career home runs more than a century after his retirement. Charley Jones and Jim O’Rourke were stalwarts for championship clubs in the American Association. By featuring these pioneering players very early in the collection of baseball statistics, the 1887 cards helped ensure some historical documentation of the game’s 19th century period survived as interest in the sport grew exponentially in later decades.

From a condition perspective, the fragility of the thin cardboard stock used for the 1887 cards means very few survived in high grades over 135 years. It’s estimated fewer than 50 examples still exist in collectible condition today. In the most pristine state with sharp images and no creasing, folding or surface wear, a 1887 N172 Old Judge in what would be considered mint condition would be worth millions of dollars. Even well-worn examples that still retain identifiable images continue to attract five and six figure prices from enthusiastic collectors.

Despite their rarity and value, the enduring appeal of the 1887 cards is as an important historical artifact of the nascent relationship between baseball, advertising and collecting during a key period of the game’s development. By featuring stars from the formative years of professional leagues, the set helped preserve some of the earliest photographic images and statistics from baseball’s pioneer era. Most significantly, by introducing the novel concept of trading cards issued as a product promotion, the N172 set established a model that would be endlessly copied and expanded upon in the ensuing decades as baseball rose to become America’s national pastime.

In the 130+ years since that first seminal 1887 release, the sports card collecting landscape has grown into a multi-billion dollar international industry. From the elaborate premium sets created by Upper Deck and Topps in modern times to the vintage cardboard of stars from the past, the business is a diverse collecting universe sustained by nostalgia and fueled by new discoveries and record-setting sales. Yet through it all, the humble pioneer creation of the 1887 Old Judge set remains revered as the true starting point—a seminal release that introduced two distinctly American pastimes: baseball on the field and the baseball card hobby that would follow it. That auspicious beginning in a single, 7-card series over a century ago grew to represent so much more. From a historical perspective, the N172 set serves as an iconic reminder of the inauspicious roots from which today’s sports memorabilia industry grew to become a globally significant merchandise sector of its own.

1887 OLD JUDGE BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1887 Old Judge tobacco cards are considered some of the most historically significant collectibles in sports memorabilia. Produced as promotional inserts in packages of Old Judge tobacco, the 1887 series was the first dedicated set of baseball cards ever produced. While other tobacco companies had included baseball related illustrations on cards prior to 1887, the Old Judge set solely featured photos of professional ballplayers and were thus truly the first baseball cards. The 1887 Old Judge set paved the way for the modern baseball card collecting hobby and holds immense value both culturally and monetarily amongst collectors.

Old Judge tobacco was manufactured by the E.C. Simmons Medicine Company based out of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1887, the company decided to include small photographic trade or baseball cards with purchasers of their Old Judge smoking tobacco product as a promotional marketing ploy. Each tobacco package would contain 1 of 125 different trading cards featuring individual headshot photos of professional ballplayers from both the National League and American Association. Most cards had no statistics or biographical information on the reverse, only advertisement copy for Old Judge tobacco. The 1887 series is considered a landmark in both sports and collectibles history as they were essentially the birth of what we now know as modern trading cards.

While tobacco companies had previously included illustrations or drawings related to baseball in their products, the 1887 Old Judge set was distinguished by solely featuring actual photos of stars like “King” Kelly, “Orator” Jim O’Rourke, and “Pony” Joe starting catcher. In total, the 125 card checklist included members of all 12 major league teams from 1887. Not all the original cards are believed to still exist today. It’s estimated that only around 60 or so of the original 125 cards are known to have survived incollector grade condition over 135 years later. In addition to rarity and condition concerns, the cards are challenged by the lack of statistics and info on the back which has hampered identification and grading over time.

The 1887 Old Judge cards are true Americana collectibles reflecting baseball’s immense popularity in the post-Civil War era. By the late 1880s, professional baseball had grown from amateur status into a major commercial industry and new pastime enjoyed nationwide. Companies like E.C. Simmons aimed to profit off this baseball mania by including player photos meant for young fans and adults alike to swap, trade, and collect. Interestingly, the 1887 set came before the establishment of modern tobacco warning labels, reflecting a much different era. While the hazards of tobacco were recognized even then, cigarettes and other smoked products were still commonly marketed toward children through premiums like the Old Judge cards.

In the ensuing decades after 1887, other tobacco companies like Goodwin & Company and American Tobacco soon began distributing their own series of baseball cards to immense popularity. These developments truly launched the golden age of tobacco premium collectibles from the late 1880s through the early 20th century. The demand was driven both by adults who enjoyed the cigarettes as well as children seeking out the enclosed treats or prizes inside packs. Despite issues around targeting minors, the companies were successful in using cards to boost tobacco sales and imprint their brands upon a new generation. The burgeoning card collecting fad also helped fuel greater interest in the on-field product of professional baseball itself.

For over a century, the exquisite 1887 Old Judge cards have maintained their iconic status. Because of their tremendous rarity, condition challenges, and status as the first ever baseball cards, examples that surface at auction continue to shatter records when they do come up for sale. In 2016, a PSA NM-MT 8 graded example of the iconic “Cap Anson” card from the set sold for an astounding $350,000 USD through auction house Goldin. More recent big auction prices for 1887 OJs include a “Dan Brouthers” that sold in 2021 for over $312,000 USD. While not all of the original 125 cards have been identified or fully represented at the highest levels, those that remain captivate imaginations as pivotal artifacts of baseball collectibles origins. Researchers continue to review archives and private holdings in hopes of one day accounting for every player and image from this groundbreaking premiere venture.

In many ways, the success of the 1887 Old Judge Tobacco card inclusion was quite fortuitous for both E.C. Simmons Co. and the greater sport of baseball itself. By putting photos of star athletes in the hands of the public, their simple marketing tactic helped spark a nationwide boom in both baseball fandom and sports collectibles. While the health impacts of tobacco were not as fully understood, the Old Judge cards as a novelty shaped a new industry and cultural phenomena. Today, these exceedingly rare cards continue to fascinate historians, researchers and collectors alike for their tremendous historical significance. As the first ever dedicated baseball cards over 135 years ago, the 1887 Old Judge set will always have a revered place at the origins of our national pastime.

1887 N172 OLD JUDGE CIGARETTES BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1887 N172 Old Judge cigarette set is one of the most valuable and historically significant releases of tobacco-related collectibles. Produced by the American Tobacco Company and inserted randomly into packs of Old Judge cigarettes, the cards featured prominent baseball players from the late 1880s and helped popularize the relatively new sport of professional baseball across the United States. The cards were mass produced but are now exceedingly rare, with only a tiny fraction of the original print run known to have survived to the present day in collectors’ hands. Given their excellent condition and key role in baseball history, pristine examples can sell at auction for well over $1 million each.

Old Judge was one of the most prominent cigarette brands of the late 19th century, produced as American Tobacco sought to capitalize on growing tobacco consumption in the post-Civil War era. Building brand loyalty through promotional items was an early form of mainstream advertising. In 1887, the N172 set was introduced, with individual cigarette cards printed on a thick paper/cardboard substrate and measuring approximately 2.5 x 3 inches each. Each card featured a single baseball player in action along with their name and team.

There were a total of 25 cards issued in the series, profiling stars from the National League, American Association, and other prominent amateur clubs of the time. Notable inclusions were Cap Anson of the Chicago White Stockings, future Hall of Famer Tony Mullane of the Louisville Colonels, Dan Brouthers of the Buffalo Bisons, and Erastus “erasmus” Wedge of the Cleveland Blues. The cards represented some of the best known players and biggest stars of late 19th century baseball at a time when the spotlight was just beginning to shine on professional athletes.

When initially inserted into cigarette packs as intended by American Tobacco, the cards would have been a major attraction for baseball enthusiasts looking to collect profiles of their favorite players and teams. They were never intended as collectibles in their own right. Most consumers used and disposed of the cards without consideration for their future value. Surviving examples are scarce due to effective quality control measures like standardized sizes that made cards easy to tear and damage over a century ago. Environmental factors like exposure to heat, humidity, and rodents have also taken a toll.

Today, hobby experts estimate less than 200 examples might still exist across all 25 N172 cards in the set. The rarest are considered to be the cards of legendary players like Roger Connor, Tim Keefe, and Mike “King” Kelly – with perhaps only a handful known for each. Even relatively common players like Buck Ewing and Hick Carpenter could be worth six figures if in exceptional preserved quality. The finest specimens regularly break records when they cross the auction block.

In 2013, mint condition examples of Bug Holliday, Dave Orr, and Jim Whitney sold for $204,000, $231,000, and $262,000 respectively at auction. A PSA EX-MT 5/5 “Gem Mint” Roger Connor from 1887 changed hands for over $1 million in 2016. And a rare Mike “King” Kelly graded PSA NM-MT 8 sold in 2021 for an astounding $657,250. Prices have consistently risen steeply in line with growing awareness and demand from affluent collectors.

For serious paper money investors and tobacco Americana fans, owning an N172 is considered a singular achievement. They represent history through baseball’s earliest icons and the surging popularity of cigarettes at a unique moment in time. The 1887 Old Judge set is one of a handful of non-sports card releases predating the modern era that laid important groundwork. Examples changing hands for hundreds of thousands or over $1 million today illustrates how far collectibles have come since randomly tossed aside over a century past. In the eyes of the paper money community, they are national treasures deserving of preservation and display by devoted caretakers willing to pay top dollar.

The 1887 N172 Old Judge baseball card set holds immense cultural and historical significance as tobacco memorabilia, representations of professional baseball’s rising stars, and highly valuable rarities within the hobby. Despite being mass produced promotional items originally intended for brief usage and disposal, a tiny fraction have incredibly survived over 130 years to become million-dollar commodities. They connect the earliest eras of America’s pastimes to an evolving present where history commands increasingly high prices. For any aficionado of sports, tobacco Americana, or simply paper money collecting, obtaining an N172 would be considered an crowning achievement.