Help Me Identify Postcard 1900-1910 - Tigers? Ty Cobb?

[soulgoobe]

Hi, everyone! First post.

I obtained this postcard and would love some help identifying what it is, and possibly what it's worth? This is all I could come up with in my research:

The stamp on the back is from 1902 and issued from 1902-1903, so I assume the postcard is somewhere from 1902-1905 or so, unless someone happened to hold on to a stamp and used it more than 2-3 years later.

I found this info on line from http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/jerseys.htm :

"Running the Bases Wearing Laces
The late 1870s saw the introduction of the laced-front jersey. Styles varied, with some shirts featuring lacing that ran the entire length of the shirt, while others had lacing for just the top portion of the jersey. Laced-front jerseys remained popular through the 1890s, but by 1901 only two of 16 major league clubs were wearing the style. Ten years later, laces on shirts had disappeared altogether."

The person writing on the back of the card said they were seeing the team tonight, so it's got to be 1902-1911, and probably 1902-1905 or so.

It's also been suggested that one of the players looks like Ty Cobb, especially in light of the fact of it being some Detroit team, but I can't place what team that even is, much less if it's a minor league team Cobb could have been on. The stylized D is a lot different and less polished than the Detroit Tigers of the day, so I'm assuming it's some minor league or non-MLB team. I personally seriously doubt it's Ty Cobb as his face and arms are a little softer, whereas Cobb, even back then, had more angular features, but anything's possible.

Also, I'm limited by the size limits of uploading pictures, but I can put them on photobucket if anyone wants to see larger images.

Regardless, it's a pretty cool artifact, but I can't identify what team it is or the year or if this card is unique or if other copies exist, etc. Anyone?

[terjung]

Not sure about the team or the player except that I can't see any way that'd be Cobb. The divided back postcard puts it post March 1, 1907. Images from Cobb in that era are around (w601, for example) and there are striking differences.

Sorry for the bad news about it not being Cobb. Still a cool looking postcard though. Perhaps others can weigh in on who the team might actually be.

[Bicem]

Divided back, has to be 1907 or later.

Looks nothing like Cobb.

whoops... what Brian said.

[soulgoobe]

well I seriously doubted it was Cobb too, I just had to ask, but I never knew anything about divided postcards, so it puts the date a little later. anyone have any hard date on how that works?

more importantly, can anyone identify what this team is or if this postcard is unique or a known entity, etc.?

[pariah1107]

The subject matter is great. Though not Cobb. As mentioned post 1907 image but probably not much later. The writer mentions a baseball game with this team in the near future, etc.. I can't read the name on the postcard; signed or to whom it is addressed. The name would almost certainly narrow the team down to an area..... My guess is probably a town team near El Campo, Texas. More likely Danevang than Detroit.

If you'd like some help through ancestry.com PM me.

[Kawika]

more importantly, can anyone identify what this team is?
Gonna be tough. That stylized "D" could have been worn by town or school teams anywhere in America. Hard to tell from your scan but is any part of the postmark readable? That could help narrow down the location and you might get lucky.

[soulgoobe]

Gonna be tough. That stylized "D" could have been worn by town or school teams anywhere in America. Hard to tell from your scan but is any part of the postmark readable? That could help narrow down the location and you might get lucky.

No, I should have specified - there's no way I can tell what the postmark is.

[terjung]

The "should have been here to help us eat peaches" makes me think it is somewhere in Georgia.

[Dto7]

Not Detroit Tigers..wrong color of hat and shirt collar. Plus wrong English D.

[Greenmonster]

Most likely a town or high school team based upon the small number of players and their ages. I can't read the message but I'd look for smaller towns in Texas that begin with "D"

[soulgoobe]

Most likely a town or high school team based upon the small number of players and their ages. I can't read the message but I'd look for smaller towns in Texas that begin with "D"

yes, but it's being sent to someone IN Texas, not necessarily FROM Texas - it could be from anywhere that had baseball teams in the era - the only possible clue that someone else mentioned was the reference to eating peaches which says it COULD be Georgia, but it could just as easily not be

[soulgoobe]

Is there anyone around here that's an expert in these kinds of things that might be able to identify what it is? are these kinds of postcards common, or are they unusual?

[pariah1107]

Not Ty Cobb. Peaches grow in Texas. Yet another unidentified team PC. Good luck.

[soulgoobe]

ok, so if no one can tell me what it is, anyone have an idea what it's worth? is it possible to list it with any auction house without identifying it?

[rhettyeakley]

Not at all uncommon. If you can identify the team it adds some value but not a ton unless it is a low level minor league (professional) team. Value depends on the part of the country and the collectibility of that area of the country more than anything else. Value is rather minimal in the $25-75 range without any further info.

[Jacklitsch]

ok, so if no one can tell me what it is, anyone have an idea what it's worth? is it possible to list it with any auction house without identifying it?

Based on what the experts have opined my guess is that it's worth between $35 and $50.

[Leon]

We look at pictures of Cobb daily. There is a lot of resemblence in many old ballplayers but very few turn out to be him. (or any famous player for that matter)