Q: Earliest baseball card signatures?
 

1. What’s the oldest card signed by a player shown on the card?

2. What’s the first documented instance of a player signing a card on which he is shown?

Does anyone have a guess on 1 or 2?

(Sorry if it has been discussed).

There was a full set of 1872 Red Stocking cabinets that we're auctioned years ago. All were autographed. They still reside with the person who won that lot.

Thanks Jay. That answers part 1! (And maybe part 2).

While on topic, what is the situation with signed OJs?

One Mack signed on the back. The signature looks like it was late in Mack's life. I know of no others.

His.
 

Awesome! Thanks.

Autographed Group of (8) 1871/72 Boston Red Stockings Cabinet Cards by Warren Studios
Estimate 50,000 — 60,000 USD
LOT SOLD. 120,000 USD

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/...155/lot.1.html

That is one of my favorite groups of cards ever.

Mine too

Mine three.

Of non-sport note, people, including celebrities, used CDVs to sign in the 1860s-70s. So you can find early CDVs signed by folks ranging from Charles Dickens to Robert E. Lee

Mine four. And I was part of a small group trying to win that lot- hi Gary- but it wasn't meant to be.

Some may remember it was part of a group of ten, and the two others were offered in a Mastro Auction that literally closed the night before the
Sotheby's Auction. The winner of the two from Mastro also won the other eight, and told us he was not going to let them go for pretty much any price.

Arguably they are the finest set of 19th century cards in the hobby.

Check out these from PBS : http://www.pbs.org/video/antiques-ro...kings-archive/

Was this group ever sold ? Seems like a high estimate ?

Note: These are different cards than the auto card cabinets discussed previously. These were from scorecards I believe.

I think that there were three offered separately - George Wright and a lot with Gould and Rogers.

So then there were eleven total. I'm sure you remember better than I do.

The thing I never understood about the lot is how it got split up and were sold in two separate auctions on consecutive days. I'm sure there is a juicy story there.

Here's the lot of 8 : http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/...155/lot.1.html

front signed
 

Are there earlier front signed not oversized cards than this? Also has a PSA
Attachment 310117

Mack
 

http://www.1933goudey.com/uploads/6/...onnie_orig.jpg

It's been overshadowed a bit in this thread, but this is the Mack OJ that was referenced.

Jason

I seem to recall a signed Hoy, but that could just be my memory playing tricks on me. It would be plausible, as he died in the sixties.

FWIW - I am not aware of one.

If that autograph is good. Every other Duffy I have seen has the "D" unattached from the rest of the name. That, and other factors, make that autograph somewhat questionable to me. Having said that, I am not an autograph collector and GAI authenticators should be experts.

Came from REA with LOAs from James Spence/JSA, Mike Gutierrez/GAI, and Steve Grad/PSA DNA.

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/...yo-hugh-duffy/

REA had this signed Hoy cabinet card five years ago or so.

It would be great if anyone has better resolution scans than what Sotheby's has here. Anyone?

I do not have the Sotheby's scans, but I do have some for the others.

For what it is worth on the Duffy
Attachment 310557

Warren cabinets
 

The story on the signed cabinets is that they were kept by the family of the original photographer and were split up between his heirs at some point. It could be a myth and does not explain why they would appear in two different auctions almost simultaneously. I am glad the group is back together instead of spread to the four winds. Almost all the cards are dated when signed between July 22-24, 1872. There are 11 in the group.