[ksfarmboy]

Thanks guys.

Carlton I’ll give you basically the short story. Topeka was growing quickly in 1887 with aspirations of becoming the next Chicago. Local business men hired Walt Goldsby as manager and gave him free reins to get the best players possible. Goldsby acquired several professional players, some of which had played on championship teams. The team was so good that attendance actually fell and they lost money. The team was broke up after the one season with most players returning to major league ball. Many of the players have old judge cards. They also played the future major league champs that year and beat them 2 out of 3.

I’m not sure on the photo dimensions as I don’t have it in front of me. It is a little bigger than the standard cabinet card. The photo was by Downing out of Topeka with two basic versions. Downing made a horizontal style like mine and there was a more elaborate vertical style in standard cabinet form.

I knew of both cabinets but had lost out in past auctions despite hefty bids. I was able to get my photo thanks to a thread started on the card side about what was the one card you would like to have if money was no object. The usual reply was A T206 Wagner but mine was the Topeka cabinet. A fellow board member saw my post and offered me the card. The rest as they say is history.

What makes this card so incredible to me is anything 19th century baseball from Kansas is rare. Only two photos of this team are known and none of any other 19th century Kansas minor league teams. The great player selection with so many professionals puts it over the top.

Clint