[Saco River Auction]

The staff at Saco River Auction have been hearing speculation and discussion in this forum and others regarding the authenticity of this card. I felt it was important to share all the information known on this card and its origin so that all of you can make an informed decision on the validity of this rare and unique card.

This card was found in Washington County Maine by a guy that buys used stuff. He was picking through a wood shed that held old furniture and coke bottles and a cardboard box on the floor caught his attention. In the box was some books and papers and a photo album. He bought a few chairs, the coke bottles and the box full of papers and the photo album. The guy brought the photo album home and cleaned all the mold off it and began to inspect the photos. He found a tin type from the civil war that showed Alcatraz Prison which he sold on ebay, and numerous other photos from the 1860's that were also sold on ebay. In the album was a curious cdv of a baseball team. He did minimal research and listed it on ebay. He was bombarded with emails and offers and decided to pull it down.

He then decided to sell the card to a gentlemen who he picks with, that guy then sent the card to Lelands for possible consignment. Lelands kept the card for two months and then mailed it back(no other communication like a courtesy call) was made and the card was mailed back stating that it was fake, made by an inkjet printer. The "expert" at Leland's claimed that the period mount it is attached and claimed the dot pattern of the mount is indicative of a inkjet printer and no mention of the actual image was made.

We were aware of this info and determined that the card needed to be examined by the best grading/authentication company around for 19th century sports items and images. We submitted the card for examination by SGC and they spent the better part of 4 days researching and examining this card. They are the experts and in speaking to the head examiner he is 100% sure that this is a authentic 19th century Albumen Process CDV depicting the 1865 Brooklyn Atlantics Team. SGC stands by their expertise and take pride in their work. They told me that they always approach a rare item with a large amount of skeptism until the evidence removes any doubt in their mind.

We intend to proceed without doubt or reservation in the sale of this rare and unique item as the evidence of its authenticity is not in question in our minds. We have also had what we consider an expert in 19th century photography, examine the card prior to sending it out and he is convinced that the item is right as rain.
Please keep in mind that Leland's is an excellent auction company with world class knowledge and experience, however no one in any auction house is an absolute expert in every catagory of items that they sell. That is why we defer to experts like SGC and PSA and JSA to assist us in verifying the items that we sell. It is obvious to us that this one slipped by the staff at Lelands and it is unfortunate for them as they lost a large potential commission, but this does not detract from the validity of The Saco River Auction Company or our upcoming sale. We are an established auction house in all phases of items and although we are not in a big city and have not been around for 50 years, we known how to manage and handle valuable items, and we get great prices for our consignors.

Thank You For Your Time and Interest
Troy Thibodeau
Manager/Auctioneer
Saco River Auction