19th Century base ball calling/business card
 

Anyone care to impart/withhold information about this piece of ephemera which I (and you) have the opportunity to purchase?

I see an example (albeit flawed) using the same background image on David Cycleback's magnificent web site:

http://www.cycleback.com/1800s/prints.htm

The M.B.B.C. makes the latest offering all the more enticing.

quite early
 

If from the 1870's that would make it quite early....

Shhhhhhhh

Assuming it's genuine, it's an 1870s calling card (business card) for a baseball team member. The printers probably had various generic and themed backgrounds for calling cards then personalized them for the customer. A dentist's business card from the same printer wouldn't have had a baseball game background. As noted, that MBBC text is special as it ties Mr. Gifford and the card to a team.

Darn, I went out of town for a couple of days and forgot about this card.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

That's why God made sniping apps... :)

Actually I forgot to place a snipe.

Same seller of the card that was the subject of this thread is now offering this extraordinary piece of ephemera. Anyone care to withhold/impart any info on this one?

One thing about the two items you posted is I've never seen exact examples before. Meaning, it's not like a T206 Ty Cobb Tobacco or Goudey Lajoie where anyone can get a jpg off the internet and make a reprint. The seller has positive signs, he has strong feedback, specializes in antique paper ephemera and guarantees authenticity.

Not to make anyone feel bad, but I would value the first business card as worth a lot more than the winning bid. I would think $200-$300 range. I also assume it could be put in a PSA or SGC holder.

drc:

That's precisely why I've posted these here. The Harry Wright trade card, to my eyes, is a fairly significant discovery that merits discussion...and, if on the level (which I believe it is), deserves early bids (which, in fact, it has) which might dissuade the seller from falling prey to a stop-this-auction-now buyer. I have no problem with someone getting a good price for a great object.

Looking back, I forgot to place snipes on a couple of other pieces I really wanted.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Don't feel too bad about those Randall...I know the winner and I can assure you his snipes would have still won them...if anything you saved him some money.

The seller of those two items had something far more interesting that he did not have listed very well, but as is with most items on ebay these days it didn't sneak by as I was hoping. This thing was sitting at less than $30 with two hours to go and then all the sudden my snipe was eclipsed with about an hour and a half to go so right then I knew it was going to go for way more than I wanted to pay.

Check it out - this guy listed a cabinet photo of Joe Tinker, but didn't name Tinker in the auction or title...the name he listed was actually the owner of the photo who you can see was the manager of the Saskatoon team.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Baseball...d=p3911.c0.m14