Pricing on 19th century base ball trade card
 

I came across this item in an antique store today. It's of a nondescript team, and the back has album removal damage and there's a scuff that penetrates the surface to the right of the player in the back row's face. It measures about 7 by 9 inches and the front is glossy and the paper stock is thin. It's hard to tell but the right border could be trimmed.

What's a reasonable price to pay for such a piece? I know it's been sitting there for awhile at the current price.

Thanks in advance,
Pete

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That's the back cover to the 1884 Noah Brooks book. A complete copy of the book is worth about $200-250. What is the cover itself worth? Not too much.

You claim it is thin. Is it skinned? Maybe it's something issued in conjunction with the book, but that's what the back cover looks like.

Wow...great pickup Pete! You can most likely date this to 1882 because of the uniforms...the team may be non-descript, but I wouldn't be surprised if this matches up with known professional team photo. Great item!

Heh...I was still posting while Barry was posting. So Barry is this a known team? I don't think I'm familiar with the book you mentioned.

Here's the back cover from the book. I'll check tomorrow as to what's on the other side.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/...5eff3eea_o.jpg

Are you certain it's not a reproduction from the book cover?

It's the 1882 Chicago White Stockings. Anson and Kelly are in the image. It matches a Harper's Woodcut, I believe.

So the back side of the cover page of every one of those books advertises Madam J. Rieth's Glass Blowers who would be at 57 4th Avenue beginning Tuesday, February 11th?

You sure, Barry?

For what it's worth, between 1870 and 1890, February 11th fell on a Tuesday in 1873, 1879 and 1890. In 1884 when you say the book was published, it fell on a Saturday.

-Ryan

Ryan- the glassblowers ad is not part of the book, but appears to be added on at some time. Look at all the glue showing through the paper. That looks like a piece that was made to mislead a buyer. Someone had a beat up copy of the Noah Brooks book, and removed the back cover to create a faux trade card. That's my theory. Of course, if I had it in hand I might feel differently. That book cover is made of sturdy board, so I would like to know the thickness of it.

The piece is printed on a thin sheet of paper, akin to the thickness of a cigar label. I can't imagine there's enough paper for it to have been re-backed, and for what purpose? To turn a $25 item into a $50 item? Is it possible for it to have been originally blank backed, and then to have the glass blowers ad added to it later? I dunno. I'm going with Barry's initial assessment that the thing's not worth much, doctored or not. And by the way, the guy's asking price is $250 less 15%; I've concluded to save my $$ (perhaps) for a tasty Brockelman & Luckey offering. Thanks guys!

Pete- it does sound strange and if it is paper thin it's either just a layer of the cover, or possibly there was a flyer of some kind issued at the same time. Either way, that glass blower ad was glued on after the fact. I agree you would be better off passing at that price level, since that is roughly the value of the whole book.

It looks to me more like the glue is simply the normal kind of glue residue that would be on the back after it was removed from a scrapbook like so many other trade cards often have. I disagree that the Glass Blowers ad was glued on after the fact or is even a separate piece. Then again, it's pretty hard to tell from those pics. Maybe Barry's right. Does the book have glossy covers like the paper of this piece? You can see from the flash reflection that the paper has some gloss to it which doesn't seem to appear on the book. Also, the colors for both all match except for the green background this piece has vs. the brown background on the book. Oh, and can someone point out Anson and Kelly for me?

Interesting piece, whatever it is.

-Ryan

Ryan- that back cover illustration appears to be based on the October 14, 1882 Harper's Woodcut of the Chicago White Stockings, although the artist took some liberties, which included removing mustaches from some of the players and shifting some players around. The one seated in the center is Anson, and the other player with the vertical striped jacket appears to be Kelly, although he occupies a different position in the back row of the Harper's. Clearly, the artist who drew this picture did not recreate a precise rendition of the players' faces.

The illustration is from the rear cover of the book. I've checked the book and the back endpaper of Our Baseball Club is blank.

The offered item still doesn't look natural to me but it's really impossible for me to tell without looking at it in person.

Max