Anyone here collect 1887 Old Judge baseball cards?

[Zone91]

I want to buy a few (1-2 to start) but the internet says there are 3500 cards in the set that is just crazy....how does one know what he is buying and how do you determine rarity??? Or do people just buy random cards mostly?

Do people mostly buy PSA or SGC for this set or are they both accepted?

[seablaster]

You'll find a lot of N54 members collect OJs, but they are not discussed as frequently at T206s.

The set is close to, if not entirely impossible to complete due to the absolute rarity of some of the cards.

People collect certain teams, players, etc., whatever they find to be important to them.

With OJs in particular, most collectors tend to not focus on the numerical grade. The key features of the cards are the clarity and contrast of the images.

Try to become versed in them before purchasing a few. It will give you more of an appreciation for the complexities of the set.

Most of us would also suggest obtaining a copy of the Old Judge book by Gonsowski, Masson, and Miller. It's a great book and definitely worth the cost.

[mrvster]

+1 i love ojs, but t206 more

[slidekellyslide]

A complete set would be impossible because many of the cards are so scarce and in collections that will never be liquidated that a few collectors try for a player set which I believe is in the 500+ card range...which is also really impossible for the same reason above. There are lots of collectors who collect by team or try to get every pose for a certain player.

As far as grading goes, most N172 collectors that I know don't worry about who graded it because both PSA and SGC don't seem to take the actual photo on the card into account when grading it, and faded cards can have much higher grades than cards that might grade a 1 or 2 which have excellent clarity. IOW grading doesn't seem to matter to most Old Judge collectors.

edited to add: Seablaster beat me to everything I said in this post.

[jcmtiger]

If you find one you like buy it. They don't come up for sale that often, especially the Detroit Players I need.

I was hoping this post was about someone looking to sell.

Joe

[smtjoy]

Buy the book listed above first, its the best reference for OJ's!

[Zone91]

Thanks a lot guys does anyone have a link to the book mentioned above?

[smtjoy]

Here is a link, pass over the one for 199.99 as another is listed for 79.99.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...&condition=new

I see one on ebay but its by a low feedback seller so buyer beware.

[slidekellyslide]

There are currently three available with BIN on ebay...but you might be able to find it cheaper elsewhere. I could not find one on Amazon.

[honus94566]

Definitely, definitely get the book. It is WELL worth it, and at $70 or so you will probably pay less for that book than most any single OJ card that's out there.