PX7 Domino Disc Question

[benge610]

I tend to look at collecting a little differently.
I am not a set builder mentality; "type-card" comes closer, but my view sees kids in 1910 flipping cards (from their pockets) against the curb, calling it while in the air; winning/losing cards in collections.

I look at a Domino Disc, passed the player depicted; try to figure out what the game of the day was. I have seen the "Home Team/Visiting Team" disc and dot patterns of domino on obverse of player disks.

Hmmm, would love to channel this Q to my Grandfather and his sibs.
This post goes out to those who look beyond the profit element of the hobby.
Looking for another angle on collecting, the way it used to be.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Ben


"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

[BobC]

Originally Posted by benge610

I tend to look at collecting a little differently.
I am not a set builder mentality; "type-card" comes closer, but my view sees kids in 1910 flipping cards (from their pockets) against the curb, calling it while in the air; winning/losing cards in collections.

I look at a Domino Disc, passed the player depicted; try to figure out what the game of the day was. I have seen the "Home Team/Visiting Team" disc and dot patterns of domino on obverse.

Hmmm, would love to channel this Q to my Grandfather and his sibs.
This post goes out to those who look beyond the profit element of the hobby.
Looking for another angle on collecting, the way it used to be.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Ben


"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

Despite being distributed with Sweet Caporal cigarettes, I always assumed they could/would use them to actually play the game of dominoes back in the day. There are a lot of collectibles that are often considered as sort of quasi-cards, that were originally intended to be used for games, and not just as incentives to help sell or advertise cigarettes, candy, gum, or whatever. Burdick gave such game cards their own designation in his American Card Catalog system, as WG cards/items.

There are enough mainstream items (along with some tough and really obscure ones) that you could focus an entire collection on just such game related cards/items, and still have a helluva collection. Alongside these Domino Discs, you have all the WG sets, with the WG-1 game starting things off all the way back in 1888. And then you have the E.R. Williams game the very next year in 1889. There's the uber-rare 1904 Allegheny Card Co. game, with only one of each card in the set ever printed. After that you really get into the WG cards, with two different Fan Craze game series, The National Game, Tom Barker Game, Polo Grounds Game, Walter Mails Game, and the S&S Card Game. Then you have the 1921-30 Major League Die Cuts, which are actually game pieces. And don't forget, the 1951 Topps Red and Blue Back cards are actually to be used for a game. As are the 1961 Topps Dice Game items, 1966 and 1967 Topps Punch-Out game cards, 1968 Topps "Batter-Up" game cards, as well as the 1968 Topps/Milton Bradley game cards, and these are just the ones I came up with quickly off the top of my head.

There are many other game related collectibles, and not all just cards. Like the 1914 "Inside Base Ball" tin lithograph spinner game. It is based on the 1913 World Series between the NY Giants and Philadelphia Athletics, and includes 20 metal game pieces/discs that includes 10 players from each team (all 8 position players and 2 pitchers, per team). The metal pieces/discs are about 3/4" in diameter and include a paper or some type of insert with the player's last names, position, league, and city printed on them (unfortunately no player images though). But it includes these unique game pieces for the likes of Mathewson, Bender, Baker, Plank, Collins, Marquard, and others. You don't see game related items like that for sale every day. Just putting together a type collection of baseball game related cards and items could prove to be a lot of fun, as well as a challenging feat.

Anyway, if interested in learning more, just go to the Old Cardboard site link near the top, on the right hand side of this page, and click the link. Once on their home page, look for and click on the "Card Games" section link near the top to see more info about these card/item related games. And if you maybe want to dig deeper into baseball related games, let me suggest you also check out another site - baseballgames.dreamhosters.com
I won't even try to describe what all you can find on there, but if interested, will leave it to you to have fun checking out the site. It is run by a member on here, Butch7999 (Hi Butch!), who does a fantastic job running that site with a couple buddies of his.

And if this wasn't the kind of info and insight you were looking for, or you already knew all this, my apologies. Still worth maybe thinking about and checking out though. And by the way, have always loved the Domino Discs myself exactly because they are so odd and different. Sort of passively collect and pick them up here and there, when the mood (and price) strikes me. Actually have about 2/3 of the set, if you include all the variations. Good luck.

[benge610]

Originally Posted by BobC

Despite being distributed with Sweet Caporal cigarettes, I always assumed they could/would use them to actually play the game of dominoes back in the day. There are a lot of collectibles that are often considered as sort of quasi-cards, that were originally intended to be used for games, and not just as incentives to help sell or advertise cigarettes, candy, gum, or whatever. Burdick gave such game cards their own designation in his American Card Catalog system, as WG cards/items.

There are enough mainstream items (along with some tough and really obscure ones) that you could focus an entire collection on just such game related cards/items, and still have a helluva collection. Alongside these Domino Discs, you have all the WG sets, with the WG-1 game starting things off all the way back in 1888. And then you have the E.R. Williams game the very next year in 1889. There's the uber-rare 1904 Allegheny Card Co. game, with only one of each card in the set ever printed. After that you really get into the WG cards, with two different Fan Craze game series, The National Game, Tom Barker Game, Polo Grounds Game, Walter Mails Game, and the S&S Card Game. Then you have the 1921-30 Major League Die Cuts, which are actually game pieces. And don't forget, the 1951 Topps Red and Blue Back cards are actually to be used for a game. As are the 1961 Topps Dice Game items, 1966 and 1967 Topps Punch-Out game cards, 1968 Topps "Batter-Up" game cards, as well as the 1968 Topps/Milton Bradley game cards, and these are just the ones I came up with quickly off the top of my head.

There are many other game related collectibles, and not all just cards. Like the 1914 "Inside Base Ball" tin lithograph spinner game. It is based on the 1913 World Series between the NY Giants and Philadelphia Athletics, and includes 20 metal game pieces/discs that includes 10 players from each team (all 8 position players and 2 pitchers, per team). The metal pieces/discs are about 3/4" in diameter and include a paper or some type of insert with the player's last names, position, league, and city printed on them (unfortunately no player images though). But it includes these unique game pieces for the likes of Mathewson, Bender, Baker, Plank, Collins, Marquard, and others. You don't see game related items like that for sale every day. Just putting together a type collection of baseball game related cards and items could prove to be a lot of fun, as well as a challenging feat.

Anyway, if interested in learning more, just go to the Old Cardboard site link near the top, on the right hand side of this page, and click the link. Once on their home page, look for and click on the "Card Games" section link near the top to see more info about these card/item related games. And if you maybe want to dig deeper into baseball related games, let me suggest you also check out another site - baseballgames.dreamhosters.com
I won't even try to describe what all you can find on there, but if interested, will leave it to you to have fun checking out the site. It is run by a member on here, Butch7999 (Hi Butch!), who does a fantastic job running that site with a couple buddies of his.

And if this wasn't the kind of info and insight you were looking for, or you already knew all this, my apologies. Still worth maybe thinking about and checking out though. And by the way, have always loved the Domino Discs myself exactly because they are so odd and different. Sort of passively collect and pick them up here and there, when the mood (and price) strikes me. Actually have about 2/3 of the set, if you include all the variations. Good luck.

Thank you Bob for your awesome "game" info; you have provided a, one stop shop for my reference when looking at kid's 'game' view back then. Thank you!

I still keep looking at, specifically; the Domino Disk 'game', from a kid's point of view back then. My wife and I have been scratching our collective heads; Back then, if my buddy and I have a pocket-full of disks; bored and wanna get competitive; how do we go about playing our game?
Frustrated, baseball historical minds, "gots to know", lol.

Ben
"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

[nolemmings]

Ben,

I am afraid that the disks may have just been for the basic game of dominoes, which has variations in how it's played. I do not believe the Home/Visitor disk was issued with the cigarettes. Just my opinion, but note there is no reference to the brand or factory-or even dominoes. Also, a tabletop game issued around 1916 used the same disks as game pieces. I would venture that this was the source of their creation. I have never seen any instructions of of how dominoes relate to baseball, but I am not a game aficianado. Still, if you and your buddies are bored sitting with a bunch of disks, use your imaginations like the kids of yore and apply it somehow to create a field of dreams.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Ben,

I am afraid that the disks may have just been for the basic game of dominoes, which has variations in how it's played. I do not believe the Home/Visitor disk was issued with the cigarettes. Just my opinion, but note there is no reference to the brand or factory-or even dominoes. Also, a tabletop game issued around 1916 used the same disks as game pieces. I would venture that this was the source of their creation. I have never seen any instructions of of how dominoes relate to baseball, but I am not a game aficianado. Still, if you and your buddies are bored sitting with a bunch of disks, use your imaginations like the kids of yore and apply it somehow to create a field of dreams.

Ben,

I agree with what Todd said about the PX7 discs not being used for a specific baseball themed game, but for some version of a dominoes game. And that is exactly why I mentioned about the directly related to baseball themed games that are out there, and included the reference to the baseball themed game site you can take a look at. The number of different baseball themed games that have come out over the years is absolutely astounding. If you and your buddies are looking to maybe find an old baseball themed game to actually play, there are a lot of options, just maybe not with the PX7 Dominos Discs.

[rhettyeakley]

As stated by Todd, the Home/Visiting disk would not have been issued in cigarettes as it has no Factory designation on it. it was law at the time that inserts in tobacco have factory designations. Possibly made by the same manufacturer of the px7 coins give the similarity, but unlikely an actual insert into the packs.

[benge610]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

As stated by Todd, the Home/Visiting disk would not have been issued in cigarettes as it has no Factory designation on it. it was law at the time that inserts in tobacco have factory designations. Possibly made by the same manufacturer of the px7 coins give the similarity, but unlikely an actual insert into the packs.

Thank you Rhett and Todd. I think I was reading too much into that specific piece when I saw it (Home/Visitor); with the T209 fiasco, no factory and all. I was trying to put myself in the position of kids at the time; always looking to make a game of/trade cards, etc.

I apologize for not being clear earlier; as I said in the previous paragraph; I try to understand better how the kids of the times adapted to using their time to occupy themselves; anywhere from flipping their baseball cards up in the air and calling to determine the winner of a card, etc. My childhood was filled with make up games and cards were no exception.

I still struggle with the idea that one of my buddies (when I was a kid) comes up with the idea to take round disks and attempt to play dominoes. We would have laughed him off; real dominoes being rectangular in shape; being laid down at ends or angles to play. Somebody in the neighborhood would have come up with some way to use the disks and number counts of domino backs, to win and lose ball players' disks with reference to individual's collections. That's what I meant when I said that my wife and I were scratching our heads; putting ourselves in the position of a kid of the times.

Thank you all for your input.
Ben
"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

[Touch'EmAll]

I don't know much about them, but picked up some years ago.

A bit of info: from The MET in NY - "Issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company and distributed in their Sweet Caporal cigarettes.... to be collected and used in a game."

[benge610]

It's a good thing I have no ability to assemble for Set Registry;

"collectors must acquire 137 discs (129 different player discs, seven noteworthy variations and a Home/Visiting team disc)."

Wow.

Ben

[benge610]

Originally Posted by Touch'EmAll

I don't know much about them, but picked up some years ago.

What a nice group.
... and a Home/Visiting team disk to boot!

Ben