1886 Sporting Life Cards Reference in Police Gazette

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Posted By: Max Weder

While surfing through the Police Gazette on-line, I found this reference in an 1886 article:



Does anyone know what cards are referred to here?

Thanks,

Max

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Posted By: Paul

I can't answer your question, but I think it's very interesting that the term "baseball cards" was actually in use in 1886.

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Posted By: Joann

Was Sporting Life in existence in 1886? I don't know - and I also don't recognize any of the names in the clip. Heck, I can't even figure out what the last paragraph is even saying, and I read it twice!

Joann

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Posted By: Max Weder

Paul

Here is an earlier reference to cards. For a mere $3,000, this item is available on-line:

Description: One quarto leaf folded to make four pages, apparently paginated with the previous issue: (1)6-8. Small stain on the first page, else fine. An "amateur" newspaper, on page 7 (or the third page of the newspaper) is an advertisement that reads as follows: "Base Ball Cards! 25 for 20 cts. Special rates to clubs. State position and name of club when ordering. Agents wanted! Send 3 ct. stamp for samples. Franklin L. Horn, Mattoon, Ills." Within our own little circle of baseball scholars and enthusiasts debate rages over the meaning of this little advertisement, with some convinced that this is an advertisement for business or trade cards, others that it indicates a previous unknown series of amateur baseball cards, and still others believing it was an advertisement for a stillborn project proposed by the printer, with no takers. The meaning of "baseball cards" is somewhat fluid. A few cabinet photographs were issued in the 1850s, and the sporting goods company Peck and Snyder issued a few cabinet photograph cards of teams in 1869-1870; but the first use of the term to indicate what we now consider "baseball cards" usually refers to mass produced player cards issued with tobacco products in the mid-1880s. Odds and Ends is an example of an "amateur newspaper," part of a movement that started around 1805 and continued, with fits and starts, until the Great Depression, with the "golden age" of the movement between 1870-1880, and beginning in 1867, with the invention of an inexpensive "novelty press." This item might provide a vital missing link to the study of early cards, or just be a dead-end in the evolutionary development of the hobby. At any rate, a fascinating and thought provoking item. Bookseller Inventory # 83353



Max

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Posted By: barrysloate

Max- Sporting Life published a series of about a dozen comic baseball trade cards that are beautifully illustrated and highly prized by trade card collectors. A friend of mine just sold a bunch of them on ebay about ten days ago. If you click on completed auctions and type in "sporting life trade cards" I think you should be able to find some nice examples.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

can't find them.

please help us out Barry

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Posted By: barrysloate

Let me look and I'll get back to you.

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Posted By: barrysloate

For some reason I can't find them either. There is one pictured in black and white in Lipset's 19th century encyclopedia on page 4. But I can't think of where else a color picture would be and I don't know why they are not showing up on completed searches on ebay. If you want to see the Rolls Royce of baseball trade cards go to completed auctions and type in Darktown Battery Trade Card. That is the rarest baseball trade card of them all.

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Posted By: Max Weder

Here's another ad from the Police Gazette, this time from 1885. Presumably more trade cards?



Max

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Posted By: barrysloate

Click on the link to REA's last auction, go to lot 717, and click on the third of the five available pictures. The top row of three are Sporting Life color trade cards.

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Posted By: leon

I believe there were 2 types made. The one like Barry is talking about and this type. I looked in the ACC and didn't see a number for it but maybe Burdick is hiding it somewhere else ala W600? regards (by popular demand the quarter is back)

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

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Posted By: barrysloate

Hal- that's it. The trade card is more valuable than the bank. Only a handful are known. Leon- that is the trade card I was referring to. What is the second type? I am only aware of one Sporting Life series.

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Posted By: fkw

The Sporting Life cards are listed as H804-8 in the ACC.

There is 3 sets

H804-8A (tan bottom) 8 known
H804-8B (yellow bottom) 8 known
H804-8C (brown bottom) 4 known

Each set has different titles, and each of the 3 sets has a different back advertisement.

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Posted By: leon

Thanks much.....just as I thought. I really think these should be an "m" series much like the Sporting Life Cabinets, W600. There is another, much nicer, trade card I am thinking of too. They usually go for about $450-$650 when I see them and I have never picked one up. I would be surprised if they have an ACC #. They are much more ornate and the lithography is nicer on the others. I think they are also from Sporting Life but might be something like "Sporting Times"? and are generic.... (not M117) regards

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Posted By: fkw

I updated it Leon. There are 3 sets. I had to look at my Keetz book and get all the info.

PS there is also a Sporting Life "brownies playing baseball" series (H804-29), but they are not as attractive and have a small "Read The Sporting Life" in bottom corner.

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Posted By: leon

Thanks again....I think the one I am thinking of might be "National ---" something......it's a larger card and I have only seen about 5 in my tenure in the hobby...

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Posted By: barrysloate

Leon- what you are thinking of is "National League Chew". What sets that one apart is it is perhaps the only color trade card to show a serious ballplayer; all the others show comic poses of one kind or another. It also has extremely fine lithography and is quite scarce. As far as there being three series of Sporting Life trade cards, that is technically true but the artwork on all three is stylistically the same.

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

I rarely get a chance to show this one off.. But when you said police Gazette I could not resist...One of my favorite items I own. Swett was only PCL player in the set..

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Posted By: fkw

Barry got it, the "National Chew" cards are one of the nicest looking ones and bring good $$. From what my book says they are 3-1/8" by 5" Calvert Lith. of Detroit. I only see them maybe once every 2 years on eBay, and a few have been trimmed and still brought good $$.