Would You Consider This A Valid Baseball Card?

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I just won this on ebay and was wondering what you guys thought about it...it's obviously a generic postcard, but it was stamped "Gagnier SS Lincoln, Nebr". The player here is Ed Gagnier who later went on to play for Brooklyn in the Federal League. In 1908 he played for the Western League Lincoln club and I'm guessing this postcard was made by the team.



And if anyone has any other postcards like this that have the "Lincoln Nebr" stamping at the bottom I would be very interested. I know....Highly unlikely, but you gotta ask right?

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

One vote: Yes, it is a baseball card.

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Posted By: James Feagin

I don't consider postcards as baseball trading cards. I consider them postal correspondence cards which happen to have baseball themes

James

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Posted By: Casey

http://www.oldcardboard.com/pc/pc792/pc792.asp?cardsetID=928

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Casey, I know it's a generic set, but I'm wondering that since apparently the Lincoln minor league club added their players names to the postcards if that makes them a legitimate issue?

Sort of like the Springfield minor league cards that were made from blank Rose postcards.

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Posted By: Corey R. Shanus

Dan,

It's a great item but just because it might have been made by a team doesn't change the fact it is still a postcard. To me its the characteristics and distribution of the item that determine what it is, not the issuer.

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Posted By: leon

It's a baseball card to me and not even fully generic with his name and team position at top. I consider Exhibits and Postcards to be cards but don't really collect postcards...unless it's one I like ....

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Yes, sir. I consider that a baseball card.

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Posted By: Ken W.

Me too - baseball card.

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Posted By: ErlandStevens

Who cares if it's valid or not?!? It's pretty cool.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Erland, I hear you and this fits into my focus perfectly whether or not anyone considers it a baseball card or just a generic postcard. Just trying to drum up some non-auction house conversation around here.

I now have something new to look out for though...I'll be scouring the generic embossed postcards on ebay nightly for years to come now.

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Posted By: Jimmy

I place this in Baseball Post Cards and Exhibits and yes would consider this a valid baseball card just in a different category - similar to Tobacco Cards vs. Candy Cards or Strip Cards vs. Photo Cards. I have one of a pitcher below that I just added to my web site

Jimmy

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Posted By: Paul S

It's a baseball card to me. Interesting that Jimmy's doesn't have the player name, etc. like Dan's does.

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Posted By: peter ullman

its a post card...not a baseball card...in my polite...passively agressive minnesotan way.

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Posted By: Steve M.

Of course it's a "baseball card". It's paper (cardboard); it depicts a baseball player; and in this case even a named baseball player.

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Posted By: Harry Wallace (HW)

It is certainly a baseball card to me.

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Posted By: Darren

I consider postcards as types of baseball cards.

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Posted By: Joe D.

its a baseball card!...damn it!...in my impolite...completely aggressive new york way.

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Posted By: ernest reyes

I have several of these cards (as well as several examples of other embossed postcards in different shades and colors) and none of my embossed postcards have a players name on them. Is Gagnier the player captured on this postcard? This is the first time I've seen this.

http://dodgersblueheaven.blogspot.com/
http://imageevent.com/ernestreyes
http://mywantlist.blogspot.com/

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Posted By: Bob

I'm with Peter (also a native Minnesotan)- great postcard, baseball memorabilia, but not a baseball card.
tbob

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Posted By: Glen V

So, if an exhibit card has a postcard back, it's not a baseball card. If the exhibit card has a different back, is it a baseball card?

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I think a postcard is a postcard.

In most cases I think a postcard is its own thing (postcard). However, there are cases were a postcard is very close to baseball card. For example, if Topps issued a 1960 postcard of Mickey Mantle, we're getting pretty dang close to a baseball card.

But, in general, they have a category for postcards, and its called postcards.

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Posted By: MikeU

Postcards are fantastic to collect, but I am in the "they should not be considered baseball cards" camp.

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Posted By: dan Kravitz

If a piece of cardboard that depicts a baseball player is round is it considered a baseball card?


If a piece of celluloid that depicts a baseball player is shaped like a card and used to advertise a product, but not made of cardboard a baseball card?


If a piece of cardboard that depicts a baseball player has a back that can be used to send someone a message considered a baseball card?


If a photograph that depicts a baseball player with no advertising at all considered a baseball card?



If SGC slabs it it must be a card

Why does it matter what the intent of the production of the product have to do with the idea that it is or is not a card? A card is a general term we use that is easier to define when we think of Topps and Fleer cards, but in the deadball era there was no universal production, size, material, shape, etc of "cards". Some companies used their cards to advertise their product, some companies used them to stiffen their product, and some were used to inform the public about sales, or baseball schedules, or clothing lines. The real reason they used baseball players is to grab the attention of the public and to have you buy their product. Postcards were used just as any other cards by using baseball players to sell their prodcut.
This discussion has played out before many times and not everyone is going to agree, but if you don't think PC's are cards, because they have their own designation, then you don't. In my opinion all of these fall into the category of "cards"...

Baseball card? I say in a very firm and Joey The Clown Chicago kinda way... YES!!

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Posted By: Ken W.

Bravo, Dan!!!

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Posted By: red

Here's a set of six. While the player isn't identified, what was used to create the embossed image was probably taken from an original picture of actual players. In the 5th picture down the batter has a NY logo on his jersey, and what year might this style be from? Can the ballpark be identified from the 1st and 6th pictures? Can any of the players be identified based on matching the pose to an original picture that might be known? If a year and positive ID of a player can be established then it can be debated ad nauseam if the card or not a card can be considered a rookie or not a rookie.

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Posted By: peter ullman

while those embossed post cards are kinda neat...they can't be considered "rookie" cards...if they're not cards in the first place. Smiley face right back atcha!

pete in mn

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

That last embossed postcard there with the guy sliding into second base is the same scene used in one of the Morgan Stationary postcards. I believe those cards used Cincinnati Reds ballplayers and were taken at The Palace of the Fans (later Redland Field/Crosley).

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Independent of whose actual image is depicted on the embossing, the intent of Dan's postcard is to represent Gagnier, Lincoln.

It is a card, as identified by its name: postcard
It depicts a specific player, as shown printed near the bottom front.
If you need more - that is your choice. I am satisfied it is a baseball card.

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Posted By: David Keller

Good eye Dan. The last image is from the 1907 PC778 Morgan Stationery "Red Belts". See the "card" at http://www.oldcardboard.com/pc/pc778/pc778-gal.asp

BTW: Palace of the Fans was the home of the Reds before Redland/Crosley Field was opened in 1913.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I don't know. Looks like a cricket player to me
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It should be pointed out that baseball card is short for 'baseball trading card,' which means, in part, cards commercially made to be traded and collected by kids and adults. Not everything that physically is card is a trading card-- due to the 'trading' part. While physically cards, those fall out order cards in magazines and business cards were not manufactured as collectibles. However, postcards were intentionally made pretty and were actively collected, so this definition of 'trading card' does not exclude postcards.