New Postage Stamp

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Posted By: Bill Stone

I just heard the news that the U S Postal Service is issuing a new baseball stamp based on an 1880 trade card. It is to celebrate Take me out to the ball game. Does anyone have the original trade card on which it is based? What product was advertised?

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Posted By: barrysloate

I believe "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" was published after 1900, so something doesn't sound right.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

I agree --they used an 1880's trade card for the image and replaced the company name with the song title --which I think was published in 1908.

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Posted By: barrysloate

There are hundreds of baseball trade cards from that era, so it would be impossible to guess which one they used. But I do appreciate their effort.

Now if they could only learn how to deliver my registered packages, I would thank them even more.

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Posted By: Jamie

http://www.centredaily.com/business/story/299785.html

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

One of the most popular baseball songs of all time, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game " celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2008 on postage late next summer. For decades, the song's catchy chorus has been part of the musical tradition at ballparks around the country, especially during the seventh-inning stretch. The song was born on a New York City train in the summer of 1908, when passenger Jack Norworth -- an actor, singer and songwriter who had never attended a major-league ball game -- penned the words after seeing a sign about an upcoming game at the Polo Grounds.

The stamp image is based on a circa-1880 "trade card " from the personal collection of art director Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, AZ. The original card shows a baseball scene and contains words promoting a product made by a Michigan company. The stamp art shows the same scene but replaces the product-related words with "Take Me Out to the Ball Game, " the stamp denomination, notes from the music, and the words "United States of America. "

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Posted By: Alan U

There's a picture of the stamp here:

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007/sr07_084.htm>



edited to add picture

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Posted By: barrysloate

Wow- they used the National League Chew trade card. I am really impressed. That is arguably the finest one of the period. They got it right!