N173 & Goodwin Album Certificate Discussion – A New Variation?

[Joe_G.]

Certificate Variation Identified (4 Different), see Post #1 for Details
5th New Certificate Found - "World's Champions" & "Floral", see Post #7 for Details
6th New Certificate Found - "Floral Album", see Post #10 & #14 for Details
7th New Certificate Found - West Coast Agents "Mau, Sadler & Co.", see Post #16 for Details
New Early Insert Found - "Trademark Important to Smokers", see Post #19 & #22 for Details
9th & 10th - New Variations (10 coupons & counting), see Post #23 for Details

Relaxing for the evening. Trying to erase a disappointing Tiger's game from memory and figured I'd post something that might interest a few people.

I recently realized a variation within the 1889 N173 certificates that was new to me. The Old Judge book displays two different certificates but a third variant, perhaps many more, exist. I believe each of the three certificates have sufficient information to assign the likely order in which they were issued. We do know that these certificates date to 1889 based on the dates found on the certificate as well as the 20 certificate requirement.

One year earlier, 1888, the requirement for obtaining a cabinet required more cigarettes to be consumed. The metamorphic trade cards found at point of sale detailed requirements which began at 35 but quickly dropped to 25 empty box covers not containing slips or the slips themselves. The 1888 cabinet checklists likewise mention the 25 slip requirement. I personally have not seen one of these 1888 “slips”. I find it curious that Goodwin refers to a “slip” requirement in 1888 and a “certificate” requirement in 1889. Does anyone have a slip or certificate to share from 1888?

Back to 1889, I believe the three certificates I’ve posted can be placed in proper chronological order based on the dates provided for the BASE BALL ALBUM release. The earliest certificate, which has “May 1889” on the N173 redemption side, states the BASE BALL ALBUM will be released July 1st. The BASE BALL ALBUM features “colored likenesses of last year’s Champions, the New York Giants.” This album, designated A35 in the hobby, is perhaps the most sought after baseball album ever produced with beautiful player lithographs found on the round pages.

The second and third certificate variations are very similar, differing only on the Album redemption side of the certificate. One version provides dates for the yet to be released albums including a revised release date for the BASE BALL ALBUM, now July 15th. It also lists an Aug. 15th, 1889 availability date for the Sports and Games Album. The third certificate variation is minus all the dates suggesting it may have been issued after the albums were made available (post Aug. 15th).

I’ve also attached a scan of yet another certificate which Goodwin refers to as a “ticket” that I believe also dates to 1889, but curiously only promotes the BASE BALL ALBUM. There are likely many more versions than I have posted here.

One thing is clear, Goodwin kept changing the name of what we commonly refer to as a “coupon” today. In 1888 Goodwin refers to a “slip” and then a “certificate” and “ticket” in 1889. The only name Goodwin apparently didn’t use was “coupon”.

Please post your Goodwin issued certificate(s) if you have one/some, regardless of which variation. Maybe we can get an idea of relative scarcity.

[kkkkandp]

Just one Goodwin coupon in my collection...

[Joe_G.]

Thanks for chiming in Kevin. Not expecting a lot of responses since only a couple of us have likely taken an interest in these inserts, but hoping for more.

The albums themselves deserve a little more love. In each and every case the albums celebrated a card set issued by Goodwin & Co. This leads me to believe that there could be many different versions of the slips/certificates/tickets/coupons as they were likely included in all the different packs that distributed each card set. There may be dedicated ticket design for each album (similar to the BASE BALL album ticket I posted). For example, a Flower certificate may have been in the packs that distributed N164s, a Sports and Games certificate in packs that distributed N165s, etc. The certificate variation I posted above provides insight into when each album became available. Here they are, listed in the order found on the certificate:

Champions (A36, based on N162) => 50 certificates in 1889, first issued on or before 1889
Flower (A37, based on N164) => 50 certificates in 1889, first issued on or before 1889
Sports and Games (A38, based on N165) => 75 certificates in 1889, available Aug. 15th 1889
Base Ball (A35 Round Album, features color lithographs of N172 poses) => 75 certificates in 1889, available July 15th, 1889

I find the Champions album, as an 1889 offering, to be interesting since it is based on the 1888 N162 cards with the likeness of all 50 N162 cards found within. There were some player movements between 1888 and 1889, Brouthers from Detroit to Boston and Andrews with a mid-season move from Philly to Indy. Perhaps they had a surplus of the 1888 albums and continued to offer them into 1889 or simply kept printing what they felt was a beautiful album without updates at a lower certificate requirement (50) than the newly issued albums (75). I wonder if N162 production, likewise, continued into 1889?

The Base Ball Album (A35 Round Album) was a popular album back then and today. It is easy to understand why it is far more common than the Sports and Games Album which was based on their generic N165 set. I’ve attached some random pictures of each album (while I own all the certificates I posted, I do not own the albums).

[tedzan]

Hi Joe G

You may be pleased to see the inscribed date on my A36 album. I've always considered this an 1889 issue.

This is Lithography at its best. Furthermore, this Album and my N162 set are my favorites of my extensive
sportscard collection.


Circa 1888-1889






Album pages 1 & 2 of 12
.




And, Tennis anyone ?


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[tedzan]

Regarding this comment of yours......" I wonder if N162 production, likewise, continued into 1889 ?"

It's very possible that they did extend the N162 press runs into 1889....as is perhaps evident in the TRADEMARK vs. No TRADEMARK
found on the backs of all 50 cards.




TED Z
.

[Joe_G.]

Nice cards, album, and certificates Ted Z.! I do now believe N162 distribution spanned two years, 1888-89, but no real proof. Maybe they were distributed in GQ packs while the OJ cards were found in OJ packs (this has been suggested by Je.rry Spillm@n in the past). So perhaps GQ packs had N175 in 1887 and N162 in 1888 & 1889.

At any rate, not many responses here but I did collect some numbers prior to and since posting this thread that I'll share. It is a limited population, but gives some feel for the fact that the four known variations are all somewhat obtainable. I have attached what I'm aware of regarding population of each slip, certificate, and ticket type.

Of interest, the new variation I posted can be found in several collections. The owners didn't notice it being different from the copy in OJ book until this post. Easy for a small variation like this to escape notice even when it is an interesting date that tells us more about the various album's date of issue.

The biggest surprise to me was to see a couple more copies of the album ticket (75 tickets for Base Ball Album ticket). The one I had recently acquired was the first time I had ever seen one and figured it was extremely rare, but Ted Z and another collecting friend have one squirreled away.

I'd love to see a new variation surface, especially one from 1888.

[Joe_G.]

New certificate found (at least new to me), which I believe dates to 1888 and led me to realize another certificate variant that I previously thought was an 1889 issue is likewise an 1888 example. Here is the new Goodwin certificate.

Here are the pair of 1888 certificates followed by the three known 1889 variants.

And here is a summary of all five certificates with cabinet and album information that can be found on each.

The table above suggests the World's Champions album (based on N162 cards) could be obtained in both 1888 and 1889 (fewer certificates required in 1889).

I do believe there are still more variants to be discovered. I'd love to see an 1888 example with cabinet redemption details.

[Leon]

Congrats on the new pickup of another redemption, Joe. I love those things and they usually don't cost a whole lot to boot. Thanks a lot for sharing info....It is appreciated by all.