Ca. 1907 Nap Lajoie - Nickel Theatre Trade Card

[Leon]

Just looking for any information. Picked it up at the DallasCardShow today...
One of the grading companies wouldn't grade it, not sure which one, because they didn't know enough about it.


Ca. 1907 Nap Lajoie - Nickel Theatre Trade Card, 4x6

[RUKen]

The picture appears to be reverse-image of a photo taken of Lajoe in 1901 when he was on an "All American" barnstorming team. I've reversed the AA image, for comparison.

[Hankphenom]

If it's phony, it's a clever one. Without seeing (or smelling) it, I'll go 50-50.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

If it's phony, it's a clever one. Without seeing (or smelling) it, I'll go 50-50.

It's 100%. That isn't a question. Any seasoned collector will know immediately, when held, that It's real.

And now I found out sgc was the tpg who couldn't grade it.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Leon

It's 100%. That isn't a question. Any seasoned collector will know immediately, when held, that It's real. And now I found out sgc was the tpg who couldn't grade it.

Great, Leon, glad to hear it. So TPGs won't slab anything they've never seen before, is that it? If any seasoned collector would know immediately, why wouldn't the TPGs? Clearly, I'm not the only one being cautious here.

[BeanTown]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

If it's phony, it's a clever one. Without seeing (or smelling) it, I'll go 50-50.

Ummmmm. No way being phony. Completely disagree. I’ll take two of those phony cards please. Nice score Leon

[Leon]

Originally Posted by BeanTown

Ummmmm. No way being phony. Completely disagree. I’ll take two of those phony cards please. Nice score Leon

I think Hank is just being cautious as we all should...., I hope someone will know something else. Thanks for the assist on the picture too, RuKen. ..

and wiki is our friend. I think the 1907 date written on it will be accurate..

The Nickel Theatre was the first movie theatre in Newfoundland. Part of the five-cent picture show craze that brought daily movies to almost every city and town all across North America, the Nickel opened in the Benevolent Irish Society's St. Patrick's Hall on July 1, 1907, one of a chain of B.F. Keith's Nickels in New England and Eastern Canada. Three more five-cent shows opened in St. John's by October 1907, all in large pre-existing community halls like the Nickel, rather than the small storefront nickelodeon typical of the time in the United States, Ontario, and larger cities in Canada. The Nickel is remembered fondly as the beginnings of moviegoing in Newfoundland, its name used today for the local film festival. While cinema had debuted in December 1897, and moving pictures played in St. Patrick's Hall before 1907, the Nickel indeed offered the people of St. John's daily public amusement for the first time.
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[SteveS]

There were several theaters with that name around that time, as the nickel movie was very popular. Although his first name is spelled incorrectly on that card, the only film in which Lajoie is known to have appeared was a 1902 or 1903 silent titled "Game of Base Ball," which was just a movie of an actual game between Philadelphia and Baltimore. So perhaps this was given out at a showing of that film at that theater a few years after its original release, and maybe there are more out there of other players from that game.