Your Oldest Baseball Related Card or Item

[Leon]

The title pretty much says it. I was happy to re-acquire this 1860 ambrotype.
When I picked this up the first time and asked for members to show any, I then realized how rare they are. One of my favorite pieces. 1 of 1 LOL....

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

We will have an 1858 "Spirit of the Times" Newspaper with a box score from the third game in a three game series between all-stars from players from Brooklyn vs All Stars from New York players (Brooklyn was a separate city in those days) in our fall Pre War auction. Believed to be the third ever published box score, with the first two games of the series being the first two of course. It's on the cover of the newspaper and by far the most popular item we have in our booth at the National!

[pete zouras]

stereoview card

[brianp-beme]

Great item. Baseball players had such formal looking outfits 160 years ago. Being a collector that is focused on cards, my oldest baseball item is from the much more typical late 1880's time frame, but still a toughie...a trimmed down 1887 N175 Gypsy Queen of Roger Conner.

Brian

[Casey2296]

1888 SF Hess N321
_

[ValKehl]

Per Wikipedia, "The Washington Nationals of 1884 were a short-lived baseball team in the American Association. They won 12 games and lost 51. Their home games were played at Athletic Park in Washington, D.C. They were also known as the Washington Statesmen. The Nationals were managed for all but one game by former player Holly Hollingshead. John Bickerton managed their final game on August 2, 1884, a loss to the New York Metropolitans" by the score of 6 - 5. "This team should not be confused with the other 1884 Washington Nationals franchise, a different team which played in the Union Association during its only year of operation."

The oldest items in my collection are this 1884 season schedule for the Washington Nationals/Statesmen of the American Association and this scored scorecard for Washington's final game on August 2, 1884, before the team disbanded. What I think is especially neat is that both of these items have penciled, period notations regarding the team disbanding after this game (see the right edge of the scorecard), which leads me to suspect that both items originally belonged to the same person/family.

[darwinbulldog]

I have some newspapers with box scores from the early 1860s, but my first collectible with any baseball images is the Jim Creighton memorial woodcut from 1865.

[Bill77]

My oldest baseball card

[Robextend]

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

I have some newspapers with box scores from the early 1860s, but my first collectible with any baseball images is the Jim Creighton memorial woodcut from 1865.

Very nice pieces everyone but Glen’s is a Wow for me

[Casey2296]

Nice piece Nat.

[RCMcKenzie]

The board id'ed this one as Tommy Bond from the late 70's. It has CW Jeffrey written on the back, which may have been the photographer.

Arslonga made an art card from this cabinet. I don't know if they made it from the one I have, or if there are other cabs out there like this one. Arslonga says they have released/sold 7 of their Bond cards. I don't have one, but would like to own one.

[ldrunner27]

Here's my contribution

[pitchernut]

First NL no-no. The image is new (can't afford a time piece) but the article is real

[CobbSpikedMe]

My two oldest pieces...



.

[Joe_G.]

I have several early tintypes which can be hard to date . . .





. . . except this one which still has its original tax stamp with a legible cancel of March 10th, 1865 (this is likely my earliest piece)



This small collection all coming from the summer of 2020 New Haven auction which was loaded with great early material.

[tedzan]

1871 ......TROY HAYMAKERS scorecard




On display in my office (surrounded by my uncut BB card sheets) is this classic Elysian Fields Currier & Ives Lithograph (1865).

This print was reproduced by the Sidney Z. Lucas gallery in NYC (circa 1930's).





TED Z

T206 Reference
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[jingram058]

Not my oldest. I have an assortment of N172 OJs. But I I just love this 1936 photo I picked up years ago.

[Vintagedeputy]

Here’s my entry.

[Exhibitman]

Not sure which of these is earliest; I am not a 19th C. collector.

[NiceDocter]

a magazine Ive had for about 30 years got it at a Mall Antique show....

[NiceDocter]

Also had this for about 40 years..... think I got it at the Nashville Flea Market in around 1980.....

[todeen]

Perhaps not my oldest, but pre-1900 nonetheless.

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

[Rad_Hazard]

I have a handful from 1887, but that's as far back as my stuff goes. Using my fancy photo editor lol.

My goal is to get 1 of each non-oversized 19th century cards.

[Rad_Hazard]

My oldest game used card by a long shot.

[tedzan]

Original excerpt from Harper's Weekly (1869)



TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[Spike]

Originally Posted by Rad_Hazard

I have a handful from 1887, but that's as far back as my stuff goes. Using my fancy photo editor lol.

My goal is to get 1 of each non-oversized 19th century cards.

Love that group of cards. That O'Neil card appears on a neighborhood mural honoring Tip O'Neil a few blocks from me, where he started his political career. Fun to see them work in details like that. (Your card's in the hand of the kid in the blue coat.)

[antiquebaseballuniforms]

Here’s mine. A bib/shield front uniform set.

https://www.antiquebaseballuniforms....-unknown-maker

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by antiquebaseballuniforms

Here’s mine. A bib/shield front uniform set.

https://www.antiquebaseballuniforms....-unknown-maker

Hands down the best item posted in this thread IMO.... absolutely killer Mark, and utterly rare!
What is the provenance if any? How did you acquire it??

[antiquebaseballuniforms]

Originally Posted by Huysmans

Hands down the best item posted in this thread IMO.... absolutely killer Mark, and utterly rare!
What is the provenance if any? How did you acquire it??

Thanks! I bough it from the gentleman who won it in this REA auction:

https://robertedwardauctions.com/auc...jersey-and-cap

It's my holy grail item, especially since I collect antique baseball uniforms as my primary area of focus

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by antiquebaseballuniforms

Here’s mine. A bib/shield front uniform set. https://www.antiquebaseballuniforms....-unknown-maker

OMG, that is so gorgeous! Hope you'll be displaying it on a mannequin and posting pictures.

[darkhorse9]

My collection of 19th century cards. The CDV on the left is probably the oldest

[refz]

Here’s mine

[aquarius31]

- September 12, 1857 Woodcut - Eagles and Gothams at Elysian Fields
- 1860’s Salt Print
- June 6, 1860 Stereoview- Potomac BBC of Washington and Excelsior Club of Baltimore

One of the so called Grandfather of the Pirates

[cornhusker]

Although I know nothing about Elmira baseball, I find this photo appealing due to large size and detail. Have not done any research yet but I'm guessing this is a later 19th century calendar top?

[Lucas00]

Here's my oldest baseball related item. A lady playing catch, dated Sept 11th 1897.

[molenick]

The earliest item I have is The Boy's Book of Sports (1835) which includes a woodcut and game description and (as far as I know) specifically calls the described game 'base ball' for the first time (William Clarke's The Boy's Own Book (1828) includes the first description in English of a bat-and-ball game played on a diamond and calls it rounders; Robin Carver's The Book of Sports (1834) reprints the same description and calls it "base or goal ball").

It also updates and clarifies the rules: the bases are now run counterclockwise (in earlier books they were run clockwise) and it is the first known use of the terms 'innings' and 'diamond' specifically in reference to baseball.

[Thromdog]

I believe this is the first color litho depicting baseball? Came from a book in 1864. American Boy’s Book of Sports and Games

[LEHR]

Currently my oldest.