Henry Reccius HONUS WAGNER card

[Baseball Rarities]

Trade cards seem to have phased out in the late 1890's.

I personally think that it is from 1897-99, but it would be nice to be able to definitively date it.

Another 1897 trade card example would be that of the Page Fence Giants. I do not remember seeing similar trade cards that were issued circa 1910. I think that they had been replaced by other mediums, such as postcards by then.

[terjung]

Originally Posted by Baseball Rarities

Trade cards seem to have phased out in the 1890's. I personally think that it is from 1897-99, but it would be nice to be able to definitively date it.

Would you consider Cobb / Cobb to be a trade card?

[barrysloate]

Wasn't the cigar box bearing the same image dated to around 1920? I would think the trade card and the cigar box would have some connection.

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Wasn't the cigar box bearing the same image dated to around 1920? I would think the trade card and the cigar box would have some connection.

AFAIK, it was for a completely different company and not associated with Reccius at all. Not uncommon for companies to use old images to advertise their products.

[Bicem]

Anyone care to share the reasons why people think that it may be a 20th century piece?

[barrysloate]

My reason is purely observational: it doesn't look that old. It doesn't strike me as a late 19th century piece. I know that's not very scientific, but I've looked at an awful lot of 19th century material over the years and this just looks to have been made a little bit later. And that seems to be the opinion of many of the collectors I've talked to about it.

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

My reason is purely observational: it doesn't look that old. It doesn't strike me as a late 19th century piece. I know that's not very scientific, but I've looked at an awful lot of 19th century material over the years and this just looks to have been made a little bit later. And that seems to be the opinion of many of the collectors I've talked to about it.

I agree with you - it does not have that typical 19th century look to it, but there really is not much in our hobby that emanates from the 1897-99 time period to compare it to. I do think that it is very similiar to the 1897 Page Fence Giants trade card in terms of looks - especially in size and paper stock.

M101-1's do not look like typical 19th century items to me either, but they are obviously from 1899. I typically envision 19th century items as being either photographic in nature or multi-color lithographs, not the monotone printed images that seem to come into vogue in the late 1890's.

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by terjung

Would you consider Cobb / Cobb to be a trade card?

I guess, in theory, it could be viewed as a trade card, but i consider it a baseball card that took the place of the traditional trade card and served the same advertising purpose.

It is a good example of what i mean by the advertising mediums seemed to have changed from trade cards in the 1890's to others, such as postcards and, in this case, traditional baseball cards.