The First Baseball Card?

[oldjudge]

Everyone has a different opinion, but mine is that this is a ticket and not a card. It is also a cricket ticket as, per the REA write-up, Wright had resigned from the Knickerbockers at the time of the Grand Match but was still an active cricket player. Look at the Sam Wright/Harry Wright CdV in Legendary and compare what it will realize to the $50K minimum that REA has on the Wright ticket. That is the value of convincing someone that it is a baseball card. The minimum is a safeguard against the card going for a CdV or Ticket price which would certainly be a LOT less than the REA minimum bid. It will be interesting to see if it gets a bid at that level.
Would anyone consider the tickets that many MLB teams now issue with players images on them to be baseball cards? Of course not, they are tickets. The same, in my opinion, goes for this item.

[triwak]

This is one of the hobby's most famous "cards!" Research it. This will go for 6-figs easy!!!

[oldjudge]

Ken--Side bet?

[triwak]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Ken--Side bet?

No thanks, Jay. I need to save my money for one of those 6-figs!!!

[Jlighter]

Three cards from this "set" just sold at Legendary for 15,000.

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/Lot...ntoryid=154257

[oldjudge]

They are as much the first baseball card as the Wright. Both Hammond and Crossley played in the baseball game.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Jlighter

Three cards from this "set" just sold at Legendary for 15,000.

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/Lot...ntoryid=154257

Shockingly low. So far this morning there are three separate threads about very low prices for 19th century cards in last night's auction. Can anyone explain that?

[RGold]

I follow 15 auction houses, averaging 3 to 4 auctions each per year. Plus eBay. Throw in that we are all waiting to see the REA preview.

I don't think it's just 19th century material. There were three listings in last night's Legendary auction that I normally would have bid on, and I decided, you know what, I think I would rather hold off and see what comes to market this Spring.

[GaryPassamonte]

Barry,
I think the market is so thin for many 19th century cards that once they are added to the collections of 19th century collectors, the market becomes all the thinner. All it takes is one or two players to not need or want a particular card and the demand collapses. Many hard core 19th century collectors are not sellers, particularly of the more obscure issues. Once they're in a collection they stay there. The result is a thin market with wide price fluctuations. In my thread you mentioned the similarity in pricing for the 1870 Forest Cities, 1870 Athletics, and the 1875 Hartford CdVs historically.. In order, the prices from the most recent sales of these CdVs: $32000, $2000, $16000. They each have a single digit population, but have quite different prices. It would seem the market is very small.

[ullmandds]

I def agree that 19th c rarities have a very thin audience...but I also wonder if perhaps over the last few years shill bidding has artificially inflated prices of many cards...and now that it is more closely scrutinized...we're seeing more normal prices?