Old Judge vs T206 from a small collector's eyes

[Joe_G.]

Your card, and any others with the "Old Judge Cigarettes" banner within the photo area (be it hot dog style or within a box) date to 1887 with exception of some of the Script cards which began production in 1886. There is a way to date each and every year and it has to do with the card design, not the copyright date that is often found on them. Your card is what is referred to as an 1887, Type B, zero Numbered card. If your card wasn't trimmed at bottom you would see the number "0358". This pose would be used on both Type A & B cards in 1887. It can also be found as a Gypsy Queen and lastly re-issued in 1888 as a type Fb.

If you take interest in the set, the Old Judge book (The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Co.) can be very helpful. Congrats on your first OJ.

[sandmountainslim]

Originally Posted by Joe_G.

Your card, and any others with the "Old Judge Cigarettes" banner within the photo area (be it hot dog style or within a box) date to 1887 with exception of some of the Script cards which began production in 1886. There is a way to date each and every year and it has to do with the card design, not the copyright date that is often found on them. Your card is what is referred to as an 1887, Type B, zero Numbered card. If your card wasn't trimmed at bottom you would see the number "0358". This pose would be used on both Type A & B cards in 1887. It can also be found as a Gypsy Queen and lastly re-issued in 1888 as a type Fb.

If you take interest in the set, the Old Judge book (The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Co.) can be very helpful. Congrats on your first OJ.

Thanks Much I have been eyeballing that book but Im so wrapped up in the T206 set right now I can't afford to actually collect OJ but I am fascinated by them anyway and thrilled to have finally found one as an example for my collection. The pricing seems to suggest that a common OJ is many times more rare than a common T206. Would this be correct? Has anyone made any Educated Guesses as to how many cards of each common pose still exist?

[darwinbulldog]

Let's put it this way. Good luck finding an OJ that's more common than the T206 Honus Wagner.