1913 Lajoie game card.

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

I know a lot of people are going to laugh, but I would say the 1960s given the print on the back and type of paper. I am not a paper expert, but the print and the texture of the paper I do not associate with the early 1900s.

Perhaps someone on the board can attest to having seen one before 1960.

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

Perhaps someone on the board can attest to having seen one before 1960.

Is 1966 close enough? I was given 2 Blues (no Reds) by a close, and much older, relative.

[Jay Wolt]

I won a set w/ the original box a decade or so ago from Lelands
Had 50 cards enclosed.
Here's a scan of a box w/ instructions, it looks period to me.
This scan has the blue tinted version, mine was the red tinted version.
W/ most of the cards being in high grade. Had them graded by PSA and I got grades from 4's to 10's.
W/ the lower graded ones having wrinkles in them.

[Brian Van Horn]

Jay,

I appreciate the picture, but the print and the paper on the back for me weigh heavier than the box.

As for 1966, Paul, that would be good if for no other reason that was the year I was born.

[JustinD]

While I think this is a bit of a silly argument and I feel like I am being tricked into a 9/11 conspiracy conversation, I have only one thing to add -

It is accepted and documented this game was produced from 1913 to around the early 30s. It was made by a huge game company so the production numbers were likely large meaning good examples if it was not really a fun game in great shape are logical.

What is illogical is that a marketing or production exec in the 60's, in a time of mega baseball stars like Mantle. Could somehow get the green light to produce a game and hope to sell to kids with Nap Lajoie as it's subject.

That's all I got, other than the feeling I just got "punked".

[Butch7999]

The assumption that the game was marketed for kids is also off base. Many simple tabletop baseball games were indeed meant
for children, but period advertisements for numbers like National-American were placed not in child-oriented publications
but in Baseball Magazine, The Sporting News, and other periodicals aimed at adults, and often showed the game being played
by well-dressed adult men as if at some gentlemen's club.

[Rob D.]

eBay must be down.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by rob d.

ebay must be down.

LOL.

No conspiracy theory either. Just enjoying the conversation.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Butch7999

The assumption that the game was marketed for kids is also off base. Many simple tabletop baseball games were indeed meant
for children, but period advertisements for numbers like National-American were placed not in child-oriented publications
but in Baseball Magazine, The Sporting News, and other periodicals aimed at adults, and often showed the game being played
by well-dressed adult men as if at some gentlemen's club.

I think those advertisements were what those men told their wives happened at the gentlemen's club.

If it wasn't actually drink and complain about wives it wouldn't really be a gentleman's club, lol.

[brianp-beme]

This thread has been helped me gain a little knowledge about the game cards, especially with Butch7999 information about when these game cards were being produced. 1913 was the only year I have ever seen associated with them, probably because of the copyright date on the instructions. It is also interesting to find out there was a generic player pictured instead on the later runs. Anyone have an example of the generic version?

A multi year run starting in 1913 with Lajoie makes sense. Thanks Butch

I think the game was not universally popular, so it makes sense that a lot of sets of cards ended up not getting abused. My set (a full set purchased from a seller who indicated he found them dumpster diving(!) about 25 years ago), would also lead one to believe that some (definitely not the person who trashed them) found the game interesting, as they have a lot of wear on the sides as well as creases, missing corners, etc.

Brian

[scooter729]

Must be a slow day on eBay for horrible reprints to post about here...

Edit - dammit, had the window open for a bit and Rob beat me to the punch on the joke...

[Paul S]

I could almost buy into it.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by scooter729

Must be a slow day on eBay for horrible reprints to post about here...

Edit - dammit, had the window open for a bit and Rob beat me to the punch on the joke...

[Jay Wolt]

Just checked the PSA pops of the three 1913 game sets, Lajoie, National Game & Tom Barker.
Seems that the Lajoie set has fewer graded than the other two.
Not sure if SGC's pop is in line.

Lajoie has 308 graded w/ 163 PSA-9's & 10's

National Game - 2279 w/ 602 9's &10's

Tom Barker - 1113 w/ 270 9's & 10's

[Brian Van Horn]

Jay,

Maybe the one way to get a definitive answer would be to contact Parker Brothers who is now owned by Hasbro.

[Jay Wolt]

Just checked the SGC pops

Lajoie 253 graded w/ 113 SGC-96/98's

Nat'l Game 602 w/ 115 SGC-96/98's

Tom Barker 440 w/ 64 SGC-96's (No 98's)

Based on the pops of PSA & SGC for these three 1913 game sets, the Lajoie set has the fewer graded examples by far

[Brian Van Horn]

Jay,

My concern is not about population reports, but why so many survived in so good of shape. Now, I see on the rules for the "game" it says copyright 1913. I also have to wonder if the cards and the rules are from one and the same game. I am not an expert on games. My worry is about the print on the back, the paper and the high number of high quality cards from the set. Admittedly, the ones you have in the picture exhibit some wear, but the ones generally offered are in high quality. This doesn't usually happen with 102 year old cards.

[Paul S]

My two were kept raw for decades - I sold them just a few years ago in that same state. They were nearly identical except one had a corner crease, just as I originally received it. Otherwise, the would both had graded quite high.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by Paul S

My two were kept raw for decades - I sold them just a few years ago in that same state. They were nearly identical except one had a corner crease, just as I originally received it. Otherwise, the would both had graded quite high.

Paul,

I appreciate it. Your guess of 1966 may be right, but only time and Hasbro's records of Parker Brothers toys may tell and that may not even have the answer.