Discussion Topic & Your Opinions: What is the first baseball card

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

I guess I would respond in two ways. First, I am not aware of any universally accepted definition of a baseball card. For me, it is a card picturing a baseball player, or players. Under that definition, the Atlantics CdV certainly fits. Second, we do not know how the Atlantics CdV was acquired. Perhaps it was sold by the photographer, or sold at the game. Perhaps it was given away as a premium if you used his services. Perhaps it was inserted into boxes of laundry detergent. Just kidding, but you get the idea. It is the earliest baseball photographic image that I know of on a card. Hence, for me it is the earliest baseball card.

As for your question about the Grand Match tickets, they are from 1863. However, they fit many definitions of baseball cards. In my mind, they are earlier baseball cards than any of the P&S cards, but still not the first. I use the plural since all of the Grand Match tickets were issued at the same time. Since all of the players on the tickets took part in the baseball game, they all have a right to be called early baseball cards.

+1... I have always felt that these grand match tickets should be considered baseball cards .