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

[drcy]

Though those notes are often found on the back of normal nobody family photos, I assume indicating the family could order more.

The little history printed history on the back of the 1860 Brooklyn CDV is interesting. Not like something you'd get on the back of a normal family CDV.

As someone who deals with non-sport photos, I can say that during the civil war era CDVs of popular subjects and famous people were commercially sold to and popularly collected by the public. Lots of people collected CDVs of Lincoln, Queen Victoria, Robert E. Lee, Broadway actors and actresses et al, and it is conceivable a CDV of a big baseball team or star player would be available as a collectible. Charles Dickens and other famous people sent CDVs of themselves to fans who wrote to them.

[oldjudge]

Originally Posted by drcy

Though those notes are often found on the back of normal nobody family photos, I assume indicating the family could order more.

The little history printed history on the back of the 1860 Brooklyn CDV is interesting. Not like something you'd get on the back of a normal family CDV.

As someone who deals with non-sport photos, I can say that during the civil war CDVs of popular subjects and famous people were commercially sold to and popularly collected by the public.

Note on back of Stevens cabinet of baseball player

[oldjudge]

Similar notes are on the back of some Jos Hall baseball cabinets.

[1880nonsports]

I'm mostly aligned with Adam and Kevin but as there is no actual ANSWER I'm going to go all-in with what I feel is a purest view - mostly defined by exclusion but mindful of the intent in it's distribution - the first base ball CARD was an N167.......

[GaryPassamonte]

Henry- I believe N167s are the issue that all would agree are baseball cards. I don't think you could get a consensus for anything prior to N167s.

[the-illini]

Couldn't the 1886 Hancock Clothing Syracuse Stars cards also be considered the first baseball cards using the definition applied to the N167s?

[1880nonsports]

that were on eBay like 12 or so years ago from a Syracuse area seller? The guy had no idea what they were but he and his wife didn't leave their computer for a week while the auction was going and the bids kept rolling in. If not - ooops.
Now going to look up that set as my baseball life mostly behind me and I'm unfamiliar with the issue or a backstory. Thanks for that.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by drcy

during the civil war era CDVs of popular subjects and famous people were commercially sold to and popularly collected by the public. Lots of people collected CDVs of Lincoln, Queen Victoria, Robert E. Lee, Broadway actors and actresses et al, and it is conceivable a CDV of a big baseball team or star player would be available as a collectible. Charles Dickens and other famous people sent CDVs of themselves to fans who wrote to them.

Exactly as I saw it. the Fredricks 'Specialite' CDVs I fastened on as the first boxing cards were part of a line of cards made expressly for sale at the photographer's gallery of images. Many of the photographers of the day paid celebrities to sit for them so they could make cards to sell to the public, as Fredricks did.

The N167 was definitely one of the first, if not the first, product insert card. But I'd not limit the definition of 'card' in a way that requires insertion with a product because there were so many other forms of card, like the Peck & Snyder, that are either cards predating N167 or not cards at all.

It is an interesting conundrum. Way more interesting that the contract I'm avoiding working on by loitering here.