Frederick Photo Cards

RedsFan1941 · #1 08-30-2018, 02:07 PM

i hope this doesn't ruin thanksgiving

prewarsports · #2 08-30-2018, 03:37 PM

All good. We already fight at Thanksgiving over football game anyways

I guarantee these were printed 8 to a full 8x10 double weight sheet of photo paper. The rough sizes of the cards, their composition as well as knowing how photos of the era were produced absolutely points to this. The photographer cut them up into equal sections as good as he could and that is how they were made and why they look the way they do. The thin side borders were because he laid them out to squeeze 4 images side by side to run length-wise across an 8x10 piece of photo paper and cut them after adding the name etc. The fact that only a few have the logo in the corner also helps this theory as those were almost certainly the corner images on the sheet before being cut up wheer photographers would put their marks. If they were issued with some type of product that would make sense to call them baseball cards, but all evidence including the back stamps indicate the photographer himself was a self promoter plugging his studio.

I dont care either way, I dont collect these, but absent evidence these were put into a product of some type, these are just as much "cards" as several other photo issues with finite checklists. My hunch is that IF the Frederick Photos were bigger and less baseball card looking, they would not be considered baseball cards, but to each his own.

What is and is not a baseball card will never have a definite answer, I am just speaking plainly as a photo guy here, and regardless of how these were issued, these are chopped up 8x10's used to promote a photo studio.

LincolnVT · #3 08-30-2018, 03:48 PM

Just about every "card" is chopped from a larger sheet.

prewarsports · #4 08-30-2018, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LincolnVT

Just about every "card" is chopped from a larger sheet.

Wow, ok. I have a red plastic car in my driveway that my kids cruise around on but if I take that to the DMV they wont call it car just because my kids do.

I will state a couple of observations from several decades as both a collector of cards and photography.

1. There is not one single other set of cards in the Standard Catalog that I am aware of that is a hand chopped piece of photography that has not one shred of evidence that it was issued in any product or was part of any promotion that is considered a baseball card.

2. There are numerous issues of photography that fit every parameter used to distinguish the Frederick Foto cards as "cards" (except for the cute card like size) that would never in a million years pass as baseball cards.

My question was all in the name of trying to get opinions from other educated collectors about the nuances of a popular and VERY valuable set of baseball cards, but it does not look like people really care so I will walk away and wish everyone a nice holiday weekend.

Leon · #5 08-31-2018, 12:48 PM

The reason I consider them to be cards is highlighted.

Having handled a good amount of them they just have the feel and look of baseball cards. They are printed on thicker stock than a photo (from what I remember), have their names and or teams and there are multiple cards known of most players. Their cuts aren't much worse then E220!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by prewarsports

All good. We already fight at Thanksgiving over football game anyways

I guarantee these were printed 8 to a full 8x10 double weight sheet of photo paper. The rough sizes of the cards, their composition as well as knowing how photos of the era were produced absolutely points to this. The photographer cut them up into equal sections as good as he could and that is how they were made and why they look the way they do. The thin side borders were because he laid them out to squeeze 4 images side by side to run length-wise across an 8x10 piece of photo paper and cut them after adding the name etc. The fact that only a few have the logo in the corner also helps this theory as those were almost certainly the corner images on the sheet before being cut up wheer photographers would put their marks. If they were issued with some type of product that would make sense to call them baseball cards, but all evidence including the back stamps indicate the photographer himself was a self promoter plugging his studio.

I dont care either way, I dont collect these, but absent evidence these were put into a product of some type, these are just as much "cards" as several other photo issues with finite checklists. My hunch is that IF the Frederick Photos were bigger and less baseball card looking, they would not be considered baseball cards, but to each his own.

What is and is not a baseball card will never have a definite answer, I am just speaking plainly as a photo guy here, and regardless of how these were issued, these are chopped up 8x10's used to promote a photo studio.

LincolnVT · #6 08-31-2018, 03:42 PM

Do people have thoughts on what the "going rate" for one of the Sacramento player cards might be in let's say VG condition? Was trying to look around at recent auction sales on line, but I'm not seeing much.

Thanks.

Ethan

brianp-beme · #7 09-09-2018, 02:10 AM

I spotted this one floating in the interweb air and thought I would share, because of the partial neighboring 'card'.

Brian

seattlerainiers · #8 09-11-2018, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

I spotted this one floating in the interweb air and thought I would share, because of the partial neighboring 'card'.

Brian

Heh!

My card and accompany article on the interweb. Some of you may enjoy the article. There are other visuals, including some Zees:

http://sportspressnw.com/2156392/201...00-hit-machine

BeanTown · #9 09-12-2018, 01:04 PM

Ethan, would love to see your Ruth posted here in this thread. Its a great "baseball" card and my second favorite Ruth behind the Baltimore News "baseball card".

rhettyeakley · #10 08-30-2018, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedsFan1941

i hope this doesn't ruin thanksgiving

Lol, we are all good, we fight less than most sets of brothers do, but we certainly have our moments!

The only ones that have the stamp on back are the larger “proofs”, none of the small “cards” have been found with the studio stamp on back.

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