1913 Major League Indoor Base Ball Game in REA

[Ribbens]

I won the 1913 Indoor Baseball game in the latest auction, came today in the mail. Had a question about the roster cards. There are 14 complete "roster cards" in this game and I am missing a Pittsburgh top half and Cincinnati and St Louis bottom halves. Any collectors have these to trade or sell ?

[Ribbens]

Attached find the same advertisement featured in the REA Auction from the 1913 Indoor Baseball Game in good condition. Pictures of the back as well. Does anyone know if the baseball metal figures are part of this game or a different one ?

[Butch7999]

Hi David, congrats on the game acquisition, and thanks for the look at the reverse of the promo flyer.

The player-figures are not associated with either Major League Indoor Base Ball or Major League Base Ball Game.
Beyond that, however, we're at a complete loss to identify their origin. We've seen several similarly-posed
fielders that were part of other games or were part of non-game "play sets," but all exhibit subtle but diagnostic
differences, and we think we've never seen player-figures exactly like yours.
We're assuming they're metal, so our best guess at the moment is that they're part of, or the entirety of,
a baseball version of a set of "lead soldiers," issued as such and not as part of any game.

[Ribbens]

Thanks for sharing this information on the metal baseball figures. I will keep trying to to identify them. Can you share the value of the roster "cards" ? Any sources to buy any more ?

[Butch7999]

Hi David, we've seen uncut roster strips show up rarely on eBay, and they've sold for rather surprisingly
low prices -- as low as two-three bucks apiece, up to around $25.
At both ends of the scale, they were in quite nice, newish condition, and included AL, NL, and IL strips,
but all sales we've seen were from later editions ("Indoor" was produced for only 1912-13, but the
otherwise identical "green box" edition was produced from 1913 through 1926, with the roster strips
in identical format updated annually).

[Ribbens]

Great information, thanks so much.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I own one of the Green Box editions which I refer to lovingly as the "poor man's edition." My game includes the 1916 lineup cards which are clearly dated at the top. Did all seasons include the year under the team name. At that time annual updates were available for 40 cents. My game included a coupon to mail in to get the next edition for only 25 cents.