Question about Tom Barker Baseball Card Game

[FrankWakefield]

Tom Barker's Game was designated WG6 by Mr. Burdick,
The National Game was designated WG5.

NB that Brian's Alexander is a WG5, IF PSA got that one right.

So, I'm posting this so you can see the Rules card and the Scoring card.


That paper above doesn't have all of the rules, it's more of a small handbill or advertisement. The Rules card came with the game. That piece of paper realistically has a hand stamp shop advertisement on it... someone may well have picked up that piece of paper, bought the game, then folded that paper and placed it inside. But I don't think that paper came inside the game box; I think it was laying around to get someone thinking about buying the game.

The WG5s and WG6s are normal playing card size. How big is that piece of paper, as folded?


I do confess that prior to seeing that picture of hands holding cards, I had not bothered to grasp that whoever's team was "hitting" would hold cards so "batter" appeared on the left side; while whoever was in the field would hold their cards so that "batter" was upside down and on the right.

I don't think that paper was included with the original box. But it's a great piece of the games puzzle.

If I ever get a weekend to converse with and ask Jefferson Burdick questions, I'll ask about why National Game got WG5 and Tom Barker got WG6, and who was copying who...

[trambo]

My Tom Barker Set isn't complete (nearly halfway) but my 1913 NG Set is 100% done. Here's the registry link and I think the front/backs of all the cards are there:

https://www.psacard.com/psasetregist...shedset/113789


Not sure how many of the card scans are done in my Barker set but here's that link as well:

https://www.psacard.com/psasetregist...shedset/358117

[FrankWakefield]

Troy, do are the pictures, text, and game info virtually identical for the 2 sets?

[FrankWakefield]

In a thread from 12 years ago, Leon had what looked like a paper instruction sheet for WG6's. Still, the paper above is more of an ad.

WG4 Polo 1914
WG5 National Game 1913
WG6 Tom Barker 1913
WG7 Walter Mails 1923
WG8 S&S 1936

So I just looked in my 1960 edition American Card Catalog... WG is the designation for greeting cards in there. At some point the designation changed??? Help!!!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Do we have any clue who Tom Barker was? I don't recall ever seeing an answer to that.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

In a thread from 12 years ago, Leon had what looked like a paper instruction sheet for WG6's. Still, the paper above is more of an ad.

WG4 Polo 1914
WG5 National Game 1913
WG6 Tom Barker 1913
WG7 Walter Mails 1923
WG8 S&S 1936

So I just looked in my 1960 edition American Card Catalog... WG is the designation for greeting cards in there. At some point the designation changed??? Help!!!

Frank, according to Old Cardboard, here is the explanation on how the sets got their current name:
"Notes on "WG" Nomenclature: The WG5 and WG6 designations are often attributed to the American Card Catalog. Curiously, however, the WG designation in the ACC (1960) is reserved for "Greeting Cards" with the lower numbers (WG1 through WG50) used more specifically for Valentine cards. The WG designation as applied to baseball-themed playing cards was apparently first used in the late 1970s in the Sports Collectors Bible under the general heading "Team Games.'"

Here is the link: https://www.oldcardboard.com/eNews/2...eNews154.htm#2

Old Cardboard's set summary also shows a four page paper rules insert as associated with the Tom Barker set, although different from what the OP shows, which I agree is more likely an ad:
https://www.oldcardboard.com/wg/wg6/...?cardsetID=951

Still, it looks like these things could vary, as the Scorecard in the Barker set differs from what Frank posted, at least when associated with Fenway Breweries. Frank I assume your scorecard is from the NG set and not Barker. I am uncertain if Barker used the same scorecards as National Game when not advertising for Fenway Breweries. I also do not know if the scorecard for Fenway Breweries is the same when it shows a National game back. Maybe others can clarify.

[scooter729]

Doesn't totally answer the questions, but seemed like a good time to share these two boxes which the sets came in. One of them has a Fenway Breweries ad on the back.

[FrankWakefield]

Todd, that's correct, those 4 cards I posted are all from WG5 National Game. Every time I look at the Scorecard card, my eyes go to that "use pin stuck in card to keep track of baserunners" line, and I cringe. A 9 year old me would have been doing that very thing. I'm glad no kid was poking holes in the card I have.

Scott, both of those boxes have ads on them, and they are great looking! Any idea if they held WG5s or WG6s?


Everyone, look at the bottom of the thread page, where Net54 lists similar threads. The top thread shows Tom Barker vs The National Game. And in that thread, Leon posted the rules paper for the Tom Barker game.