Your Oldest Baseball Related Card or Item

[darkhorse9]

My collection of 19th century cards. The CDV on the left is probably the oldest

One of the so called Grandfather of the Pirates

[cornhusker]

Although I know nothing about Elmira baseball, I find this photo appealing due to large size and detail. Have not done any research yet but I'm guessing this is a later 19th century calendar top?

[Lucas00]

Here's my oldest baseball related item. A lady playing catch, dated Sept 11th 1897.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I have the Sept 6, 1956 first issue of Porter's Spirit of the Times, but I don't have it scanned.

I think my oldest scanned item is this Oct 15 1859 Harper's two page woodcut with a cricket match on the top and "A Base-Ball Match at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken" on the bottom

Edited to add the scans I found of the baseball content in that first issue of Porters.

That is a great newspaper, Doug. And the one from 1856 has to rank up there with oldest known baseball items. I know there are some earlier but that is really early.
A lot of great items shown. For me, personally, it has to be 1860s, or earlier (of which I have none) to be really old....This is circa 1865..

[bobfreedman]

The trophy is from 1889, the sculpture is from 1886

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by bobfreedman

The trophy is from 1889, the sculpture is from 1886

The color 1894 schedule is just incredible. Well, all the items are, but that schedule has the elusive "wow factor".

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

1869. Would love to own something from the 1850s….

And now I do. They don’t get much older than this

[Leon]

Nice one Ryan!

Anything from the 1860s is really old...

[ksfarmboy]

Nice addition Ryan!

[frankbmd]

The table I use to sort cards was made in 1830.

My hunch is that it wasn’t made for that purpose.

[Jerry G]

I wonder who made this baseball? I wonder who played with it?

[Leon]

Not my oldest but since I started the thread I can hijack it too!

circa 1868....and I think my last 1860s item..

[ruth-gehrig]

Some nice stuff in this thread!

I'll add an 1860s baseball game being played in California

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Leon

Not my oldest but since I started the thread I can hijack it too!

circa 1868....and I think my last 1860s item..

Very cool piece

Regarding the baseball game, interesting that the game made it to California by then. I guess the game spread quite fast after the Civil War

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by jingram058

The color 1894 schedule is just incredible. Well, all the items are, but that schedule has the elusive "wow factor".

I 100% agree

[Shankweather]

My most recent purchase is my oldest card.

1882 Chicago White Stockings

[Leon]

This just went from a forgotten about for-sale pile to my collection. It happens frequently. Collector bug and all...
I always like how they repurposed things back in the day...

[Jay Wolt]

1884 Lawson's game box

[Leon]

Circa 1878 cdv

[clydepepper]

Well, it's still mine 'til Thor throws his hammer (i.e. it's on consignment):

[triwak]

My items from the 1860s.

[jcmtiger]

Ok stuff

[t206blogcom]

[molenick]

The earliest item I have is The Boy's Book of Sports (1835) which includes a woodcut and game description and (as far as I know) specifically calls the described game 'base ball' for the first time (William Clarke's The Boy's Own Book (1828) includes the first description in English of a bat-and-ball game played on a diamond and calls it rounders; Robin Carver's The Book of Sports (1834) reprints the same description and calls it "base or goal ball").

It also updates and clarifies the rules: the bases are now run counterclockwise (in earlier books they were run clockwise) and it is the first known use of the terms 'innings' and 'diamond' specifically in reference to baseball.

[Thromdog]

I believe this is the first color litho depicting baseball? Came from a book in 1864. American Boy’s Book of Sports and Games

[LEHR]

Currently my oldest.

[refz]

Here’s mine

[aquarius31]

- September 12, 1857 Woodcut - Eagles and Gothams at Elysian Fields
- 1860’s Salt Print
- June 6, 1860 Stereoview- Potomac BBC of Washington and Excelsior Club of Baltimore

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by aquarius31

- September 12, 1857 Woodcut - Eagles and Gothams at Elysian Fields
- 1860’s Salt Print
- June 6, 1860 CDV - Potomac BBC of Washington and Excelsior Club of Baltimore

Amazing!

[bgar3]

Those are wonderful George, Beautiful and historically important.

[EvilKing00]

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[Wildfireschulte]

I'll let you all decide if this counts as a baseball item. This newspaper - Niles National Register - lists Abner Doubleday of New York as a recent army promotion on the second page. It's an original linen newspaper. What do you think? Baseball item?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Wildfireschulte

I'll let you all decide if this counts as a baseball item. This newspaper - Niles National Register - lists Abner Doubleday of New York as a recent army promotion on the second page. It's an original linen newspaper. What do you think? Baseball item?

I think it can qualify. Interesting item as well.