474. Rare 1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinets Checklist
475. Rare Large-Format 1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinets Checklist
Five-panel promotional piece measuring approximately 7” x 2 1/2”, which was folded down and inserted into packages of Old Judge Cigarettes, along with a coupon and a trading card. The one-sided piece presents the purchaser with a redemption offer; 25 coupons provide the collector the ability to obtain what we know today as the N173 Old Judge Cabinets. A checklist lists out the available players by team, approximately 310 players in total which were available at the time this piece was distributed. Another checklist featured in this auction adds approximately 95 players to this list, indicating that more players were made available as time went on. Similar checklists were placed into Old Judge packs through 1889. In 1888, the redemption offer was for one photograph in exchange for 25 coupons; that number was reduced to 20 in 1889. The initial offer, appearing only on metamorphic advertising trade cards, was for thirty-five coupons. This example, one of two known specimens from 1888 (the other is also featured in this auction), appears to have been produced before the start of the season - the text explains that the checklist includes only those players who had been reserved or already were engaged with their teams for the 1888 season and that there would be subsequent editions. The piece presents well, with the expected wear at the folds and some very light age-related wear throughout.
Interesting seven-panel printed checklist that was folded down and inserted into packages of Old Judge Cigarettes beginning some time in 1888. The checklist included a redemption offer requiring 25 coupons (which were also included in the packs); purchasers could request an “elegant cabinet photograph” of their choice of the ballplayers included on the checklist. The list includes 405 players from the American League, National League, and Western Association and provides us with an excellent description of which N173 Cabinets were available as late as 1888. The checklist is well-preserved, with the expected wear at the folds. The second of two known checklists produced for the 1888 season, this example was updated from the original to include more Western Association teams. Printed on just one side, the piece shows a slight bit of wear at the edges, including a few notches in the paper from long-ago handling. Still, an incredibly scarce artifact and an outstanding companion piece for any collection of Old Judge Cabinets, N172 cards, or tobacciana.
MINIMUM BID: $750
MINIMUM BID: $750
476. Rare 1889 N173 Old Judge Cabinets Checklist – From an Unopened Pack
Beginning at some point in 1888 and continuing through 1889, purchasers of Old Judge Cigarettes would find, in addition to a trading card, a coupon and a marketing piece containing a redemption offer and a checklist of baseball players. Upon acquiring a sufficient number of coupons, the purchaser could redeem them for a 4 1/4” x 6 1/2” cabinet photo of any player on the checklist. Those photos are what we know today as N173 Old Judge cabinets, which, due to their method of distribution, are are very rare today. Checklists are also rare, and they evolved over time as the available subjects changed. This example, a double- sided checklist printed for 1889, measures approximately 2 1/2” x 5 3/8”, and was folded into quarters to be inserted into packs. One of three different checklists known to have been produced, this particular example was removed from an unopened pack that was auctioned by Alan “Mr. Mint” Rosen; that same pack produced the SGC GEM MINT 98 card of Charles Alcott. It remains in outstanding condition, with the expected weakness at the folds from being stored inside a tobacco pack for more than a century. The advertising copy reflects a reduction in the number of coupons required to obtain a cabinet photo - previous checklists called for 25 coupons, but by 1889, Goodwin & Co. had reduced that number to just 20. While the checklists gives us a window into the photos that Goodwin & Co expected to sell in 1889, the checklist is an artifact in and of itself, less likely to have been saved and cared for over the years and thus rare. As fine an example as you will find, incredibly well-preserved.
MINIMUM BID: $750
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