A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
49. Scarce 1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinets #301-2 Tommy McCarthy (HOF)
51. 1888 N338-1 S.F. Hess California League William Incell – SGC VG/EX 4
Compiling a relatively modest batting average of .292 with a .364 on-base percentage over his 13- year career, Tommy McCarthy was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946, 24 years after his passing. An all-around player with a reputation for a great glove, a terror on the basepaths and an out- of-the-blue 13 home run season in 1894, McCarthy is pictured here on the only PSA-graded example of this particular pose and only the second McCarthy cabinet they have assessed. That’s because
San Francisco Haverlys pitcher William Incell poses outdoors in his “set” position on this higher- grade card from the extremely rare N338-1 S.F. Hess issue. Among the greatest of 19th Century rarities, just a handful of examples from the set are known to exist. This example, graded VG/EX 4 by SGC, is among the higher-graded examples they have assessed, and its corners, image contrast, and overall cleanliness might imply that an even higher-grade holder could be warranted. Light edge discoloration and very slightly touched corners are the only real flaws on this tremendous 137-year-old artifact.
McCarthy is one of the more difficult Hall of Famers to obtain in the N173 issue. The grade of VG-EX 4 is among the top grades given by PSA to any N173 cabinet; only nine examples of any player have graded higher. Coupled with the relative rarity of McCarthy cabinets in comparison to the more common Hall of Famers, the card is an extraordinary one.
MINIMUM BID: $3,000
52. 1888 N338-1 S.F. Hess Phil Knell – SGC AUTHENTIC (Phil Knell)
MINIMUM BID: $3,000
Phil Knell might be the most- traveled of all California League players, as surviving records show he interspersed seasons with several eastern and southern teams into his two full decades of Bay Area play. The “G. & M.’s” on his nameplate refer to Oakland’s Greenhood & Morans, a clothing store sponsor for that team. Many of baseball’s earliest stars used their popularity to build effective equipment businesses on the side, so a direct link to sources of uniforms and activewear made as much sense then as it does now!
50. 1888 N338-1 S.F. Hess California League Tom Buckley – SGC AUTHENTIC
The N338-1 S.F. Hess California League cards are among the hobby’s greatest 19th Century rarities, extremely difficult to obtain in any grade. The cards are so rare that just a handful of examples are known to exist, and feature players from the California State League (a precursor to the PCL). Just 20 subjects are known (including two poses of Levy), with SGC having graded just 11 examples from the set and PSA just three. They are incredibly rare.
The SGC AUTH grade likely reflects this card’s eccentric top border, and it is otherwise a diamond in the rough, as good centering and an engaging on-field portrait show us a side of that era little seen on other cards. That classic cap, bloused pants, and Phil’s own expression each impress the viewer as artifacts of their time and served as living advertisements for their sponsor! The population report lists a single encapsulated example, being this very card. Its winner will be fortunate indeed to capture such a strong example of this 19th century peripatetic star and the Hess set itself.
Third baseman Tom Buckley is represented on this example, one of three examples assessed by SGC. The image is sharp for the grade, rendered due in part to paper loss at the top edge but chiefly due to the cigarette advertisement having been trimmed from the bottom border of the card – a relatively common issue with early tobacco cards.
MINIMUM BID: $3,000
MINIMUM BID: $4,000
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