A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
29. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #86-2 Charles Comiskey (HOF) - PSA VG-EX 4
31. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #88-1 Roger Connor (HOF) - PSA PR 1(MK)
Midgrade specimen picturing Charles Comiskey, posed as if sliding into a base (or perhaps lying on a shag rug in his baseball uniform). Graded VG-EX 4 by PSA, the card does exhibit some toning, which darkens the image somewhat, and reveals some very light staining in the background area behind Comiskey. Though Comiskey was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 for his role as a baseball executive, he batted .264 lifetime in a 13-year playing career, winning three pennants and a World Championship as a N172
Though very few of the N172 Hall of Famers can be legitimately called “rare,” there are a number that are more difficult than the others, and one is Roger Connor. Presented here is an attractive example with a sharp, well-defined image picturing the New York first baseman with his hands on his knees, posing as if readying himself before a pitch. Connor’s name is misspelled in this, pose, one of five different N172 cards on which he is pictured. Another example of how third party grading gets it wrong with this
player/manager. It should be noted that this exact card was used as the plate specimen for this pose in The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company , the definitive reference tool for Old Judge collectors.
issue, the grade of PR 1 (MK) assessed by PSA speaks almost entirely to issues with the otherwise blank back - scrapbook residue and light paper damage, coupled with some pencil writing. The image quality on the important part of the card is quite strong for the issue, the photo well-centered and clean, with some light corner wear giving the appearance of a VG+ card.
MINIMUM BID: $1,000
MINIMUM BID: $1,000
30. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #149-1 Buck Ewing (HOF) - SGC VG 3
32. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #251-6 Tim Keefe (HOF) - PSA VG 3
Exceptional horizontal Old Judge picturing Hall of Fame catcher Buck Ewing posing in the studio as if engaging in a really leisurely head-first slide -
Winner of 342 games over a 14- year career, Hall of Fame pitcher Tim Keefe won 30 games or more in six consecutive seasons, falling just short of a seventh due to a two-week salary holdout in 1889. One of the more popular players of his era, Keefe is beginning to see respect in the hobby; an EX condition N172 Keefe eclipsed $10,000 at public auction earlier this year. This example is quite strong, with a clear, well-defined image and just moderate wear at the corners and edges, consistent with the grade. The image is centered just to the right of the canvas, with mild soiling on the reverse.
or perhaps awaking from a nap. Ewing, one of the most revered players of his era, was featured on 11 different cards in the colossal set, this pose seen somewhat less frequently than many of the others. The grade of VG 3 assessed by SGC speaks to overall wear at the edges and corners, some light vertical (actually, horizontal, given the orientation of the image) surface wrinkles more visible on the reverse than in the image. Contrast is reasonably strong for the issue, though the light-colored uniform and light-colored studio backdrops do not provide the optimum conditions for photography.
MINIMUM BID: $1,000
MINIMUM BID: $1,000
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