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Thursday, February 07, 2013

Yahoo/Reuters - Lovering:“Rarer than rare” 1865 baseball card sells for $92,000

BOSTON (Reuters) - A rare 1865 photograph of the Brooklyn Atlantics baseball team, discovered at a Maine yard sale and considered one of the first baseball cards ever, sold for $92,000 at an auction on Wednesday.

The photograph mounted on a card, known as a carte de viste, is the only one of its kind known to exist, though the Library of Congress has a similar image made from a different negative, Thibodeau said before the auction.

“It’s rarer than rare.”

It was unclear how many of the cards like the one of the Brooklyn Atlantics team were produced. The ball club had them printed and handed them out to fans and players, even those from opposing teams, because the Atlantics were so good at the time, Thibodeau said.

“It was kind of a sign of bravado,” he said.

Just because it’s cool. Includes video.

Lassus Posted: February 07, 2013 at 10:27 PM | 13 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: baseball cards, brooklyn, julio franco

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1. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: February 07, 2013 at 11:43 PM (#4365471)

A Massachusetts man offered the winning sum in cash after a brief round of bidding

With any luck, he was a representative of Topps and they're going to chop the card up into 1000 indecipherable pieces to use as inserts in the 2013 Topps set.

2. Tubbs Posted: February 08, 2013 at 12:06 AM (#4365473)

Hmm...I'm confused as to why Julio Franco's name is included under the tags, I read the article and didn't see his name mentioned. The only way I see this article relating to Franco is that one of the Brooklyn Atlantic players pictured is Joe Start, who like Franco, played forever. Start's career spanned from 1860-1886 and he was 43 when he retired and up until 1885 was a productive player. Franco played 23 years, making his debut in 1982 and retiring at age 49 in 2007 after spending much of the decade as a somewhat productive bench player. However, while Franco had interesting but not-HOF worthy career, Start is in the Hall of Merit and would make a great Pre-Integration Era HOF pick. Perhaps this auction will bring more attention to his overlooked career.

3. Obo Posted: February 08, 2013 at 12:13 AM (#4365478)

It's a running joke on the theme "Julio Franco is old."

4. Lassus Posted: February 08, 2013 at 12:18 AM (#4365480)

I was going to use Moyer, but if you're going to make a tired joke, stick with the standards.

5. Voros McCracken of Pinkus Posted: February 08, 2013 at 12:30 AM (#4365486)

When Doug Flutie makes the D'Backs as a knuckleball picther, we'll have a new name to use.

6. John Northey Posted: February 08, 2013 at 12:49 AM (#4365492)

Surprised that it went for sub-$100k. If I was rich then something like this would be very appealing - a near one-of-a-kind item from the very early days of baseball? Surprised a couple of ex-players or something didn't go nuts for it.

7. What did Billy Ripken have against Elroy Face? Posted: February 08, 2013 at 01:31 AM (#4365508)

The funny thing is how many idiot hipsters in Brooklyn today look just about exactly like the Brooklyn players in the photo. Ironically, of course.

8. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: February 08, 2013 at 01:50 AM (#4365516)

I completely missed the tags first time I read this. Nicely done.

9. RMc and His Roster of Rubbish Posted: February 08, 2013 at 10:30 AM (#4365570)

Joe Start's first baseball team was the Enterprise Club of Brooklyn in 1860, when James Buchanan was president. His last team was the 1886 Washington Nationals, who featured a 17-year-old pitcher named Tony Madigan. Madigan never played in the majors again but lived until 1954; Madigan lived in DC and died that December, so he may well have followed the '54 Senators, who had an 18-year-old kid by the name of...Harmon Killebrew.

And now you know...the REST...of the STORY...!!!

10. zonk Posted: February 08, 2013 at 10:40 AM (#4365577)

Surprised that it went for sub-$100k. If I was rich then something like this would be very appealing - a near one-of-a-kind item from the very early days of baseball? Surprised a couple of ex-players or something didn't go nuts for it.

Ditto.

Were I enormously wealthy, I don't know that I'd be all that interested in getting in on a T206 (the famous Wagner card) -- but something like this for a relative (to my wealth) song? I'd be all over it.

11. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: February 08, 2013 at 12:07 PM (#4365643)

If I were enormously wealthy, I'd definitely be interested in getting the Wagner, but as an investment. I'd sell it in a few years. At the least I'd get my money back, and it would be fun to own one for awhile.

12. dr. scott Posted: February 08, 2013 at 03:29 PM (#4365790)

I think what we are learning here is that if you want the card, you are likely not very wealthy.... Im sure there is no direct correlation though....

13. Misirlou is bad, he's nationwide Posted: February 08, 2013 at 04:17 PM (#4365807)

Joe Start's first baseball team was the Enterprise Club of Brooklyn in 1860, when James Buchanan was president. His last team was the 1886 Washington Nationals, who featured a 17-year-old pitcher named Tony Madigan. Madigan never played in the majors again but lived until 1954; Madigan lived in DC and died that December, so he may well have followed the '54 Senators, who had an 18-year-old kid by the name of...Harmon Killebrew.

It's times like this that I like to remind people that John Tyler, the 9th President of the US, has a still living grandson.

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Thursday, February 07, 2013

Yahoo/Reuters - Lovering:“Rarer than rare” 1865 baseball card sells for $92,000

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