An 1887 Old Judge store advertising display poster has seen top bids in Robert Edward Auctions' Fall 2013 sale, which closed on October 19.
![]() Some of baseball's earliest stars on some of the earliest trading cards |
The poster displays 24 baseball players that appear in the N172 Goodwin & Company Old Judge set - the world's first widely distributed tobacco cards. In excellent condition, it sold for $112,575.
The poster is described by the auction house as "one of baseball card collecting's greatest treasures", and is one of just a handful known to exist. A magnificent display piece, it was originally created as a "point of sale" advertising item in stores that stocked the cards.
It was purchased by the current owner in the early 1990s, when several high-grade examples of the poster were discovered, causing the total known to exist to almost double.
There are a few different variations, with this one featuring six Hall of Famers: Tim Keefe, Jim "Orator" O'Rourke, Roger Connor, Sam Thompson, James "Pud" Galvin, and Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn.
![]() Ted Williams wore the jersey in 1955. It has been certified A9 by MEARS |
Also starring in the online sale was a Ted Williams game-used Boston Red Sox jersey, which made $77,025.
The jersey was originally bought at a charity auction in 1964 by philanthropist Allen Wheeler, who immediately gifted it to Richard Berry, a non-collector who had volunteered at the auction. It spent much of its life tucked away in a chest until recently, accounting for its fantastic condition.
The record for a Ted Williams jersey was set at $184,000 at the 2013 All Star Fan Fest auction in July.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has an outstanding selection of sports memorabilia for sale.