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The 2nd Football Card?
MorrellMan
Posts: 3,238 ✭✭✭
Ever since seeing an offering for the Henry Beecher card, I've been intrigued with this idea of the first and second and third football card ever issued. I came across this article by Mike Bonner and Carl Lamendola regarding prehistoric football cards. In it, they say the following:
<< <i>In 1886, four years after American football became a staple college sport, the Henry Beecher cigarette card appeared, courtesy of the Goodwin & Co. N162 Champions set. Most hobbyists agree that the Beecher card is the first true American football card. Shortly after Beecher's card debuted, the gates opened to a wide variety of football issues.
Of particular interest are such offerings as the N88 "Terrors of America" set, an issue that exaggerated the hazards of life in these United States, presumably for laughs. Terrors contained one proto-football card in the set, known to collectors as the "Oh my shin" card.
>>
I've heard this referred to as the second football card ever issued. Its issue is dated to 1889, and I don't know of any other cards that might have been made available between '86 and '89. There aren't a whole lot of these cards graded by PSA, 2 or 3 of this one at the most, and I think it's largely because they just don't present well in a PSA holder. There is a whole slew of cards, N cards or Ninteenth Century cards, that seem to get no respect from PSA, holder-wise. SGC slabs these cards properly, in a holder that is fitted to the card. That's probably my number one complaint with PSA. Consistent grading is a difficult undertaking when you have more than one person making a subjective judgement, but getting the holder right really shouldn't be that much of a problem.
There are a number of baseball cards in the N88 set as well, including a boy with a bat, a pitcher, a catcher, a shortstop, an umpire and a kid trying to make it safely to first. There are also swimming cards, fishing, fighting, and all sorts of other juvenile shenanigans.
<< <i>In 1886, four years after American football became a staple college sport, the Henry Beecher cigarette card appeared, courtesy of the Goodwin & Co. N162 Champions set. Most hobbyists agree that the Beecher card is the first true American football card. Shortly after Beecher's card debuted, the gates opened to a wide variety of football issues.
Of particular interest are such offerings as the N88 "Terrors of America" set, an issue that exaggerated the hazards of life in these United States, presumably for laughs. Terrors contained one proto-football card in the set, known to collectors as the "Oh my shin" card.
>>
I've heard this referred to as the second football card ever issued. Its issue is dated to 1889, and I don't know of any other cards that might have been made available between '86 and '89. There aren't a whole lot of these cards graded by PSA, 2 or 3 of this one at the most, and I think it's largely because they just don't present well in a PSA holder. There is a whole slew of cards, N cards or Ninteenth Century cards, that seem to get no respect from PSA, holder-wise. SGC slabs these cards properly, in a holder that is fitted to the card. That's probably my number one complaint with PSA. Consistent grading is a difficult undertaking when you have more than one person making a subjective judgement, but getting the holder right really shouldn't be that much of a problem.
There are a number of baseball cards in the N88 set as well, including a boy with a bat, a pitcher, a catcher, a shortstop, an umpire and a kid trying to make it safely to first. There are also swimming cards, fishing, fighting, and all sorts of other juvenile shenanigans.
Mark (amerbbcards)
"All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
"All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
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<< <i> There aren't a whole lot of these cards graded by PSA, 2 or 3 of this one at the most, and I think it's largely because they just don't present well in a PSA holder. There is a whole slew of cards, N cards or Ninteenth Century cards, that seem to get no respect from PSA, holder-wise. SGC slabs these cards properly, in a holder that is fitted to the card. That's probably my number one complaint with PSA. Consistent grading is a difficult undertaking when you have more than one person making a subjective judgement, but getting the holder right really shouldn't be that much of a problem.
>>
MorrellMan - I couldnt agree more. I think a card such as this deserves to be in a holder with an insert that fits. They dont present well at all, which will keep collectors from submitting. The custom made inserts by SGC are, in my opinion, the way to go.
You should have seen how bad it looked before I bashed it against my desk to get the card at least appear vertical.
JO - if you're reading this (or hearing about it) puh-leeze do something about this - there is a ton of material out there dying to be holdered. Is the reluctance to produce a custom fit holder for N cards a reflection of the lack of knowledge of these cards at PSA?
"All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."