1887/1888 H.D.S. Scrapps Die-Cut Set and Checklist

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Scrapps Die-Cuts
Year	1887/1888
Size	Varies
Images	Color
Type	Candy/Caramel
Number in Set	18

Scrapps Die-Cut Overview

The 1887 Scrapps cards were a die-cut issue featuring the heads and upper bodies of popular players from the St. Louis Browns and Detroit Wolverines.

The die-cuts cards were nearly 2″ x 3″ in size and featured full color renderings of players. Player names were printed on the bottoms and backs of the cards were blank. These are miniature headshot cards of players.

Scrapps is a more than adequate name for these as they are difficult to find in good condition. Often, they will have significant damage, including even rips and torn pieces. They were also glued quite a bit into scrapbooks and are often seen adhered to pages or with residue of glue/pages on the backs.

Dating for this set has varied with some sources citing it as an 1887 issue while others say it is from 1888.

The die-cuts are not ultra rare but are difficult to find. SGC has graded fewer than 1,000 of them.

From Tobacco to Gum

For many years, these cards remained a mystery and named an issue of ‘Scrapps Tobacco.’ However, a new discovery in 2014 turned up some new information and it appears these are gum cards. Not only that, but they would be some of the earliest (if not the earliest) ever printed.

Printed on the cards is the name H.D.S. & Co. but the name of that company was a mystery. It turns out the company was likely a Cincinnati gum company. For now, I have listed these die-cuts in both the 19th Century Tobacco section (where most collectors would expect to find them) and the E-Card candy/caramel section. Additionally, it is in the Y-Card section as Jefferson Burdick classified scraps and die-cuts, including baseball players, in that part of the American Card Catalog. Often, it has been designed as Y95.