1908-09 Ogden’s Pugilists & Wrestlers Set and Checklist

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Ogden’s Pugilists & Wrestlers
Year	1908-09
Size	1 5/8″ x 2 9/16″
Images	Color
Type	Tobacco
Number in Set	75

1908-09 Ogden’s Pugilists & Wrestlers Set Overview

1908 Ogden Pugilists and Wrestlers George Hackenschmidt Wrestling Frank Gotch 1908-09 Pugilists and Wrestlers Wrestling Boxing.jpg The 1908-09 Ogden’s Pugilists & Wrestlers set is one of the most popular tobacco boxing and wrestling sets around. Despite its UK origins, it has become one of the hotter pre-war boxing cards collected here in the U.S.

The cards are your typical cigarette cards with color images on the front with the athlete’s name at the bottom. Backs had a short biography of the athlete as well as a brief mention of Ogden’s, the issuer, at the bottom.

Similar to the 1888-89 Allen & Ginter N28 and N29 series, pictures of the athletes stand out as they are set against a plain white background.

Many of the sports’ stars are found in the release. Boxers include Jack Johnson, John Sullivan, and James Jeffries while wrestlers include the legendary Georges Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch. From a wrestling standpoint, Hackenschmidt headlines the 1908 set while Gotch is the star in the 1909 issue.

The second series cards are generally more valuable. While commons in the first series can start in the $5-$10 range, second series commons can cost two to three times that amount. They are perhaps not rare, but they are much tougher to find.

The cards are quite similar to a later Ogden’s issue, simply known as the 1915 Ogden Boxers set. While the cards utilize the same design as those, often confusing collectors, there are many differences between the two releases. Here’s a comparison of the two sets.

Variations and Different Dates of Release

The set is really two sets in one. However, since the are numbered consecutively, many collectors simply classify this as one large set. Series 1 includes cards 1-50 and Series 2 picks up with card No. 51 and runs through 75.

The first set of 50 cards was first released in 1908 with a second shorter set consisting of 25 cards being distributed in 1909. Complicating matters a bit, however, is that not all first series cards were issued in 1908. Some were reprinted in 1909 to go along with the second series.

The four types of cards are listed below:

1st Series Cards 1-25 (all printed in 1908)
1st Series Cards 26-50 with beige/off-white backs (all printed in 1908)
1st Series Cards 26-50 with white backs (all printed in 1909)
2nd Series Cards 51-75 (all printed in 1909)

It should be noted that the differences in the cards with white and off white backs can be difficult to spot simply because the cards are more than 100 years old and even ones that were printed with a bright white have since worn a bit over time.

Keys to the Set

While many Hall of Famers are found in this set, a few cards stand out among the rest.

One interesting note for baseball fans is that Abe Attell is featured. Attell’s name will be familiar to some as he was one of the alleged gamblers (more specifically, a middleman) involved in the fixing of the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. The card is actually considered to be his rookie card, which has led to increased popularity.

The two wrestling cards of early stars Hackenschmidt and Gotch are standouts. Both were considered early greats of the sport and the fact that they have few early 1900s cards helps make this pair desirable. Gotch’s card, in particular, is valuable as a second series card.

The legendary John Sullivan’s card is sought after. As are the cards of several prominent Black fighters. But the biggest card in either series belongs to Jack Johnson. Johnson’s card is viewed as a rookie issue, despite the fact that he is found in the c1909 Health and Strength Wellness Postcards set that is sometimes dated to as early as 1908.

Even in low-grade condition, the Johnson card typically starts in the $300-$500 range. His price, too, is boosted by the fact that he is found in the tougher second series.