Pre-War Cards

High-End Relics Hit REA Spring Catalog Auction

The 2026 REA Spring Catalog Auction ending Sunday, April 19th, offers a remarkable cross-section of prewar baseball history, from the earliest photographic relics of the 1860s to iconic cardboard touchstones of the 1930s. For collectors drawn to the stories behind the pieces, each of the following items offers an undeniable connection to the game’s past, worthy of attention from the most discerning collectors.

1922 Olsen Games Co. Babe Ruth (New Discovery)
The thrill of discovery is one of the hobby’s most enduring appeals, and this newly confirmed 1922 Babe Ruth card from the Olsen Games Company adds a new entry to Ruth’s playing-era checklist. For decades, collectors speculated about the cards advertised in the game’s instruction booklet and now, one of those mysteries has been resolved in spectacular fashion.

Tied to an early baseball-themed tabletop game, the card reflects a time when baseball permeated everyday life, extending from ballparks into living rooms. The familiar Ruth image connects it visually to contemporary issues, yet its unique backstory gives it an entirely new identity. It’s the kind of find that reminds collectors there are still chapters of the hobby waiting to be written.

1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig Rookie
There’s something especially compelling about cards that capture greatness before it was fully realized, and this 1925 Exhibits card of Lou Gehrig does exactly that. Issued during his first full season with the Yankees, it reflects a moment when Gehrig was just beginning to emerge from the shadow of Babe Ruth and establish his own identity.

The Exhibits format, with its bold photographic presence that feels cinematic – a young Gehrig staring out from the dawn of a legendary career. Long regarded as his true rookie, it remains one of the most historically significant cards of the era.

1864 Brooklyn Resolutes CDV (Chadwick/Rogers)
This extraordinary 1864 Brooklyn Resolutes team photograph stands among the most evocative pieces of 19th Century baseball.  It is a gathering of pioneers, including Henry Chadwick, the game’s earliest architect of statistics and storytelling. The formal studio composition, paired with remarkable photographic clarity, bridges the gap between sport and society at a time when baseball was still defining itself.

Details like the “Resolute” lettering on a player’s belt or the mysterious inclusion of Dick McBride only deepen its intrigue. With just two known examples, it feels less like a collectible and more like a surviving artifact from baseball’s formative years.

1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb
Mail-in offerings of the 1915 E145 Cracker Jack set offered opportunities to capture cards in prime condition, absent of candy staining.  This is the case with this dazzling Ty Cobb portrait, set against the iconic rich red background that could only be Cracker Jack.

There’s a timeless quality to Cracker Jack cards, perhaps because they are tied so closely to the sensory experience of early 20th-century ballgames: the smell of popcorn, the hum of the crowd, the slow rhythm of a summer afternoon. Cobb, “The Georgia Peach,” stands at the center of that world, and this card feels like a preserved fragment of it.

1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson
The Ramly set has always occupied a unique place in the hobby, blending ornate design with a level of fragility that makes surviving examples all the more impressive. The regal feel of Walter Johnson’s card, with its delicate gold borders and elegant presentation, is fitting for one of the most dominant pitchers the game has ever seen.

This newly discovered example, preserved by a family for generations, carries with it the quiet romance of untouched history. It serves as a reminder that some of the hobby’s most meaningful treasures are those that have simply been waiting, patiently, to be rediscovered.

Together, these pieces and more from the REA Spring Catalog Auction tell a story of baseball’s evolution, from its earliest organized clubs to the golden age of its legends. For collectors, these offerings are showstopping centerpieces, offering a unique connection to an era that is long gone, but never forgotten.