Pre-War Cards

Highest-Graded N173 Old Judge Cabinets Go To Auction 

In the pantheon of 19th-century baseball collectibles, few issues command the reverence of the 1888-1889 N173 Old Judge Cabinet card set. Issued by Goodwin & Co., these oversized 4.25″ x 6.5″ photographic treasures stand as the luxury counterpart to the legendary N172 small-format tobacco cards. While standard N172 cards were packaged directly inside cigarette packs as instant premiums, collectors had to collect and mail in 25 coupons enclosed within Goodwin’s tobacco products to receive a single studio photograph mounted on thick cabinet card stock.

Because they could only be obtained through redemption, N173 cabinets were produced in significantly smaller quantities than their pack-inserted counterparts. Commonly mounted on walls once redeemed, existing examples are subject to severe fading, corner wear, moisture damage, pinholes, and paper loss. Needless to say, well-preserved survivors are scarce.

The current REA Summer Catalog Auction features an elite quartet of these 19th-century relics, each the highest-graded example by PSA.

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Buck Ewing & Mascot (PSA VG-EX 4)

This stunning 1888 N173 Goodwin Old Judge cabinet card is the highest-graded PSA example, and features one of the most unusual and memorable images to ever appear on a baseball card: New York Hall of Famer Buck Ewing and team mascot, Willie Breslin. In addition to being a very desirable Hall of Famer, the pose of this card makes it one of the most interesting images to appear in the Old Judge set. The youngster is dressed in a miniature New York Giants uniform, true to form in every detail to those worn by the players. This example has exceptional photo quality. Very bright, crisp, and clean, both front and back.

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Tim Keefe (PSA EX+5.5)

This tremendous example of Hall of Famer Tim Keefe of the New York Giants in a throwing pose is the only example graded at this level by PSA with none higher. Keefe, of course, is one of the most prominent of all 19th century Hall of Famers, with 342 lifetime wins during his 14-year Major League career (1880-1893). The image on this card is bold with outstanding contrast, making this a stunning card. The blank reverse is clean.

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Mickey Welch (PSA VG-EX 4)

Demonstrating the scarcity of the issue, this example of Hall of Famer “Smiling” Mickey Welch of the New York Giants is the only example graded by PSA to date. Bright and crisp, both front and back, with superb contrast and even corner wear. The blank reverse is mostly clean.

1889 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Joe Visner (PSA VG+ 3.5)

Again, this is the only example graded of 1889 N173 Old Judge cabinet card featuring Brooklyn catcher Joe Visner in a fielding pose by PSA to date. The extraordinary quality of the photograph allows one to see the pinstripes on his uniform, the laces on his shirt, and even his catcher’s mask lying next to his right foot.

Opportunities to acquire the best in the world do not come often, and nineteenth century collectors can win these and many more premier examples when the Summer Catalog Auction bidding closes on August 16th.