VNA Sports Auction #2

All > Baseball > 19th Century

Bidding

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/11/2025

The 1888 WG1 Baseball Playing Card set is a distinctive and historically significant collection that merges the worlds of baseball and traditional playing cards. Issued by the Baseball Card Company of New York, this 72-card set features color lithographs of National League players from the era, including notable figures such as Cap Anson, King Kelly, and Connie Mack. Each card assigns a baseball position to a corresponding playing card rank—for example, catchers are Aces, pitchers are Kings, and so on—while the team is indicated by an initial in the upper left corner (e.g., "C" for Chicago, "NY" for New York). The uniformity in player poses by position adds a unique aesthetic, and the blue-on-blue patterned backs enhance their visual appeal. Today, the WG1 set is highly prized among collectors for its rarity, artistic design, and the glimpse it offers into 19th-century baseball culture

This single 1888 WG1 Baseball Playing Card is of the subject "Rowe, Detroit, Short Stop" in Fair condition with a small paper pull on the back side of the card. Cards from this set are very difficult to find in any condition.