Tuesday, March 12, 2019

1887 Tobin Color Lithographs


Many early examples of baseball cards are actually advertisements for different retail shops. The Tobin Color Lithographs stand out from others that came out in the era because of the detailed caricatures. It's a small set of ten cards, but the lineup is very impressive.

Mike "King" Kelly of the Boston Beaneaters


Cap Anson of the Chicago White Stockings


Dan Brouthers of the Detroit Wolverines


Jack Glasscock of the Indianapolis Hoosiers


Tim Keefe of the New York Giants


Mickey Welch of the New York Giants


Ed Andrews of the Philadelphia Athletics


Charlie Ferguson of the Philadelphia Athletics


Jim McCormick of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys


Paul Hines of the Washington Senators

I can't even decide which I like the most. They all have a strange appeal. The cards remind me of the illustrations in a Humpty Dumpty storybook I read when I was very young.

I would be hard pressed to find them in my collection because my team did not exist yet, but I would never say no to having them in my collection. I love all the oddities you can find and the great artwork out there, if you just dig a little. This set is definitely out of Topps' comfort zone.

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