AP – PORTLAND, Maine — An auction house expects six-figure bids when it sells a rare 148-year-old baseball card discovered at a yard sale in rural Maine.
Saco River Auction Co. in Biddeford says a man found the card by chance in a photo album he bought in Baileyville, on the Canadian border.
It’s not the same as a modern baseball card. Instead, it’s a photograph of the Brooklyn Atlantics amateur baseball club mounted on a card. Saco River manager Troy Thibodeau says he’s aware of only two such cards in existence, the other at the Library of Congress.
Saco River sold a rare 1888 card of Hall of Fame baseball player Michael “King” Kelly last summer for $72,000. Thibodeau expects the Brooklyn Atlantics card to fetch at least $100,000 at its Feb. 6 auction.
This is my dream come true. Shuffling through a garage sale, only to stumble across a gold mine. Anybody who knows me knows I love baseball cards…and garage sales. I still collect vintage cards to this day. In addition to the late 80’s-early 90’s gems from my childhood, I love to collect cards pre-1970. Specifically, the 1950’s is my favorite era to collect. Baseball’s Golden Age. So, when I saw this sucker up for sale, I started drooling like Musburger over K. Webb…
Can’t wait to see how much this thing goes for. What a cool story. Longer version here if you care to read. Also, take a look at the card again up top. Click to enlarge. I know it’s of the Brooklyn Atlantics, but I’m willing to bet the dude on the far left played for the other team.
-bp
[lobbed by Reverend Dave]