Basketball Cards
18XX - 1919
Images are all from the Retro Baloncesto collection and are ascending by year. The rarity scale (for cards) is based on graded POP reports, online exemplars, past listings, available sales history and is subject to change.
FABRICA DE CROMOS FRIEDRICHS BARCELONA TRADE CARD ADVERTISING JOAQUIN MARANES (SPAIN)
This card/image was published by various European manufacturers as both advertising trade cards and postcards. The trade cards seem to be much rarer than the postcards. This particular trade card was manufactured in Spain and advertises the shop, Joaquín Marañés, in Toledo (outside of Madrid). It is the only card I have seen that advertises this particular vendor. Another known trade card (not pictured) advertises the French company, Jules Macors distillery, and was published by Chromos E Deiters of Belgium.
Measurements: 3.5" x 5"
circa 1908-1910
MURAD CIGARETTES T51 COLLEGE SERIES CARDS (U.S.A.)
The Murad set was produced by S. Anargyros Tobacco Company and released in their packs of Murad Turkish Cigarettes between 1909-1911. The T51 cards had an illustrated chromolithograph image that showed various athletes and sports with their accompanying colleges and universities. The Murad set totaled 225 cards total, with 4 cards (and their variations) that featured basketball. There are 6 total cards in the basketball subset, with 7 card variations in total (the number 14 variation is not included as part of the basketball subset).
The first basketball card issued by Murad was for Williams college, which came in 3 variations. The first variation is the numbered 14 one (numbered in the bottom right), released before the subsequent first and second editions. The numbered variations were the first to be produced and numbers were initially applied to cards 1 thru 25. This quickly changed, however, as it is thought that the numbers created confusion for those redeeming coupons for the larger T6 cabinet cards since the numbers didn't correspond with the list of teams. Thus, the number 14 variation is the first and rarest basketball card Murad produced and considered by most to be the first basketball card that was ever made. The Murad Williams First Edition was the next card to be made and is the second rarest of the basketball cards. Both the Williams No. 14 and Williams First Edition have very low grade POP numbers. The more common 2nd edition has "2nd edition" displayed in the lower right corner. Northwestern also had 2 editions, with Xavier and Luther College having just one.
Measurements: 2.5" x 2"
*Rarer in high grade, Williams 1st series rarest of the set, Williams 1st series #14 variation rarest of all.
circa 1909-1911
MURAD CIGARETTES T6 COLLEGE SERIES WILLIAMS #24 TYPE 1 & 2 CARDS (U.S.A.)
The T6 Murad cards used the same images as the T51s but were much larger and limited to 25 cards in the series. Williams #24 was the only basketball card in the series and was made with 2 different versions, distinguished by the Flag placement/coloring, ball shape and font. You had to collect coupons that were distributed in cigarette packs to send in to receive T6 cards,
so they are much rarer than the smaller T51 cards.
Measurements: 5" x 8"
circa 1910-1911
MURAD B33 COLLEGE ATHLETE, PENNANT, SEAL TOBACCO FELTS (U.S.A.)
Murad also released College felts that represented 30 colleges and their various sports. Each college had a Basketball felt with the same player image but featured the college name and colors. Some of these felts are common to find, while others are very scarce. There is no example known of Bucknell University.
Measurements: 3" x 5"
*Some Colleges/Universities rarer than others. There is no known example of Bucknell University.
circa 1910-1912
RICHMOND STRAIGHT CUT S23 COLLEGE FLAG, PENNANT, SEAL, SONG, YELL OBERLIN COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER TOBACCO SILKS (U.S.A.)
Richmond Straight Cut cigarettes started including sports themed silks with their tobacco around 1910. There are 2 Basketball themed silks, one featuring Oberlin College and the other University of Rochester. These silks are quite rare and hard to find in good condition.
Measurements: 4" x 5.5"
circa 1910-1912
B16 COLLEGE SEALS FLANNELs, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (TYPE 1A) & KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY (TYPE 2A) (U.S.A.)
The large B16 College Flannels were released in the 1910s as a premium with various cigarettes and tobacco products. There were 3 Types, with Type 1 broken into Series A & B with different variations. There are only 2 Basketball Flannels, both Type 1, distinguished by images of basketballs and rims with nets along the border: the University of Southern California (Type 1A) UNC is more common than the much rarer (Type 1B) Kentucky State University flannel.
Measures 5.5" x 8.25"
circa 1910-1912
A.T.C. L40 LEATHER COLLEGE PENNANT, YELL, EMBLEM, COLUMBIA COLLEGE (SILVER) (U.S.A.)
The L40 Leather series featured a variety of sports and colleges. There was only one Basketball leather, Columbia University, and it came in two variations, silver and gold. The silver one (pictured here) is much more common than the gold one (not in collection).
Measurements: 2.5" x 3.5"
circa 1911-1912
HAMILTON KING GIRLS SERIES T7-6, BASKET BALL GIRL #8 (U.S.A.)
The Hamilton King Basket Ball Girl is a large, beautiful and rare card. The card is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This card comes from a series of 4 depicting women in various sports. The actual artist is Hamilton King and the cards were redeemed by mailing in coupons from cigarette packs. The same image can also be found on a silk, a leather and a pillowcase. These items are even rarer as they required more coupons to obtain.
Measurements: 6" x 8"
circa 1912-1913
HAMILTON KING GIRLS SERIES S58 SILK, BASKET BALL GIRL #33 (U.S.A.)
The Hamilton King Basket Ball Girl silk is the same image as the trade card except a little larger at 7" x9". The silk required more coupons to obtain than the trade card and is often found with creases as it was typically folded with the cardboard backing with distribution (the silk and cardboard were not attached). This particular silk was the first to be graded and encapsulated by SGC.
Measurements: 7" x 9"
circa 1912-1913
HAMILTON KING GIRLS SERIES S110, PREMIUM PILLOW TOP #8 (U.S.A.)
This large pillow top contained all the images from Hamilton King's Sports Series women including the basketball girl. It required more coupons than the trade card or silk and many were likely sewn into pillows, so examples are very scarce. It is a very large and beautiful piece.
Measurements: 23" x 23"
circa 1912-1913
TURKISH TROPHIES COUPON & GIFT SLIP (REDEMPTION DETAILS FOR THE HAMILTON KING BASKET BALL GIRL SERIES CARD, SILK & LEATHER)
The 1 cent gift slip was specifically advertising the Satin designs of the Hamilton King Girls series. 20 gift slips could be exchanged for a satin, including the #33 Basket Ball Girl. The coupon advertised the entire Hamilton King Girls High Art Series, including the #8 Basket Ball Girl Card, #33 Basket Ball Girl Silk and #58 Basket Ball Girl Leather. The amount of coupons needed for redemption, options and sizes are listed on the back of the coupon.
ADVERTISING CALENDAR TRADE CARD FOR MORGAN SASH & DOOR COMPANY OF CHICAGO (U.S.A.)
This card advertises Morgan Hardwood Doors of Chicago on the front and back. I have seen a variation advertising a different company, also from 1912, that was a postcard with the postal back in lieu of an entire advertisement. The photo is marked 387, Rochester Photo Press, Rochester, N.Y.
1912
c 1910-1915 YWCA & YMCA POSTER "CINDERELLA" STAMPS (U.S.A.)
c 1918 YWCA WW1 WAR BOND "CINDERELLA" POSTER STAMPS STRIP WITH CENTER STAMP FEATURING BASKETBALL (U.S.A.)
Although this strip of images is unperforated, an inquiry with poster stamp collectors and sellers has confirmed that these are indeed poster stamps, determined by the print quality, method of printing and how a stamp like this would be produced. These images were also featured on large posters that promoted the YWCA's "Girl Reserves". Amid the era’s patriotic fervor, the Girl Reserves sought to share popular educational, vocational, and recreational activities—like basketball — with young women and girls. The “reserve” was open to girls ages 12–18 who wanted to participate in the war effort, whether through food conservation. war bond sales, and, yes, basketball. Measurements of stamp strip: 4.5" x 2"
c 1910-1920 WICHITA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS POSTER "CINDERELLA" BASKETBALL STAMP (U.S.A.)
This poster stamp was published by McCormick Armstrong Press of Wichita and featured a Basketball player at Wichita High School. The school had great success in early basketball, winning the state title in 1915 and the national title in 1925. The school changed it's name to Wichita East in 1929.
Cinderella (Poster) stamps were produced and distributed to promote products & services (in this case the Y.W.C.A. and the Y.M.C.A.) and were not issued to be used for postage fees.
circa 1910-1920
