Basketball Cards

1894

MCLAUGHLIN COFFEE XXXX Z9 PAPER DOLL & COSTUME SERIES 5-4 (U.S.A.)

The McLaughlin XXXX coffee paper dolls are classified as Z-Cards in the American Card Catalog by Jefferson Burdick. Specifically, they are a Z-9 issue as they are a coffee and food insert. From 1894 to 1900, these dolls were distributed in envelopes labeled for children in every one-pound package of their coffee. This 5-4 series was distributed in October of 1894. There has been debate as to whether the ball featured on this particular costume is actually a basketball. I (personally) consider it to be a basketball after my own research and juxtaposition of evidence. You can read an article where I take a deep dive into the subject HERE. If it is a basketball, then this would be the first basketball collectible that was ever made.

Measurements: Figures approx. 5" tall, outfits approx. 3" tall

J.L. PRESCOTT & CO ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY BOY ENAMELINE Z12 COLLEGE DOLL (U.S.A.)

This doll was released with Enameline Stove Polish and was part of a series of 9 dolls that included Baseball, Football, Tennis and other sports. The consensus is that this is a Basketball given that there is already a football featured in the set. The debate continues however as to whether or not this would be considered an actual card. ​Either way, this is one of the earliest Basketball collectibles there is. Measurements: Approx. 2.5" x 5.75"

1899

TETLOW COLLEGE GIRL SERIES PRINCETON BASKETBALL (U.S.A.)

The front of this example is in fantastic condition, the low grade is due to the tape residue and discoloring on the back. There is a debate whether or not this is the first Basketball card produced or if that honor belongs to the Murad Williams College card released in 1909-10. Regardless of where you stand on that, this is still an awesome early Basketball collectible.

This College Girl Series consisted of 4 cards, all depicting various sports. While Princeton isn't named on the Basketball card, the pennant is in Princeton colors and the other 3 cards (Penn, Harvard, Yale) are all Ivy League with their ​appropriate school colors, so Princeton is assumed. Also pictured is the original pack that the College Girl Sports Series were initially distributed in.

Measurements: 4" x 6"

1903

BAINES SHIELD SCHOOL GIRLS E.S.B. OPEN COLLAR & NET BALL ​E.S.B. CLOSED COLLAR (U.K.)

The Baines Company manufactured jersey shirts and sweaters and produced shield shaped cards with color lithograph fronts and their advertising on back. The cards were distributed in promotional packets and were primarily football but had 2 "Net Ball" cards with slight variations. Net Ball was a variation on Basketball that became quite popular in Europe in the early 20th Century.

​Measurements: Approx. 2.75" x 3"

1904-05

BASKETBALL THEMED POSTCARDS

circa 1905-1910

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. Released in a series of 6, at different times, the Murad set totaled 225 cards in all, with 4 cards (and their variations) that featured basketball. ​

The first basketball card released in the set was Williams college, which came in 3 variations. Two variants were from the 1st edition, which is determined by the term “College Series 1 to 25” in the lower left corner of the card without any text to its right indicating a 2nd Edition. Of these two variants, there is one that has the number 14 listed in the lower right. This is the scarcer of the two 1st editions and the rarest of the Murad T51 basketball cards. The subsequent 2nd edition Williams College, as well as the Murad basketball cards from Northwestern University (2 editions), Luther College and Xavier College are all part of the same set but the honor of the 1st basketball card of the series (or possibly 1st basketball card ever) goes to the Williams 1st edition, as it was the first to be released.

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

POSTCARD FEATURING A CIRCA 1895 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE CARLISLE INDIAN SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM

According to the Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center, this postcard came in two versions, the difference being in the tone and type of the printing, with this particular postcard listed as Version 2. It's release date is noted as circa 1910. It features a photograph, that is also in their database, titled "Male students preparing to begin game of basketball", and dated circa 1895. The front of the postcard reads "Gymnasium, all Indians except instructor".

The Carlisle Indian School formed in 1879 with a mission to "civilize" Native American children and gained fame for it's football program and star athlete Jim Thorpe, the winner of two Olympic gold medals at Antwerp in 1912. The school was also an early adopter of the game of basketball. James Naismith, the game’s inventor, mentioned the same Carlisle basketball team in his book, Basketball: Its Origins and Development. “Carlisle was the first Indian school to play basketball,” Naismith noted, “but the success that it met with there showed that the game was especially adapted to Indian youth.”

Link to Resource Center Postcard Info and Image HERE

Link to Resource Center Photograph Info and Image HERE

circa 1910

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"

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"

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.

circa 1912-1913

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

HAMILTON KING BASKETBALL GIRL ILLUSTRATION BLOTTER, POSTCARD & GREETING CARD

1914

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

BASKETBALL THEMED POSTCARDS

circa 1910-1920

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