1910 Major League Indoor Baseball Game

Sold For:

$1,800

Year:

1910

Auction:

2020 Spring

Lot #:

1773

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

This extraordinary game, manufactured by the Philadelphia Game Company, is widely recognized as the most impressive of all early twentieth-century board games. The striking cover features individual cameo portraits of the top stars of the day, including Baker, Cobb, Lajoie, Walsh, Speaker, Johnson, Mathewson, Chance, and Wagner. The game (19.25 x 13.25 x 2.5 inches) consists of a wood frame with a sturdy cardboard cover and back. The hinged top opens up to reveal an attractive lithographic illustration of a baseball diamond and grandstand filled to capacity, while the interior bottom portion features a large metal spinner which dictates the game action when spun. The cover displays wear commensurate with its age and former use, including a few light abrasions, scratches, and stains. Five of the player portraits have the player's team affiliation written lightly in pencil along the top border. The wood frame has benefitted from professional restoration to a few chips, and it has been repainted black. The game is missing one of the two red cardboard boxes that once housed the lineup cards, but 25 original lineup cards accompany the game. Also included are a number of original wooden pegs housed in the other red cardboard box. It should be noted that the aforementioned minor imperfections and restoration do not significantly detract from the game's overall appearance and it remains in Very Good condition. This is an extremely high quality early baseball game, and one of the most substantial and impressive baseball display pieces of the era. The substantial size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot. Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000+.