Old Judge Upgrades: 1887-1889 N173 Cabinet Cards

Card Specs: 4.25" x 6.5”  |  374 cards  |  Sepia  |  Classification: 19th Century Tobacco  |  N173

Issued by Goodwin & Company between 1887-1889, N173 Old Judge Cabinet Cards served as premium companions to the immensely popular N172 Old Judge tobacco cards. Rather than being packed directly with cigarettes, collectors had to redeem 25 Old Judge coupons to receive these oversized mounted photographic prints, coined as cabinet cards for where they were often displayed.

The N173 cabinets were produced during baseball's formative professional era and remain among the earliest premium sports collectibles ever issued. Using many of the same player photographs found on N172 cards, the larger cabinet format transformed simple tobacco cards into elegant display pieces that showcased the game's biggest stars, like Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, Mickey Welch, King Kelly, Ed Delahanty, and Tim Keefe.

N173 Old Judge Mickey Welch & Tim Keefe Cabinets

While surviving printed checklists identify approximately 374 subjects, the true scope of the set remains uncertain. Because the cards were redemption premiums rather than pack-issued, hobby historians cannot confirm that every listed subject was distributed. As with the N172 series, new discoveries continue to reshape the known checklist.

N173 Old Judge Card Design and Variations

N173 cards feature original photographic prints pasted onto heavy card stock mounts measuring roughly 4.25" by 6.5". The images showcase full-length poses, studio portraits, or dramatic action setups typical of 19th-century photography.

Goodwin & Company produced various image formats during the multi-year N173 publication period.

• Plain Mounts: Minimalist borders with standard printed text.
• Script Mounts: Elegant stylized typography displaying the player's name and team.
• Dog’s Head Mounts: Featuring "Dog's Head" branding in addition to Old Judge



N173 Old Judge John Clarkson - Dog's Head Variation

The reverse side of most cabinet cards is blank, though some display advertising text or printed redemption instructions.

N173 Old Judge Cabinets: Scarcity and Survival Rates

Because acquiring an N173 cabinet required collecting 25 coupons, the original distribution numbers were far lower than standard pack-inserted tobacco cards, and surviving examples are extraordinarily more scarce. SGC's N173 Old Judge population report records roughly 430 examples, which nearly triples those evaluated by PSA (SGC was historically more accommodating with oversized items and early collectors overwhelmingly adopted it for vintage cabinet collections). Just 9% of SGC entries grade six or above, while an overwhelming 46% were judged to be below a grade of two.

N173 Old Judge King Kelly & Jim O'Rourke Cabinets

The N173 Old Judge PSA Population Report shows under 160 examples of any player, with just 5% graded five or above, compared to roughly 7,000 total entries for the smaller, more widely-distributed N172 release.

Recent REA Auction Sales for N173 Old Judge Cabinet Cards

1889 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Ed Delahanty SGC Authentic - 2024 Summer Auction - Sold for $56,400

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Buck Ewing & Mascot PSA 4 - 2026 Summer Auction - Sold for $29,520

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Jim O'Rourke SGC 2 - 2024 Summer Auction - Sold for $28,800

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Mike "King" Kelly SGC 5 - 2024 Summer Auction - Sold for $25,200

1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Mickey Welch PSA 4 - 2026 Summer Auction - Sold for $15,375

Selling N173 Old Judge Cabinet Cards

Authentic N173 Old Judge Cabinet Cards are extremely scarce and highly sought after by collectors who specialize in prewar baseball, tobacco cards, cabinet cards, and nineteenth century artifacts. We're happy to include them in nearly any condition in our monthly or catalog auction, for sale to the highest bidder. Reach out today to connect with a specialist and learn more about the auction process.