139-year-old baseball card fetches a fair price at the market

About a month ago, I experienced a deadly mixture of nostalgia and jealousy when we found out about a 72-year-old Fresno, Calif. woman who happened upon a 1869 Cincinnati Red Stocking baseball card.

Today, I’m able to put a price tag on those feelings.

Antique dealer Bernice Gallego, who originally put the card on eBay for a mere $10, ended up $64,073 richer.

I’m so happy for the card. Oh and for me too, of course, said Gallego on Tuesday night after a three-week online auction ended. I had hoped to bail out California from this financial emergency, but it didn’t quite get that far. But maybe it’ll bail out my credit cards. Considered to be the first baseball card, the 1869 Peck & Snyder advertisement depicts the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team.

Baseball card enthusiast and Tristar Productions CEO Jeff Rosenberg puts the historic card into perspective:

This is the rookie card of all rookie cards, Rosenberg said Tuesday night. It’s not the most ever paid for a baseball card, but it’s one of the most significant baseball cards. I think the card has a lot of things that we look for. It has the great story behind it. It’s Americana.

If this story doesn’t inspire you to clean out your attic or some other cluttered area, nothing will.

Fresno woman’s 1869 baseball card brings her $64,073 (Fresno Bee)

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