Rare Early 1900s Baseball Card Collection Discovered in Rhode Island Chest
PROVIDENCE, RI – A remarkable piece of baseball history surfaced in Providence, Rhode Island, after antique collector Tom conrad purchased a wooden chest containing over one hundred baseball cards dating from 1909 to 1911 for just $75. The cards, originally glued to the inside of the chest, feature legendary players including Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, and John McGraw, and are now attracting important interest from collectors.
The discovery highlights a bygone era when baseball cards were often included as promotional items in cigarette packs-easily discarded and rarely preserved. Experts estimate the collection, especially a 1909 Cy Young card, could be worth thousands of dollars, offering a rare glimpse into the early days of the sport and a testament to a unique preservation method.
Conrad acquired the chest and its contents via Facebook Marketplace from an individual who had obtained it at a local estate sale. He immediately recognized the potential importance of the find. “I hate to say once in a lifetime find, but it really is right up there,” Conrad stated.
The collection consists of 122 cards, many still adhered to the wooden chest but removable. Trading card specialist Matt Sharps, of Card Vault (co-owned by Tom brady), noted that even in poor condition, the Cy Young card could fetch “a couple grand,” while a near-mint graded version recently sold for over $100,000.
Sharps emphasized the rarity of finding such a collection intact. “These cards used to come in boxes of cigarettes… A lot of them got destroyed,and people thought they were going to be worthless,so finding them still intact all this time later is unreal.”
Conrad is currently auctioning the collection through his Facebook page, Smalls to the Walls Auctions, where the highest bid has reached $6,700. He views the cards not merely as a financial possibility, but as a valuable artifact. “ItS a true piece of history for baseball itself, but for Americana in general,” Conrad said.”just thinking that someone thought to put these in the trunk lid to conserve them like that.”
