Incredible 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions Harry Beecher Hoard of (18) Graded Cards - First Football Card!

• Status: Not Sold
• Year: 1888
• Auction: 2019 August
• Lot #: 1
• Auction Category: -

Move over Hunt Brothers, there"s a new cornered market in town! While debate has raged regarding what constitutes the "first" baseball card, that controversy has never approached the gridiron realm of our hobby. Harry Beecher was a quarterback and captain of the 1884-1887 Yale Football squads. The prolific scorer and two-time national champion obviously caught the attention of Goodwin & Co. of New York. With a cap, sweater and massive ball in hand, Beecher doesn"t quite look the part of a gridiron star. However, the caption of his sport and status leaves little debate. This incredible hoard of (18) 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions Harry Beecher singles have each been validated by a third-party authenticator. An extensive assortment which includes the following: PSA Graded: (9 cards) with (1) VG+ 3.5, (3) Fair 1.5, (2) Poor 1 (one mk), (3) Authentic; SGC Graded: (7 cards) with (1) 30 Good 2, (1) 20 Fair 1.5, (4) 10 Poor 1, (1) Authentic; BVG Graded: (1) 1.5 Fair and GAI Graded: (1) Fair 1.5 (first graded). While population reports don"t account for crossover attempts, there is little doubt that this eye-popping selection accounts for a significant percentage of known Beecher examples.