Lot # 2169: Circa 1883 J. W. Reccius Sporting Goods Store Business Card

Rare J. W. Reccius business card dating from circa 1883. The center of the card features a colorful engraved illustration of various sports equipment, including baseball bats, cleats, and a cap. The text reads "J. W. Reccius Dealer In Base Ball Supplies And General Sporting Goods - Also, Books, News, Cigars, and Tobacco - No. 1703 Market St., Louisville, K.Y." Astute collectors will recognize that Reccius was also the issuer of the exceedingly rare Honus Wagner trade card issued in the late 1890s. Honus Wagner was a member of the Louisville Colonels at the time and the J. W. Reccius company manufactured a ten-cent Hans Wagner cigar to capitalize on his popularity. This is the first example of this rare business card we have offered and we have never seen another. The card (3.75 x 2.25 inches) displays a chip in the upper left corner and what appear to be a few tiny insect holes in the areas of the lower left corner and mid-right border. A few pencil notations appear on the reverse. In Fair condition.