Lot # 49: 1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bats Mike Dorgan New York Giants SGC VG 40

Graded VG 40 by SGC. Presented is an extraordinary Kalamazoo Bats example of New York Giants outfielder Mike Dorgan, a particularly rare card in the set. This card is only the third example of Dorgan we have ever seen (REA sold the other examples in 2004 and 2013), and we know of only one other. All New York Giants and Mets player Kalamazoo Bats are exceedingly rare. We estimate that fewer than 50 examples in total are known in the entire collecting world. The New York player Kalamazoos all feature portraits and are considered by advanced collectors to actually be a set unto themselves, distinct from the rare but far more available Philadelphia Athletics series. In Lew Lipset's The Encyclopedia of Base Ball Cards Volume 1 - 19th Century Cards, published in 1984, he speculates the Kalamazoo Bats Mets and Giants players actually date from 1886 (as opposed to 1887), and an analysis of the known players (including checklist additions discovered since 1984) verifies this is almost certainly the case. The offered example of New York's Mike Dorgan is in extraordinary condition. Very clean and strong in all respects, with just the slightest hint of corner wear, and superb photo quality. This card has an appearance far superior to its SGC-assigned grade. At a glance, it appears Excellent or better and has been downgraded due to a thin line of surface wear on the upper-left quadrant of the reverse. This is a tremendous example of an incredible rarity.