King Kelly (Boston)
1887 Old Judge (N172)
Michael Joseph “King” Kelly (December 31, 1857 - November 8, 1894) authored the first baseball autobiography Play Ball: Stories of the Ball Field in 1888. Kelly played the majority of his 16-year career at catcher with the National League’s Chicago White Stockings (1880-1886) and the Boston Beaneaters (1887-1892). He was one of the first catchers to regularly wear a glove and chest protector. Kelly’s ability to produce runs was among the elite players in the league during the late 1800s and he collected 1,813 hits, scored 1,357 runs while driving in 950 runs and batting .308 during his career. King Kelly won two batting titles in 1884 and 1886 hitting .354 and .388 respectively. A true innovator of the game, Kelly is often credited for popularizing the hit-and-run, the hook slide and catchers backing up first base. The Veterans Committee elected Michael Joseph Kelly to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
Condition Census
| Pos | Grade | Thumbnail | Pedigree and History |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MINT 9 | ||
| 2 | NM 7 | ||
| 3 | EX-MT 6 | ||
| 3 | EX-MT 6 | ||
| 3 | EX-MT 6 | ||
| 3 | EX-MT 6 | ||
| 3 | EX-MT 6 | ||
| 4 | EX 5 (4) |
Prices By Grade
1887 N172 OLD JUDGE KING KELLY PORTRAIT, BARE HEAD, BOSTON ON SHIRT
| Grade | Most Recent Price | Average Price | PSA Price | Population | POP Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEM - MT 10 | – | – | – | – | – |
| MINT 9 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| NM - MT 8 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| NM 7 | $5,283.84 | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| EX - MT 6 | – | – | – | 5 | 2 |
| EX 5 | $6,900.00 | – | – | 4 | 7 |
| VG - EX 4 | $3,824.00 | – | – | 2 | 12 |
| VG 3 | $6,000.00 | – | – | 3 | 14 |
| GOOD 2 | $1,231.20 | – | – | 3 | 17 |
| FR 1.5 | – | – | – | – | 20 |
| PR 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 20 |
| Auth | – | – | – | 2 | 22 |
Auction Prices Realized
| Date | Price | Grade | Lot # | Auction House | Auction/Seller | Type | Cert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/15/2020 | $6,900 | 5 | 53013 | Heritage Auctions | The Partnerone Collection Sports Card Catalog Auct | Auction | 15728979 |
| 10/30/2018 | $6,000 | 3 | 44 | Robert Edward Auctions | 2018 Fall | Auction | 25671203 |
| 12/10/2017 | $2,490 | 3 | 202135080770 | eBay | ja44 | Best Offer | 90643985 |
| 12/10/2017 | $2,490 | 3 | 202101295293 | eBay | ja44 | Best Offer | 90643985 |
| 08/21/2017 | $1,875 | 3 | 122656839401 | eBay | yzizimm_69lkby | Auction | 90643985 |
| 05/20/2017 | $2,200 | 3 | 152511160596 | eBay | buddythecontourr | Best Offer | 90643985 |
| 03/31/2017 | $1,837 | 3 | 70 | Goodwin and Co. Auctions | Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons LXX | Auction | 90643985 |
| 03/31/2017 | $1,231 | 2 | 71 | Goodwin and Co. Auctions | Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons LXX | Auction | 06551627 |
| 11/07/2015 | $3,824 | 4 | 10071 | Heritage Auctions | 2015 November 5 - 7 Sports Collectibles Catalog .. | Auction | 12015931 |
| 10/02/2009 | $3,884 | 4 | 81052 | Heritage Auctions | 2009 October Signature Sports Memorabilia Auctio.. | Auction | 12015931 |
| 08/07/2007 | $1,819 | 3 | 12 | SCP Auctions | SCP Auctions September 2007 Internet Auction | Auction | 90643985 |
| 12/04/2003 | $5,284 | 7 | 1487 | Lelands | December 2003 | Auction | 90289511 |