The Allen Ginter Project: Card #10 - N1 American Editors

I know I haven't posted cards #1-4 or 7-9 yet, but I just got this one in the mail today so why not do card #10 of my type set now. This one is from the set labeled N1 (or rather 1, since the Ns were added later) in the American Card Catalog. Yep this is the #1 set in the ACC mainly because American starts with A as does Allen & Ginter and Jefferson Burdick organized 19th century cards more or less alphabetically. This is one of the few N sets that has numbers on the back instead of a checklist or ad. The set states it's the "First Series" of American editors, but I don't know of a second one unless it's the large sized version of this set (N35).

I got this card for 9 bucks from Ebay seller howards201. If you ever buy anything from Howard, don't worry at all about the packaging. This card showed up in a mailer as thick and as soft as a pillow. The card was in an Ultra-Pro semi-rigid holder, between two thick pieces of cardboard, wrapped in three layers of bubble wrap, packed in a tough plastic bubble mailer and stamped FRAGILE. That's a lot of work to ship one tiny little card.


When I first looked through the checklist for this set I decided I would try for #22 Henry W. Grady. He was editor of the Atlanta Constitution and now has a nearly bankrupt hospital named after him. Grady Hospital is the premier tourist attraction for out of towners who get shot in Buckhead at 3 in the morning when the bars all close. So far the only one I've seen is a copy graded 70 Excellent+ by SCG. It's a bit outside my price range for this project. I stumbled upon this copy in an auction listing that was still waiting on a bid very close to the close. I kind of did a double take and decided that this was a great card for the type set.

This here is #44 William M. Singerly, editor of the Philadelphia Record, a Philly morning newspaper that eventually went Bust in 1947. Willie actually ran for Governor of Pennsylvania as a Democrat in 1894, but lost in a landslide to Republican Daniel Hastings. He was tragically taken in 1898 from heart disease due to excessive cigar smoking. He should have smoked Virginia Brights so he could have collected these cards on his deathbed. This card is a pretty nice example. No creases, corners are pretty darn good considering and no paper loss n the front except for a tiny bit on one corner. It still has some dings which is why I got it so cheap. The back has a glue stain and a small bit of paper loss that took off the second 4 in 44. The real killer on this card is the fact that the bottom edge is a little trimmed, and badly at that. Basically PSA will never touch this card with a ten meter cattle prod, which is fine by me. I want a card, not a status symbol.

So why did I decide on a chain smoking failed politician who edited a defunct newspaper in a town I'm not from? My grandfather might have read the Philadelphia Record, but I sure haven't. I know of at least one reader who may have figured it out but for the rest of you here's why:

William Singerly is apparently Captain Peacock's grandfather! Don't believe me? Check it out!

Eerie, isn't it?? No wonder Mr. Humphries looks so weirded out. Grady would be nice, sure, but he's too damn expensive and the AJC is a crappy fishwrapper anyway. I'd rather have a nice card of my favorite floor walker from Are You Being Served. Or his grandfather at least. I'll give Captain Peacock card #52 in my extended N1 set.

Now I just have to find a card of Mr. Humphries. I have a feeling I'll find it in the N31 set. Thanks for the card and the awesome packing job Howard. You've all done very well!