A Trio of Original 1888 Allen & Ginter Cards!

Not so long ago, I unveiled my next pair of crazy set builds - both of which were original Allen & Ginter sets from the 1800s.  In particular, I've decided to try and build the 1887 Flags of All Nations set and the 1888 City Flags set.

Much like with the 1889 A&G Fish from American Waters set that I built, I'm simply chasing the set with little regard for the condition of each card.  If I tried to get pristine cards only, then I'd never get anywhere because I'd never be able to afford any of the cards!

Luckily, if one isn't fussy about condition, you can still score some original A&G cards for not a ton of coin.  That's exactly what I did recently when I nabbed three of the City Flags cards from the same eBay seller.  

Of the three, the one in the worst condition was the flag card of Biscay - it's got a nail hole in the top of the card.  Sometimes I really wonder what people do to their cards...like, why would you hammer a nail through such a small card and hang it on your wall?  I don't get it.

I also can't help but wonder if modern cities still have city flags?  Is that still a thing?  

The other two cards were at least hole free which is nice. 

I love the look of these cards and the simple idea of collecting such an old set definitely appeals to my sense of history.  As with the fish set I built, this set build will be a marathon and not a sprint!  Patience is the key to collecting old sets like this, that's for sure.