Who Needs Cards from 2022 When You Can Have Cards from 1888?!

I've still yet to buy a single pack of 2022 baseball cards for myself (I have bought some 2022 product for group breaks).  Despite not buying any new cards, I've still been purchasing cards...just not new cards!  In fact, for today's post, I've got a trio of super old cards to show off (all are new to my collection, however).

Each of the three cards is from the 1888 Allen & Ginter City Flags set - a set that I decided to try and collect and have been slowly picking away at ever since.  Well, today I'm pleased to show off my three recent additions to the set (in alphabetical order as that's how the set checklist is set-up).  

We'll begin with this wonderful Chicago city flag card:

I love the boats at the bottom of the card - each of the Allen & Ginter City Flags cards has (of course) an image of the city's flag but there's also an image of something related to the city of the card.  For Chicago, we get boats on (presumably) Lake Michigan.

Next up, the city flag of St. Louis:

St. Louis' other picture is a bridge over what I would assume is the Mississippi River.  After doing a bit of internet research, I believe the bridge in question is the Eads Bridge, notable for being the first bridge across the Mississippi River in St. Louis.

It should be noted that a big reason why I love Allen & Ginter (both the original 1800s cards and Topps' modern reincarnation of the brand) is that I learn about random things that I wouldn't have otherwise.  I've never been to St. Louis and I'm not a "bridge aficionado" but now I know at least a little something about the Eads Bridge!

Finally, we end with a city that I have been to (many times, in fact) - Washington D.C.:

This particular card is probably the worst condition original 1800s Allen & Ginter card that I own - you can see terrible paper loss and ripping on the card's front - but seeing as how I still needed the Washington D.C. card, I bought despite it's many flaws.  

Speaking of flaws, here are the three card backs:

The ugliest of the card backs belongs to the Washington card (no surprise there after you saw the card's front)!  Someday I may try to upgrade that particular card, but honestly, I kind of like my vintage Allen & Ginter cards in rough shape!  I like to think that each card has its own story - passed down for generations and now in my possession.  

Now, if only Topps could turn this year's edition of Allen & Ginter into something even half as classy as these City Flags cards - then I'd be all for buying 2022 product!  Until then, I guess I'll stick with true vintage stuff.