There are few 19th Century issues that epitomize the term "scarce and desirable" the way the 1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bat cards do. Issued between 1886 and 1887 the "K-Bats" are CDV-sized photographic cards mounted on heavy cardboard. While some have advertising printed on the reverse this particular card is of the blank-backed variety.Tough 19th Century cards are often the passion of advanced long-time collectors that prefer their cards ungraded in their collection. However we acknowledge that grading company population reports while never accurate enough with issues like this to be the "bible " are an excellent barometer of relative scarcity. As such we will report that between PSA and SGC just over 200 K-Bats have been graded in total with Townsend represented by a total of 3 different graded examples.The scarcity of Kalamazoo Bats cards coupled with their desirability among advanced collectors means that they don"t trade hands very often. Assembling a complete set is merely impossible with just one registered set between the PSA and SGC registries combined (an SGC-registered set that is barely over half complete). As such even lower grade examples routinely sell for several thousand dollars.This example of weak-hitting catcher George "Sleepy" Townsend of the Philadelphia Athletics pictures him poised behind the plate fingerless glove on his right hand. Graded POOR 10 by SGC for the obvious reason of the tape on the front and back repairing the tear in the card as well as the tear at Townsend"s feet this is not a card one collects due to condition. This is a card one collects due to scarcity - and with just three graded copies in existence scarcity is in abundance. Population DataSGC Population: 3 total graded 1 at this level 2 higherPSA Population: 0 graded*Note that the waviness on the back of the card is due to scratches in the holder not the card itself.