Featured Five: Cobb Takes Center Stage in May Auction
Featured Five: Cobb Takes Center Stage in May Auction
If one were to build a Mount Rushmore of pre-war baseball card icons, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth would be the first two selections, and it’s no surprise that they’re headlining this May’s REA Auction, open through Sunday, May 18th.
Here are a few of our favorite offerings:
1915 E145 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb
One of vintage-card collecting’s most recognizable icons and one of the key cards of the 1915 E145 Cracker Jack series: #30 Ty Cobb. Besides being the second most valuable card in the set (behind Joe Jackson), it is also one of the most desirable and striking of all Ty Cobb cards. This example is bright and crisp, both front and back, with bold colors, flawless registration, and strong corners. Light caramel staining is visible on the front and back. This is an attractive example of card #30 Ty Cobb in an extremely desirable PSA EX-MT 6. The classic Cracker Jack set is considered by many to be the most beautiful card set ever issued. The E145 Ty Cobb has always and will always be in high demand, especially a desirable high-grade example such as this. This is one of card collecting’s great classics and would be a worthy addition to any high-grade Cracker Jack, Ty Cobb, or Hall of Fame collection.
1909 E92 Dockman & Sons Honus Wagner Batting
The rare Dockman & Sons caramel issue from 1909 shares designs with several other closely related candy issues (Croft’s Candy, Nadja Caramels, etc.) from the same era. The offered card of Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner displays vibrant colors, outstanding registration, and moderate corner wear. A pair of small surface scratches above Wagner’s cap and light creases running through his hand contribute to the assigned grade. This is a classic example of the legendary Honus Wagner from this rare, early twentieth-century candy issue.
1911 T205 Gold Border Ty Cobb – Polar Bear Back
Among the most iconic Cobb cards, and perhaps card collecting’s single most condition-sensitive issue, is the T205 Gold Border issue. It’s a must have for any Cobb collector. It’s not just the most valuable card in the set, it is also one of the best-known and most popular of all his cards. This example displays vibrant colors, excellent registration, light corner wear, and outstanding centering. The Polar Bear advertising reverse shows moderate tobacco staining.
1929 R316 Kashin Publications Babe Ruth
Ruth, unsurprisingly, is the key card to the distinctively designed 101-card R316 set. The offered card has outstanding picture quality and strong corners with light touches of wear. Few cards of Ruth date from the 1920s. Issued during the short window of time between the strip cards of the early 1920s and the colorful bubble-gum cards of the early 1930s, this card has always been appreciated for its powerful image of Ruth. A fantastic example of this classic Ruth card, worthy of any high-quality Babe Ruth, R316, or pre-war card collection.
For many decades, this rare set has been referred to by advanced collectors as “Orange Borders.” In 1910 the “Geo. Davis Co., Inc.” and the “P.R. Warren Co.” of Massachusetts together issued this striking and extremely rare package-design set, with two cards featured on each box of “American Sports – Candy and Jewelry.” It is rare to find even common-player sample cards from this issue, let alone Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, as featured here. Ty Cobb is by far the key card to the set. Condition flaws include scattered creasing along with writing and spots of soiling on the reverse, but they’re easily overlooked based on the scarcity of the issue. This is a presentable example of one of the most elusive of all Ty Cobb cards.
Bidding in the May Auction is open through May 18th – get in there now if you have a few minutes (or hours) to browse and bid on the incredible pre-war offerings.
Interested in learning how much your cards are worth in the current market? Email pictures to REA for a no-obligation review!