(LOT 33)
1936 World Wide Gum #96 Lou Gehrig (PSA 4.5) - "1 of 1; Only 4 PSA Examples Graded Higher!
We all know the story of how ALS tragically claimed Lou Gehrig's life at the tender age of 37. Amazingly, for all of his world class "on the field" accomplishments including 493 round trippers, a .340 lifetime batting average, and a staggering 13 consecutive seasons in which he "knocked in" over 100 runs; he will always be most remembered for his 2,130 consecutive game streak, accounting for his sacred "Iron Horse" nickname. Furthermore, his incomparable farewell "Luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4th 1939 will forever be our National Pastime's Gettysburg Address. It is for all of these reasons that the most advanced enthusiasts actively seek his most desirable cardboard artifacts, with one of his scarcest and final cardboard gems the 1936 World Wide Gum Co. obscurity presented here in a superb PSA 4.5 holder.

Seldom surfacing at all, let alone at this mid-grade plateau, no other PSA examples exist at this plateau with a mere 4 copies graded higher! For nearly a decade, Lou Gehrig quietly performed in Babe Ruth's shadow, with his earth shattering battering achievements seemingly a mere footnote to the iconic "Sultan of Swat". Yet, upon Ruth's exodus to Boston in 1935, Gehrig's unparalleled stature was immediately realized by avid Yankee fans via his machine like run producing accomplishments. Through it all, however, Gehrig never sought out the attention his former teammate thrived on, simply going about his business in a day after day "blue collar" way.

His stoic black & white portrait image is a strong testament to his unselfish manner as a somewhat boyish grin perfectly captures the "Iron Man's" laid back personality. Remarkable contrast and crystal clear focus are the highlights of this virtually un-improvable image that resides between four relatively clean off-white borders. The four corners still retain a majority of their original square shape, the "Lou Gehrig" text box is bold/vivid, no obtrusive flaws/creases are evident, and the verso is clean. Overall, this superior mid-grade rarity is ultra consistent with the assigned grade, and via its sparkling attributes may have merited an even higher technical assessment.

We are all too familiar with the enormously popular 1932 thru 1934 Gehrig US Caramel, Goudey and DeLong issues that dominate the Gehrig card market. With that in mind, why not take advantage of this rather scarce "Iron Horse" offering that resides as his final mainstream cardboard issue and has typically eluded most advanced hobby gatherings!

MIN BID $1,500
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