(LOT 16)
1909 T206 Polar Bear Factory 6 Bill O'Hara St. Louis PSA 4 VG-EX
It is no secret that the highly-coveted Bill O'Hara "St. Louis" T206 subject resides as one of the true cornerstones of the colossal T206 "Monster" set. Presented here in a superb PSA 4 holder, only 14.6% of the total 144 PSA encapsulated copies have achieved this mid-grade assessment, with a meager 8 or 5.6% graded higher! Indeed, finding a mid-grade O'Hara St. Louis is no simple task, substantiating why this card is ultra-desirable amongst advanced tobacco collectors. The prestigious T206 Tobacco set issued during years 1909 thru 1911 is first renowned for the 4 high end cards to obtain including Wagner, Plank, the Magee error (Magie) and Doyle variation. After these famous four, the two scarcest variations are the St. Louis O'Hara and Demmitt versions produced by the Polar Bear cigarette company.

After Bill O'Hara was traded from the New York Giants to the St. Louis Cardinals before the start of the 1910 season, only the Polar Bear company reflected this change in their tobacco issues. All other factory issues printed O'Hara in a New York Giants uniform, and a significant T206 variation was born! The limited number of T206 St. Louis O'Hara's now command significant dollars, and are amongst the toughest six T206's to obtain. Light hitting outfielder Bill (William) O'Hara played major league baseball for only two seasons (1909 and 1910). Yet, it was his switching teams in-between those two fateful years that led to his iconic T206 St. Louis Nat'l subject.

This PSA 4 offering exhibits spectacular registration and superb colored hues as O'Hara portrays his classic batting stance. Set against a robust blue and soft green background, the image is relatively well centered between four white borders that exhibit some negligible tobacco stains, a typical flaw for many Polar Bear subjects. The primary culprit accounting for the grade is corner wear consistent with the assessment, with the verso reflecting a fine Polar Bear cigarette advertisement. No obtrusive creasing is evident on either side, and the card's overall eye appeal is consistent with the grade.

Many advanced vintage collectors continue to tackle the challenge of trying to build a complete T206 "Monster Set". For most, accumulating 520 of the 524 cards (excluding the "Big Four") is more than sufficient, with this PSA 4 O'Hara St. Louis marvel presenting a grand opportunity to add another big piece to your T206 puzzle!

MIN BID $1,250