(LOT 186)
1910 E105 Mello Mint Ty Cobb PSA 1 PR
ELUSIVE MELLO-MINT COBB!!! Presented here is an extremely rare PSA 1 PR 1910 E105 Mello-Mint Gum Ty Cobb subject, residing as one of only seven encapsulated examples on the combined PSA and SGC Pop Charts! Indeed, this extraordinary Georgia Peach candy treat merits the highest hobby accolades due to its sheer existence, which far outweighs its obvious poor aesthetics. The Mello-Mint lineage can be traced back to 1910, when the Texas Gum Company in Temple, Texas issued a 50-card baseball set (similar to the E101 "Set of 50" anonymous issue) to promote their Smith's Mello-Mint Gum. While eight of the subjects are more commonly seen due to a 1980s find, the remaining 42 subjects are extremely scarce, with only a handful tougher to locate than the legendary Ty Cobb Leaning on Bat pose also utilized on many of his "T" and "E" cards issued from 1909 through 1916 (E92; E101; E102; E106; T216; etc.).

Printed on thin paper stock and folded over in gum packages, many of the remaining few in circulation are in "beater" condition, with this Cobb subject revealing a typical severe vertical crease running directly through the center of the card. The majestic Cobb outplayed all of his peers, including the mighty Wagner, with Ty's 12 batting titles in a 13-year span, including nine successive batting championships from 1907-1915, a record that will outlast eternity! Cobb's pre-WWII cards unequivocally stand right alongside Ruth, Wagner and Jackson as the most sought-after cardboard collectibles, and while this elusive offering does reflect some obtrusive blemishes, it is the simple right to own a copy that supersedes the low grade. The iconic leaning-on-bat pose exhibits fine clarity and brilliant gray, orange and yellow hues, with the aforementioned vertical crease as well as a horizontal crease running across his Detroit jersey flannels somewhat compromising the renowned pose.

Also accounting for the assessment are severely rounded corners, border soiling, an additional lower border crease, and some edge chipping along the lower right quadrant. Aside from the previously mentioned creases that obviously impact the verso as well, the obscure "MELLO-MINT – TEXAS GUM" green ad back is intact. Now 114 years old, this same offering fetched $43K nearly three years ago (July 2023), and considering the recent pricing surges for the hobby's scarcest "E" cards of Cooperstown inductees, we will let you ultimately decide what this nearly impossible-to-find Mello-Mint Cobb is truly worth!

MIN BID $10,000
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