(LOT 11)
1911 Sporting Life Cabinet M110 – Honus Wagner (SGC 30/2) - "1 of 2"; Only 2 SGC Examples Graded Higher!
No baseball card could possibly surpass the brilliant color patterns of the ultra-obscure 1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets premiums issued by the Sporting Life News Dealer Co., with these colored rarities possibly surpassing the world-class aesthetics of the exalted T3 Turkey Red Cabinets. As is the case with virtually all pre-WWI issues, the two most valuable and desirable players in this extraordinary six subject set are the immortal Hall of Famers Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb, and it is the iconic Honus Wagner's super eye pleasing M110 Sporting Life Cabinets presented here in an SGC 30/2 holder.

As a testament to its sheer paucity level, SGC's census report lists a mere 10 examples with only a single other example matching this offering's assessment and a paltry 2 copies graded higher! Furthermore, with PSA listing only 9 specimens, a total of less than 20 are reflected on the COMBINED PSA and SGC "pop" charts. This exquisite Sporting Life Wagner portrays a unique image of the immortal shortstop only utilized on the M110 Cabinets, and since a Wagner Turkey Red subject was never released due to his assumed disdain for promoting tobacco products, this offering suffices as one of the few Wagner Cabinets extant (along with the W600 Sporting Life, T5 Pinkerton and JKA issues).

It is no secret that pre-WWI cards depicting the legendary Wagner are extremely coveted by elite enthusiasts due to the legacy of Wagner's sanctified T206 "Holy Grail" specimen. What sometimes gets overlooked is that the Wagner just happens to be the greatest shortstop in baseball history, with his batting and fielding excellence earning him an eternal resting place in Cooperstown when he was selected as a 1936 Hall of Fame charter member. The exquisite Wagner batting stance image is omnipresent in nature, emanating a brilliant array of gray, green and brown pastel colored hues as "Hans" prepares to smack another one of his legendary safeties. Significantly, this artifacts emanates a seldom encountered bright pastel radiance, not the "washed out"/dull eye appeal evident on other M110's.

Additionally, the "HANS" WAGNER name situated below his mighty batting pose is nearly flawless, complimented by surfaces that exclude any obtrusive creases and an aesthetically pleasing even corner wear. Accounting for the grade is some fairly faint staining along the left border and a light vertical wrinkle situated near the lower right corner. The iconic Wagner central image remains virtually unscathed, with the overall eye appeal of this seldom- surfacing keepsake consistent with a "VG-EX" assessment. Most important is that this museum worthy masterpiece via its striking pastel tints, is an incomparable cardboard keepsake emitting an almost supernatural tranquility from a by-gone era when the "Flying Dutchman" arguably graced the diamond better than nearly all of his peers!

MIN BID $2,500
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