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Magnificent Lou Gehrig Signed 1928 Exhibit Card - PSA Encapsulated & Mint 9 Signature "1 of 1" & The Only Example Listed on the PSA Population Report!
It is truly no secret that the desirability for signed baseball cards representing some of our National Pastime's greatest heroes has immensely skyrocketed over the past several years, resulting in record setting sales on a seemingly daily basis. A classic example of this pricing surge is clearly evident with auction sales for 1951 Bowman and 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle issues that have realized unfathomable figures between $65K - $100K. Interestingly enough, while not abundant, these signed Mantle cards are in no way considered rare, with PSA's illustrious population report listing approximately 15-20 signed examples for EACH of these treasured issues.

Typically, post WWII cards of popular Hall of Famers do boast a number of autographed copies to choose from. Unfortunately for some of baseball's greatest pre-war stars such as Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, W. Johnson, Mathewson, etc., finding a signed baseball card is an extremely painstaking task, if not impossible in some instances. That said, presented here just happens to be one of the most miraculous Lou Gehrig collectibles extant, a brilliant autographed 1928 Exhibit card of the iconic "Iron Horse" sporting a PSA Mint 9 signature grade! Amazing to say the least, it currently stands as the sole autographed Gehrig 1928 Exhibit on the PSA "Pop" chart and one of the few PRE-1930 signed Lou Gehrig baseball cards known to exist.

Indeed, while a signed 1933/'34 Gehrig Goudey is scarce, PSA does list 9 scripted examples on their population report. Regarding pre-1930 Gehrig's, we know with certainty of one signed rookie card, with a handful at most of other scripted exhibit cards, with this "1 of 1" PSA Mint 9 autographed marvel proudly standing tall as one of the most coveted Gehrig keepsakes in the hobby. The incomparable legacy of Henry Louis Gehrig can be traced back to his Columbia University playing days where Gehrig dominated as both a standout pitcher and slugging first baseman.

Catching the attention of renowned New York Yankee scout Paul Krichell, on April 28, 1923 Gehrig hit one of the longest home runs ever seen at Columbia's South Field; a mammoth 450-foot blast that sailed completely out of the ball park, prompting Krichell to sign Gehrig to a Yankee contract only two days later. While Gehrig would be called up to the majors before the end of the season, he would see limited time as a pinch hitter in both the 1923 and 1924 seasons, accumulating only 38 official at-bats in those two seasons. It would be the 1925 season that the "Iron Horse" would enjoy his first breakout season, batting .295 and walloping 20 home runs in nearly 500 plate appearances. Now considered one of the game's fearsome sluggers, Gehrig would embark on one of the most formidable careers in baseball history.

One of baseball's greatest all-timers, Gehrig's legendary stature stands right alongside Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Jackson, Young, Mathewson and Johnson, with his cardboard rarities already realizing remarkable price tags. The sports memorabilia market is currently in the midst of a pricing uptick frenzy for "high-profile" Hall of Famer rarities and most would agree that you can count on one hand the number of signed sports cards that could possibly hope to compete with this autographed Gehrig cardboard treasure. The card itself was issued during the Yankees second consecutive world championship season and sports a classic Gehrig batting pose as he completes his mighty swing. Portraying brilliant central image aesthetics, the imposing blue tinted surface and blank verso both reveal no obtrusive surface flaws with the card's technical VG VG/EX quality due to modest/even corner wear.

Most significantly, the world-class PSA Mint 9 blue fountain pen "Lou Gehrig" signature is perfectly situated in a light surface area within the lower left quadrant, enabling the script to literally "jump-off" the card. Needless to say, the eye appeal of this seemingly timeless cardboard treasure is utterly extraordinary, easily placing it as one of the finest autographed Gehrig baseball cards on the planet. In closing, any original collectible of Gehrig is widely sort after within the collecting community due to his unequivocal legacy, let alone one that represents one of his ultra-scarce early signed baseball cards.

Tragically, Gehrig's incredible career was cut short by the deadly "ALS" disease (now more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) that took his life at the tender age of 37. Yet, with all of his "on the field" accomplishments, he will always be best 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 4, 1939 will forever stand as our National Pastime's "Gettysburg Address". He was the quiet hero, simply going about his business with a steadfast purpose that the mention of his hallowed name inspires a still tranquility amongst his vast following.

Incredible as it may seem, we recently noticed that a "1 of 1" Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani card sold for the mind-boggling sum of $184,000 in a September public auction. With that in mind, we can only ponder as to the true value of this PSA Mint 9 Signed "1 of 1" 1928 Gehrig heirloom, making the safe assumption that Gehrig's immortal standing will forever be "light-years" ahead of the Angels young star. Simply stated, early signed Gehrig cards are virtually impossible to come by, substantiating why this Cooperstown worthy masterpiece merits the utmost recognition from the hobby's foremost collectors!

MIN BID $15,000
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