(LOT 490)
1909 T206 Ty Cobb Red Portrait "Sweet Caporal 350-460 Subjects/Factory 42" (PSA EX 5)
Many hobbyists would agree that the four T206 Ty Cobb subjects may be the "hottest" cards on the market, with their pricing points skyrocketing seemingly each and every day. For the past several years, values for these cardboard antiquities have more than doubled/tripled, and in some cases reached exponential heights. In fact, a Red Portrait Card in a PSA 8 holder recently fetched a staggering $192,000 in a public auction, shattering the previous record high of $67,000 by nearly 200%! Indeed, all T206 Cobb's are on every collector's want lists and why not? No serious vintage collection can be considered complete without a pre-WWI card of the immortal Ty Cobb, and no Cobb cardboard memento could possibly be more renowned than his legendary T206 Red Portrait subject reflecting the majestic Carl Horner portrait Cobb image.

Of the highly coveted four T206 Ty Cobb's, both the "Red" and "Green" portrait poses stand as hobby icons, justifying why this stunning PSA 5 Red portrait Cobb merits serious attention from any advanced enthusiast. Still holder of the highest major league lifetime batting average, Ty Cobb is arguably one of the top 5 ballplayers of all-time, and a 1936 charter member of baseball's illustrious Hall of Fame. His fiery play easily places him as the most intense competitor the diamond has ever seen, and his relentless will to be the best at anything he did ably assisted him in earning an incomprehensible 12 batting titles in 13 seasons! Therefore, it come as little surprise that many of the hobby's most advanced collectors seek his most prized cardboard artifacts, with only a handful possibly besting the incredible eye appeal of this seemingly under-graded gem.

Cobb's classic headshot pose portrays outstanding facial colored hues, immaculate focus and a near-flawless "fire-engine" red background. Near perfect centering (only slightly favoring the lower edge), bright white borders, clean surfaces and the brilliant image quality complete the breathtaking obverse side. We can only assume that some modest/even corner wear is the major reason this card did not achieve a higher assessment, and the verso's bold red "Sweet Caporal 350-460 Subjects/Factory 42" advertisement's bold red print stands as the final superlative to a card emanating aesthetics far above the current PSA 5 grade. A steadfast symbol of early 20th century baseball, this "spine-tingling" marvel is one of the finest mid-grade Red Portrait Cobb's you will ever encounter, effectively "turning back the clock" to an era when the game evolved as America's National Pastime!

MIN BID $3,000
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