(LOT 11)
1933 Goudey #92 SIGNED Lou Gehrig Subject (PSA Authentic Auto) – One of Only 10 PSA Authentic Signed #92 Goudey Examples
The second of two signed Goudey Gehrig's in Memory Lane's spectacular late summer auction (the first being the 1934 Goudey #34 scripted Gehrig), this magnificent 1933 Goudey #92 Lou Gehrig subject has been boldly signed by the "Iron Horse" to the right of his left leg in bold black fountain pen. Appropriately deemed authentic by the prestigious PSA/DNA company, PSA's "Pop" Chart lists only 9 other signed 1933 Goudey #92 Gehrig subjects, not a near enough quantity to accommodate the advanced collecting community. Over the past year, the pricing points for signed Goudey Gehrig's have risen to staggering heights, spearheaded by the iconic "Uncle Jimmy Collection" that realized $218K for an autographed 1934 Goudey #37 Gehrig subject in 2020. Certainly not an anomaly, other Uncle Jimmy signed Goudey Gehrig cards (1933 #92 & 1933 #160) have likewise achieved record setting prices of $201K and $195K, respectively, and an autographed 1934 Goudey #37 Gehrig without any collector provenance realized $150K in a 2020 public auction.

Similar to an uncontrollable brushfire, the pricing anomalies for these extraordinary signed Goudey Gehrig's have literally "leaped off the chart", with newly auctioned examples seemingly achieving record values each and every day. In lieu of the Yankees historic 1932 World Series four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, Yankee fans were extremely excited about the upcoming 1933 campaign. In fact, Gehrig actually out-hit "The Babe" in the '32 Fall Classic, belting 3 homers, knocking in 8 runs and posting an incredible .529 Series average compared to Ruth's 2 homers, 6 R.B.I.'s and .333 mark. The "Iron Horse" continued his batting exploits throughout the '33 season, belting 32 round-trippers, knocking in 140 runs, and posting a .334 batting average. It therefore came as little surprise that the renowned Cambridge, Massachusetts Goudey Gum Company would issue two separate Gehrig subjects when they released their landmark 240-card 1933 Goudey baseball card set.

The sports memorabilia market is currently in the midst of a pricing frenzy for signed "high-profile" Hall of Famer rarities and most would agree that a scripted 1933 Lou Gehrig Goudey easily stands as one of the most exalted autographed sports cards extant. Its unlimited investment potential is substantiated by an un-signed PSA 8 example fetching a record-setting $303K in our illustrious Dr. Newman auction. Considering there are 44 PSA encapsulated "NM/MT 8" #92 Goudey subjects and only ten scripted #92 Goudeys, it is clearly obvious that the autographed Goudey Gehrig presents far greater rarity and value upside. The classic Gehrig central batting image originally struck by Charles Conlon has eluded any serious surface flaws, with the bold powder blue background strongly projecting the timeless Gehrig image. Of utmost significance is the seemingly "timeless" bold black fountain pen "Lou Gehrig" signature that is scripted to the right of Gehrig's left leg.

Reflecting a 1937/'38 style Gehrig autograph, this particular script reveals the eloquent "L" leading directly into the "G", a standard trademark of Gehrig autographs from the later 1930's. Its incredible bold presence (with a modest smudge at the end of the signature) is most likely the result of it being placed in an album some 80+ years ago for maximum protection, with the verso revealing various areas of paper loss due to scrapbook removal. For full disclosure, the lower portion of the card has been trimmed off, with a previous owner removing the lower border and "BIG LEAGUE CHEWING GUM" text box, as well as some spotted soiling. Yet, most significant is the bold Lou Gehrig script that has stubbornly defied "Father-Time" while projecting approximately "8" strength. In closing, any autographed collectible of Gehrig is widely sort after within the collecting community due to his unequivocal legacy, let alone one that represents one of his highly coveted 1933 Goudey subjects. We cannot imagine a finer "Iron Horse" memento than a scripted Goudey subject that transcends time to a by-gone era when Gehrig was establishing his immortal standing via the rare combination of supernatural-like power and unequivocal integrity!

MIN BID $7,500
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