(LOT 106)
Extraordinary 1914 Boston Garter "Color" Tris Speaker PSA 3 VG – The Sole PSA Encapsulated Example & One of Only Two Known Examples on any POP Chart!
SPEAKER BOSTON GARTER!!! One of the scarcest and illustrious baseball card issues are the colorful Boston Garters manufactured by the George Frost Company of Boston, Mass. In 1914. Three separate sets were distributed to retailers from 1912 through 1914 with the ultra-obscure 1914 "color" issue (as opposed to "sepia") including 12 different subjects. Created for the purpose of advertising the George Frost Boston Garters, retailers would receive one card per box of a dozen garters, with the option of writing to the company for the complete set. The cards measure an imposing 4" x 8-1/4", most likely oversized since the manufacturer solicited retailers to place them in their store windows as a promotional tool for their Boston Garter brand. The obverse side features brilliant lithographic player images within a diamond, and a picture of the company's Boston Garter product is situated directly below the player's name.

The verso includes the 12-subject checklist, player statistics, and the company advertisement within the lower region. The extreme rarity associated with this iconic type issue stems from the fact that these cards were never released to the general public, and were only distributed to a scant number of Boston Garter retailers. The 12 subjects comprise seven Hall of Famers and "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, with the highly coveted HOF inductees being Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Tris Speaker. Regarding the latter, presented here just happens to be the immortal Tris Speaker's 1914 Boston Garter color issue in an aesthetically brilliant PSA 3 VG holder. Extraordinary to say the least, consider that this highest graded offering resides as the SOLE PSA encapsulated example, recently crossed over from an SGC 3 holder. Although the SGC census report currently reflects two SGC 3 specimens, one of those examples is this PSA 3, resulting in the single PSA 3 and SGC 3 Speakers proudly residing as the only two professionally graded copies! Of significant note, this same card sold for a lofty $72,000 in a public auction some four years ago in 2019, and in lieu of the staggering pricing points currently being realized for the hobby's most prestigious cards, we cannot even begin to estimate the true worth of this Cooperstown worthy masterpiece that has found a new home in a PSA 3 holder.

Nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", Tris Speaker joins the likes of Cobb, Mays, DiMaggio, and Griffey Jr. as one of baseball's five greatest all-time center fielders. Author of a .345 lifetime batting average via 3,514 safeties, Speaker's 792 lifetime doubles continue to reside as an MLB record. He revolutionized the center field position by playing literally behind second base, enabling him to gather the most outfield assists in baseball history (449) including an incredible 35 in his 1909 rookie season. Fresh off the heels of his outstanding .366 batting average in 1913, Speaker would post another formidable .338 mark in 1914 via his league-leading 193 hits, the year this hallowed Boston Garter was issued. The card's captivating highlights commence with the most spectacular Tris Speaker image affixed to any of his vintage cards, as he watches another scalding line drive jump off the barrel of his period-style lumber. The Gray Eagle's legendary batting pose still retains its original robust color, with Speaker donning his classic Boston pinstripes while revealing crystal-clear clarity and a bold purple diamond-shaped background. The pale orange setting is relatively clean, with only an extremely faint surface abrasion in the lower right quadrant barely visible to the naked eye.

Notable artistic designs include an imposing gray/white garter belt situated by Speaker's cleats, the bold orange BOSTON GARTER print beneath the garter image, and two baseballs situated in the upper quadrants. Even corner wear, the image's partiality towards the lower edge, a negligible soiling spot along the verso's lower edge, and the aforementioned mild surface blemish account for the grade. As a final exclamation point, some of the flipside's enthralling features include: a bold black 12-player checklist, Speaker's professional statistics dating back to the 1906 Clebourne North Texas League, a full TRISTRAM SPEAKER name rarely seen on any Speaker collectible, and a fascinating Boston Garter advertisement mentioning these pictures that can be displayed in your store's window. Indeed, this unfathomable memento has stubbornly defied time by retaining an abundance of its super-eye-pleasing qualities over the past 109 years. Speaker's solidified standing in Cooperstown, New York and the mere sight of this utmost rarity are a majestic dynamic duo justifying anyone to break the bank for this remarkable oversized keepsake. One of only two known examples, it proudly stands tall as Speaker's most elusive and iconic cardboard issue, anxiously awaiting a new home in one of the hobby's foremost world-class gatherings!

MIN BID $20,000
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