(LOT 197)
1912 E300 Plow's Candy Ty Cobb PSA 4 VG-EX
"Make no mistake about it. The old boy was the greatest player I ever saw or hope to see. When I was pitching, I had fair success against all the other great hitters, but Cobb was one guy I never could get out. I had a reputation for being a slugger and I guess I could hit 'em pretty far at that, but that guy Cobb could do everything – better than any player I ever saw. Old Georgia Peach was a great hitter, a spectacular fielder, a wonderful thrower and oh boy, how he could run." – Babe Ruth commenting on the immortal Tyrus Raymond Cobb

This spine-tingling Bambino quote regarding Ty Cobb's revered stature is tantamount to this extraordinary PSA 4 VG-EX 1912 E300 Plow Boy Candy Ty Cobb resides as one of only nine meager examples on the combined PSA and SGC Pop Charts! Irrefutably one of the Georgia Peach's rarest cards, this timeless scarcity virtually never surfaces for the taking, with this exact same offering fetching $63,000 in May 2022 as well as a PSA 7 specimen realizing a staggering $222,000 also in 2022. When the prestigious Plow's Candy Company began issuing baseball card premiums associated with its popular candy product, it came as little surprise that it would include the iconic Ty Cobb.

Virtually every pre-war baseball card issue includes the fiery Motor City legend who dominated the diamond in three different decades to the tune of an uncontested .366 lifetime batting average. Cobb's unparalleled diamond achievements place him as one of the finest players in our National Pastime's glorious history, leading to his selection as one of baseball's five 1936 HOF charter members. His historic career can be traced back to the Detroit Tigers in 1905, playing in a mere 41 games while hitting a paltry .240. Quickly, Cobb bounced back in 1906 to bat an impressive .316, the first of an unfathomable 23 consecutive years of exceeding the exalted .300 benchmark. Throughout his incomparable 24 seasons, he led the AL a record 12 years in batting average, including an incredible nine consecutive years from 1907 through 1915.

He also happened to exceed the exalted .400 mark three times, with all of the above leading to 4,189 safeties and a career that will echo for eternity. After his sterling 1906 season, he stroked 212 hits in 1907, his first full season in which he batted .350 and captured his inaugural batting championship. Due to his newly found star status, manufacturers began utilizing his image on various cardboard-related products throughout the 1907 season, and this concept continued throughout his illustrious career. Cobb would terrorize opposing pitchers for 22 seasons in a Detroit Tigers uniform, playing his final two seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1927 and 1928. In 1912, the Plow's Candy Company chose to utilize one of the most striking Cobb batting poses extant on his elusive E300 subject, with this Francis Burke illustration standing tall as one of his most captivating images.

Tantamount to his superior baseball prowess, his representation on this Plow Boy card is, likewise, nothing short of sensational, commencing with the seldom-seen classic sepia tone batting stance, including an awe-inspiring stadium backdrop. Crystal-clear clarity and superb contrast literally bring this perfectly centered image to life, with the relatively clean surfaces only compromised by even corner/edge wear and some stray toning. No glaring flaws are evident on the blank back, the final compliment for this ultra-elusive heirloom that offers a world-class combination of type rarity, visual appeal and a magnificent Francis Burke batting pose that, to the best of our knowledge, was not utilized on a single other Ty Cobb cardboard issue. It's no secret that along with Ruth, Wagner and Shoeless Joe, the Georgia Peach dominates the vintage card market far beyond the level of any other player, with his uncontested batting feats standing as a sheer testament to his godly stature!

MIN BID $15,000
_