(LOT 407)
1915 Cracker Jack #68 Honus Wagner PSA 7 NM
CRACKER JACK WAGNER!!! At the turn of the 20th century, baseball rostered two of the greatest ballplayers in history, Napoleon Lajoie of the Philadelphia Phillies and Honus Wagner of the Louisville Colonels. Lajoie and Wagner's careers nearly mirrored one another with Honus posting a .328 career batting average, winning eight batting titles and the 1909 World Series while Napoleon hit .338, won five batting titles and the 1901 Triple Crown. And let's not forget, Ty Cobb joined the big leagues in 1905. Honus Wagner is referred to as a prototypical five-tool player as he hit for power, average, could catch, throw and run. Even 107 years after his final game, Wagner is still considered the greatest shortstop of all time by many. However, these astonishing achievements are not the compelling force behind his influence in the card hobby. The world-renowned T206 Wagner, the most valuable card on the planet and the hobby's undisputed "Holy Grail", has transformed the amazing Colonels & Pirates infielder into a near mythical figure. Because of this T206 subject, all Wagner cards are subsequently highly sought-after with the coveted Cracker Jack issues among the most desirable.

Along with the renowned T206 "Monster Set", no pre-WWI baseball card issue is more popular among vintage collectors than the Cracker Jack cards that were inserted into boxes of caramel corn in 1914 and 1915. A significant number of Deadball Era ballplayers were included in the issue, with the high-end stars including Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Napoleon Lajoie and, of course, Wagner. Presented here is Wagner's 1915 Cracker Jack #68 Honus Wagner card in a PSA 7 NM holder, bested by only a few handfuls of PSA encapsulated copies! Wagner's timeless portrait image is perfectly registered and portrays the finest facial details. The classic candy apple red background is virtually flawless, framed by wonderfully white borders and a very sharp perimeter including four minimally touched corners. The super clean back is the final complement for a card that stands as nothing short of spectacular. Every so often, a pack-fresh card surfaces for the taking that leaves even the most sophisticated collector nearly speechless, and this world-class marvel certainly suffices as one of Wagner's best preserved cardboard heirlooms!

MIN BID $10,000
_