(LOT 10)
1887 Old Judge Cigarettes N172 "$10,000" Mike King Kelly - "254-8; Bat on R/Shoulder (SGC Near Mint 7) - The SOLE & HIGHEST GRADED Example on the COMBINED SGC & PSA "Pop" Charts!
One of the most popular 1887 Old Judge N172 players is Hall of Famer Mike "King" Kelly and presented here is his incredible SGC NM 7 "254-8; Bat on Right Shoulder - $10,000 Kelly" pose as presented in the iconic Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company publication. Miraculous to say the least, this pinnacle offering stands alone as the highest graded "254-8" example on the COMBINED SGC and PSA census reports! Simply stated, near-mint Old Judge cards seldom surface for the taking, especially when they represent one of baseball's immortal 19th century Cooperstown inductees. Owner of a .308 lifetime batting average, Kelly was one of the first catchers to give the pitcher finger signals, and is credited by many for perfecting the "hit and run". He just may have been baseball's best dressed player, and on several occasions appeared on stage to recite the famous "Casey at the Bat".

His Old Judge Cigarette example presented here portrays superb sepia-toned contrast (atypical for a myriad of Old Judge subjects that are plagued by extremely light images), highlighted by a crystal clear "Boston" uniform and vivid resolution. No major surface blemishes are evident on either side, the classic illustration reveals near-perfect centering, and the right-angled corners depict the slightest even wear consistent with the hallowed assessment. The final exclamation point is the ultra-popular "$10,000 Kelly" bold white text was affixed to the card because Chicago sold Kelly to Boston for that staggering sum in February 1887; arguably considered the most famous transaction in 19th century baseball. In closing, anyone can see that this extraordinary N172 Kelly offering has stubbornly defied "father-time" for the past 134 years, clearly standing tall as the finest "254-8; bat on R/Shoulder" subject on the planet!

MIN BID $2,000
_