(LOT 30)
"Fresh to the Hobby" 1909 Joe Jackson E90-1 American Caramel Rookie Card - PSA Authentic (Altered)
Rookie card mania continues to captivate the card hobby, and only a handful of rookie cards could possibly boast the remarkable prestige of Joe Jackson's inaugural 1909 E90-1 issue. The pricing floodgates have obviously opened for this iconic heirloom with a "3 VG" example fetching a record $66K in the Fall of 2021. All Jackson rookies, regardless of grade, are realizing escalating pricing points, and this recently unearthed "fresh to the hobby" PSA Authentic example has been kept behind closed doors for the past 113 years. Its origin can be traced back to our consignor's loving grandfather Abe Bullington who purchased the card back in 1909 as a captivated 12-year-old baseball fan. A resident of LaHabra, CA., young Abe fervently collected both tobacco and candy cards, with this Joe Jackson offering his prized possession.

His passion for America's Pastime led him to ultimately working at a "Boys & Girl's" club in Orange County, where he coached aspiring young baseball players who similar to Abe, dreamed of emulating their diamond heroes. Passed on to his granddaughter who clearly understood the cherished memories of her grandfather's baseball cards, it anxiously awaits a new home in any serious vintage card compilation. The celebrated mystique behind the Jackson E90-1 subject ironically stems from his involvement in the "Black Sox" scandal that is embellished in baseball folklore, and the immortal Black Betsy bat he leans on will forever transcend time to that storied era. His "Shoeless" nickname sends us back to his minor league playing days for the Greenville club in the Carolina Association when Jackson played without shoes due to painful blisters that had developed from wearing a new pair of spikes. During the game as slid into third base after belting a triple, one particular fan noticed his missing spikes and shouted" "you shoeless sonofagun"!

A sportswriter immediately picked-up on this, printed it the next day, and the legend of "Shoeless Joe" was born. Jackson played in 10 games for Philadelphia in 1908 and 1909, making only 40 plate appearances before he was released by Connie Mack to the Cleveland Indians organization. He would now embark on an incredible run with both the Cleveland and Chicago clubs, eventually accumulating a remarkable .356 lifetime average that stands as baseball's third highest figure. His brief encounter with the Athletics fortunately resulted in the American Caramel Co. issuing his irrefutable rookie card. True, this offering has rightfully earned the "Authentic/Altered" assessment due to all four of its original borders being substantially trimmed, with the verso revealing an area of paper loss near the upper region.

However, most significantly, the classic Joe Jackson central image still emanates superb eye appeal, ably assisted by the ultra-popular plum purple background. A few stray creases and rounded corners do not distract from the Shoeless Joe "leaning on his Black Betsy" hallowed pose that "steals the show" for this iconic heirloom. In lieu of "Shoeless Joe's" banishment from baseball for his alleged participation in "throwing" the 1919 World Series, there are a limited number of vintage Joe Jackson issues, with the "Black Sox" Scandal escalating his profound popularity. No Joe Jackson cardboard issue could possibly be considered more desirable than his 1909 E90-1 rookie subject that rightfully resides as one of the hobby's most exalted cards. While we would not expect the most passionate collector to clear their property to build a "Field of Dreams", if you bid strong, this timeless "Shoeless Joe" rookie card will surely come!
MIN BID $2,500
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