This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/20/2015
Following the lead set by the tobacco industry in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, companies of all types and sizes experimented with the practice of inserting a "collectible" business card in the packaging of their product. In 1910, the Ward-Mackey Company (later the The Ward Baking Company) decided to capitalize on the success of the hometown Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series championship by offering a collectible card with each purchase of bread. The series featured 25-cards, including 20 players, the team President, Secretary, Manager, Mascot, and a card of Forbes Field that could all be had for free, in its entirely, by saving 50 labels from Tip-Top bread. The key card of the set is Honus Wagner, considered by fans of the era to be the National League's version of the great Ty Cobb. An 8-time batting champion that topped the .300 mark 16 times en route to 3,420 lifetime hits, perhaps it was fate that brought "The Flying Dutchman" and "The Georgia Peach" together for the 1909 World Series, won by Pittsburgh in seven games. The offered specimen is one of three on record earning a grade of PSA 5 with none graded higher. While SGC reports two specimens with an assessment a half-grade above, we are of the opinion that side-by-side comparisons, regardless of grade, favor the card shown here. Almost perfectly centered within the well-kept, brilliant white border is a beautifully registered portrait of Wagner in the quintessential Carl Horner pose, backed by rich, varying shades of yellow and green with blue printing on the bottom border that proudly proclaims, "WAGNER, World's Champions." Each corner easily meets or surpasses the parameters assigned for the grade, the most cogent argument in support of the "strongest example in existence" claim, while the overall presentation of the front surface suggests that this pasteboard was removed from its original confinement and placed in protective custody over a century ago. The reverse shows very light, natural toning with the Ward-Mackey advertisement perfectly positioned on the center of the canvas. We invite you to research prior sales of this issue that are at comparable grade level and do your own evaluation. Aside from his virtually unobtainable T206 card, this is easily the most desirable Honus Wagner card in existence!