This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2011
Amazing Ty Cobb “Bat off Shoulder” T206 UZIT Cigarettes (SGC 20/1.5) - “Only One Graded Higher”
What could possibly be more appealing than a prestigious T206 Hall of Famer carrying an ultra-rare Cigarette Advertisement back? Considering the current unparalleled prestige associated with scarce T206 backs, the aforementioned combination is a highly coveted “dynamic duo”, justifying why this remarkable T206 Ty Cobb “Bat off Shoulder” SGC 20/1.5 offering merits a final resting place in the most esteemed T206 compilation. SGC currently lists only two other encapsulated specimens with a single copy graded higher. Furthermore, PSA’s “pop” chart indicates only 2 low grade examples. Apparently, the T206 rare advertisement frenzy continues to escalate every day with elite collectors painstakingly seeking the rarest backs for their esteemed compilations. Along with “Brown Old Mill”, BroadLeaf 460”, “Brown Lenox” and DRUM, no one would argue that UZIT backs are among the toughest to surface in the hobby. In fact, due to the recent St. Louis “DRUM” find, UZIT cards may now be scarcer than “DRUM”, with any UZIT example highly desirable within the T206 collecting community. Imagine now placing a hallowed Ty Cobb “Bat off Shoulder” image on the obverse side of a UZIT back! Such is the case for this Hall of Fame cardboard offering that resides as one of the most desirable T206 cards in existence. Ty Cobb pre-war cards, regardless of their candy/”E” or tobacco/”T” origin, are highly sought after by nearly every collector level, and only a handful could match the ultra-paucity level associated with this miraculous keepsake. Along with Ruth, Wagner and Joe Jackson, Cobb cardboard artifacts are among the most desirable and valuable collectibles due to the “Georgia Peach’s” arguable status as baseball’s greatest all-around player. His striking “Bat off Shoulder” image portrays superb colored hues and vivid registration, as Cobb prepares to wreak havoc on another overmatched hurler. You can almost feel the intensity from his focused facial expression as the fiery icon grips the classic vintage styled wood grained bat with his renowned “hands apart” grip. Mildly rounded corners and a few stray creases near the lower right and left corners as well as beneath his right shoulder account for the grade, but as you can easily determine, the overall aesthetics far surpass the technical assessment. The critical reverse side bold blue “UZIT” advertisement reveals sharp registration with no obtrusive surface flaws evident on either side. What a wonderful depiction of the immortal “Georgia Peach” that via its ultra-scarce UZIT Cigarettes reverse side print, is one of the finest T206 investment cards in existence!