This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/20/2013
While we as collectors most often look to HOF subjects as immortals and the peach of our eye's in terms of pursuit, the offered card has attained a level of hobby immortality based soley on its sheer elusiveness. Due to factory type printing issues, there are a number of baseball card specimens that were issued in limited quantity with these examples highly sought after by the finest enthusiasts. Some of the most exalted error/variation/limited production type cards include the T206 Joe Doyle variation, the T206 Magie error, the 1932 Fred Lindstrom U.S. Caramel rarity, the 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie and the ultra popular 1911 T205 Hoblitzell “No Stats” variation. Regarding the latter, the T205 Gold Border set is certainly one of the most illustrious pre-WWI sets ever issued. Second only to the T206 set in popularity, many elite enthusiasts scramble to put together a complete set including all possible variations. Unfortunately, there is one variation card that continues to elude even the advanced hobbyist. A small number of Cincinnati 1st baseman Richard Hoblitzell’s Hassan Cigarette cards were inexplicably issued with no statistics on the reverse side, making this an ultra rare and valuable variation for T205 purists to capture. Simply regarded as the Hoblitzell “No Stats” version, we now offer an attractive SGC 5 copy that has only been bested by a single SGC example! We cannot overemphasize this monumental offering. Bottom line is if you would like to complete the desirable T205 set, this obscure offering will eventually need to find a place on your wish list. This example’s overall aesthetics are outstanding, with Hoblitzell’s classic lithographic image bursting with a splendid array of blue and facial colored hues that depict fine contrast and clarity. Highlighting the illustration is a spectacular mustard yellow background with the entire image centered slightly to the right but within the tolerance for the grade. The gold borders, typically the primary T205 stigma due to their excessive chipping, have retained much their original robust regal-like color, with some mild to moderate corner wear the most pronounced at the bottom left corner. The corners have managed to sustain a majority of their original right angle shape, the edging is fine and no major creases or surface blemishes are evident on either side. The Hassan Cigarette ad and brief Hoblitzell “bio” on the reverse side are predominately intact, portraying only some non-obtrusive surface wear within the Hoblitzell “bio” that in no way detracts from this card’s superior brilliance. It is not often that the T205 Hoblitzell surfaces in high grade. Most existing examples are mid-grade and lower and have been safely tucked away within their owners' respective T205 sets. With that in mind, the task of finding a single copy in any grade is daunting, to say the least, justifying why even low grade specimens have achieved the sum of five digits or more. We will, therefore, let you decide what one of the finest high grade T205 “No Stat” Hoblitzell’s is worth, keeping in mind that it might be a considerable length of time before another one passes by with the accompanying technical assessment!