This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/7/2009
One of the most challenging 1915 Cracker Jack cards to encounter in top grades, inclusive of commons and Hall of Famers, is none other than "The Georgia Peach," Ty Cobb," proudly presented here in exuberant NM/MT 8 condition from the pre-war specialists at SGC, with just 3 competitors in its advanced class and 3 higher on record at the NJ-based grading firm, with just 10 like it and 4 higher at PSA. MINT left corners combine with NM/MT right corners to unite superior NM/MT+ to MINT edges around a magnificent, factory-fresh image that reveals a self-evident centering inclination for the top and right edges. The NM/MT reverse shows two minuscule areas of toning, well-camouflaged within the stark black text of the brief biography that informs us of Cobb's stature as a "marvel for speed and batting." The ad portion is even more profound, so much so that the stark black text still appears wet. The entire card, in fact, appears as if it was printed just yesterday. The sensationally brilliant candy-red backdrop of the obverse borders on perfection, with just a single pin prick of print in the extreme lower right. Importantly, the bone-white borders encapsulating the shimmering printed image show absolutely no traces of bleeding, which even the novice Cracker Jack collector can attest is one of the primary concerns with the issue. The lower portion of the right border does reveal a few pixel-sized microdots of print, but any collector would gladly prefer these negligible glitches over the aforementioned bleeding, the absence of which serves the improbable task of separating this transcendent copy from the scant baker's dozen competitors on record in the NM/MT 8 class from both SGC and PSA combined. After a thorough inspection of the minimally NM/MT or better qualities in every scrutable category, process of elimination brings us, finally, to an adoration of the exalted central image, long revered among collectors as the preeminent depiction of the greatest player of the dead-ball era and, arguably, the greatest of all time. During his playing days, he was universally known for his fiery nature and aggressiveness on the diamond, and was famously characterized as "daring to the point of dementia" by the Detroit Free Press. The Cracker Jack image shows a relatively humble player, but a closer inspection of his expression suggests the exact opposite. With his head cocked to the side, his eyes wide, his eyebrows raised, we can still almost audibly hear the essence of his thoughts, not just from the moment this image was captured for eternity, but from every fierce moment of his playing days: "What? You thinking you're better than me? You think you can sneak that garbage you call a pitch past ME? Don't ya know? Nobody's better than me! I'm Ty Cobb!"