This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/22/2010
Featured in this lot is a group of 10 remarkably well-preserved examples from the enchanting 1928 Tabacalera la Morena set, believed to have been issued out of El Salvador. According to the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, in terms of scarcity, "the extent of this card issue is not yet known." Indeed, the catalog checklists just 14 known examples of a potential total of 120 cards comprising the set, or more. Likewise, PSA has graded just 13 total examples, all unique, with a handful that have yet to be checklisted by the SCBC. Offered in this lot are 10 of those 13 examples on record at PSA, all in impressively well-preserved mid-grade. You'll need to take a close look at these colorful Central American tobacco cards to really appreciate their splendor. Composed of true miniature photographs, they are in this sense similar to the famous Old Judge issue, only the Tabacalera cards feature vibrant, indeed fluorescent, color tints that bring these remarkably well-focused miniature snapshots to life, albeit in an artsy, Andy Warhol kind of way. Some have presumed that the set is actually a multisport issue and may even include other subjects as well. The highest-numbered card to turn up so far is card #120, perhaps putting the set total at 120, while all the known American baseball-themed cards can be counted between numbers 96 and 120, arguably making the baseball portion of the set complete at 25. Combining PSA's 13-card population report for the issue with the Standard Catalog's checklist, and tallying only unique cards, we count a total of just 18 known subjects from this potential "subset" of 25 cards. Included in this group are the following, listed in numerical order and followed by their PSA grades: #96 St. Louis Cardinals PSA 4 VG/EX, #97 Everett Scott PSA 6 EX/MT, #99 Washington PSA 3 VG, #106 Jim Bottomley PSA 5.5 EX+, #112 Baseball in New York PSA 5.5 EX+, #113 Giants and White Sox PSA 5.5 EX+, #114 Cardinals and Robins PSA 7.5 NM+, #116 Ruth and Gehrig PSA 5 EX, #119 George Harper PSA 4 VG/EX, #120 Cardinals and Robins PSA 5 EX. Checklisted in the SCBC but never graded by PSA and obviously not counted in this group are Babe Ruth and John McGraw featured on their own cards, as well as multi-player issues featuring Babe Ruth with Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson with John McGraw. Counted within this group, however, are individual cards of Everett Scott, easily the best of his scant few issues, and Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley, as well as the only card in the hobby that we know of that features both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig together during their playing days. A miniature version of a memorable and well-known photo, the image shows a smiling Gehrig crossing the plate behind Ruth after launching one of his 493 home runs. If this is an example of what the other multi-player cards may offer, coupled with the thrilling prospect of discovering those 7 or more issues that have never been checklisted, we simply can't imagine a more adventurous endeavor than completing this delightfully exotic and incredibly scarce Central American tobacco issue. Buena suerte!