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1910 Novelty Cutlery Ty Cobb & Honus Wagner PSA Good 2 - Only Five PSA Graded Examples....
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Sold on Jul 11, 2025 for:
$18,910.00
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Description
1910 Novelty Cutlery Ty Cobb & Honus Wagner PSA Good 2 - Only Five PSA Graded Examples. From the John Esch collection. In 1873, Americans saw the first postal cards issued pre-stamped by the government. Commercial or privately printed cards were called "postcards" and required postage to be added. That first government-issued card featured the Interstate Industrial Exposition held in Chicago and was produced by The Morgan Envelope Factory of Springfield, Massachusetts. The first collectible picture postcards appeared in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition-also held in Chicago-marking the beginning of the Golden Age of postcards starting in 1905. Millions were printed, and official USPS records show that around 700 million postcards were mailed in the United States between 1907 and 1908. Among the wide variety of themes, baseball players and scenes, much like their tobacco and candy card counterparts, proved immensely popular.In 1910, a set of twenty-five postcards was produced by the Novelty Cutlery Co. of Canton, Ohio. This scarce and highly sought-after series featured many of the greatest baseball players of the era. Each card is presented in black and white and easily identified by the classical-style frame that surrounds the central portrait.
This auction features a 23-card near set from the collection of John Esch. The cards are remarkably well-preserved and, with one exception, have clearly remained together for over a century, having been stored in an album. While storage has affected their technical grades, their eye appeal is exceptional and far exceeds the numerical assessments.
The featured card-Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner shaking hands-is the defining image of the Dead Ball Era. It captures the symbolic passing of the torch: baseball royalty meeting baseball royalty. Of the 25 players in the series, no fewer than 15 would eventually be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Legends like Lajoie, Speaker, and Mathewson appear-but none draw more attention than this image that is pure baseball history.
Two players on one card is no novelty here. This scene likely occurred just prior to the 1909 World Series, with Wagner-already a superstar-and Cobb, who was batting .337 with 765 hits after only four full seasons, possibly meeting for the first time. Both appear to be smiling, though one wonders how long that lasted once the cameras stopped clicking. Historical note: the master bested the student, as Pittsburgh went on to defeat Detroit in seven games.
Graded PSA Good 2. Visual appeal exceeds the technical assessment. Only five total examples have been graded by PSA. There is one card graded GOOD with two higher.
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Auction Info
2025 July 11 - 12 Summer Sports Card Catalog Auction #50078 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2025
11th-12th
Friday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 28
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 645
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22% of the successful bid per lot.
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