Signed 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig Rookie PSA Poor 1, PSA/DNA Auto 8....

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Signed 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig Rookie PSA Poor 1, PSA/DNA Auto 8. "Although Hartford watches Gehrig go with regret," reported the Hartford Courant on August 30, 1924, "Local fans on the whole are delighted to see him make his way to the big show and will pull for him to develop into a genuine big leaguer." For the better part of two seasons the stocky first baseman had seen his fanbase swell at the Hartford Senators home park of Clarkin Field, where his prodigious home run clouts had earned him the nickname, "the Eastern Babe," after the Eastern League in which Hartford competed. In 504 plate appearances in 1924 prior to that telephone call from the Bronx, Gehrig had launched thirty-seven round-trippers while batting a sizzling .369 and slugging nearly one hundred points better than the next closest Eastern Leaguer.

While Gehrig did enjoy a brief, late-season debut with the 1923 World Championship Yankees, and ten more appearances with the 1924 edition, it was in 1925 that the Iron Horse was fully released from the Bronx paddock, beginning on June first of that season a consecutive games streak bested only once in baseball history. The offered relic is the one and only "rookie card" for the noble Iron Horse, a spectacular rarity that survives in a joint PSA and SGC population of fewer than one hundred.

But when we factor the autograph into the equation, the population narrows to a tiny handful. It's also worthy of note (but hardly surprising) that this Gehrig signature format is perfectly consistent with his mid-1920's variant, with the rare quotation marks around "Lou" reminding us that Gehrig's actual first name was Henry. PSA/DNA tells us that they're aware of just a tiny handful of Gehrig signatures in this style. The card's grade is derived from paper loss at the left corners resulting from removal from a scrapbook and a hint of dampstaining at upper corners. The overwhelming majority of the obverse surface area, including the signature area, is effectively unblemished.

It should go without saying, however, that the elite rarity of this signed Lou Gehrig rookie card renders condition complaints moot, and we're certain that collectors of signed pre-war trading cards will agree. A thrilling opportunity for the advanced trading card enthusiast.

Like the Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson signed Exhibits likewise on offer in this auction, the offered card derives from a collection of dozens of signed Exhibits assembled by an intrepid pre-war collector and purchased by our consignor's father nearly fifty years ago. The subjects range from legends to relative nobodies, with many representing the solitary known autographed specimens. The balance of that collection will appear in a Heritage auction this summer. Encapsulated by PSA Poor 1, Authentic Auto 8.