Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons XXVIII
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on:
7/30/2010
The term “iconic” is seldom applied to our National Pastime’s glorious list of over 250 Hall of Famers. While all honored members merit some sense of baseball immortality, only a handful of these stars can really be considered a baseball icon. Such a player’s stratospheric accomplishments not only surpass statistical expectations, but provide a path of excellence for thousands who follow in their glorious footsteps. Cy Young, the legendary author of baseball’s unbreakable record of 511 lifetime victories, certainly falls in this iconic class to the extent that baseball’s annual award for pitching excellence will carry his name forever. Coincidently, his representation on this miraculous PSA “NM-MT 8” T206 Piedmont offering is worthy of a hollowed T206 stature. This cardboard jewel would leave any avid enthusiast speechless, an artifact so breathtaking, that its sole resting place should be Cooperstown, New York. But what is so incredible about a Cy Young “NM-MT 8” tobacco card? Well, consider this population report data:
• Of the nearly 100 encapsulated Cy Young “Bare Hand Showing” Piedmont Cigarette categorized specimens, this is the SOLE copy at the lofty “NM-MT 8” tier, with only a single copy graded higher.
• Including the “unknown advertisement category” PSA has encapsulated a total of 485 “Bare Hand Showing” Cy Young’s with only 5 other copies at the hallowed “NM-MT 8” tier, and only 3 graded higher. No baseball player could possibly receive a greater honor than have an award named after him, the ultimate compliment to a player’s lifetime achievements. Yet, when you consider that Denton “Cy” Young won 511 baseball games, pitched over 7,000 innings, won over 20 games fifteen times and 30 games five times, it was a “no-brainer” when the baseball writers of America chose his name to forever represent pitching excellence. Considering his incomprehensible statistical achievements, it is only fitting that within the hobby, there still lies a few cardboard keepsakes worthy of his legacy.
This offering is certainly one of those majestic cards, providing the collector with extraordinary eye pleasing qualities consistent with its original release date a full century ago. Young’s classic follow through pitching motion is vividly registered, with his uniform colors and yellow/green background hues as vibrant as the day a cigarette smoker claimed this masterpiece from a tobacco pack. Dazzling snow like borders are centered 50/50 “side to side” and approximately 55/45 “top to bottom”, with razor sharp corners and edging forming a “blazing” perimeter. The Piedmont “150 Subjects” reverse has retained its original bold blue print registration, and no surface flaws are evident on either side. It’s unfathomable to imagine this card’s overall aesthetics possibly surpassing Young’s pitching feats, yet the brilliance of this masterpiece certainly rivals the immortal pitcher in every conceivable way.
In summary, all attributes of this card lead to the term “pack fresh”. Every so often the industry comes across a card that defies logic, a card so aesthetically magnificent that even the elite collector gets excited about the opportunity of claiming its permanent ownership. True, there are a handful of “Mint 9’s” that own the distinction of achieving the pinnacle higher “9” grade, but even those 3 examples could not possibly exceed the visual brilliance of this spectacular offering, worthy of an eternal resting place in the most esteemed T206 collection!
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