A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
40. 1911 T5 Pinkerton Cabinets #503 Eddie Plank (HOF) – PSA AUTHENTIC
42. 1910 E98 Set of 30 Ty Cobb (HOF) – PSA VG 3
T5 Pinkerton cabinets stand among the most desirable baseball issues of their era, reflecting their overall quality and displayability. As seen with Hall of Fame pitcher Ed Plank, 1911 T5 Pinkertons resemble “true” cabinet cards that placed their image on a heavy cardboard mount. Smokers saved product coupons to swap for these large photos, but it remains unknown how many players Pinkerton produced. Early advertising indicated they planned to offer 376 different players; we should assume actual production depended on customer demand.
The iconic image of the E98 Cobb, depicting the outfielder with his glove outstretched, catching a ball, is one of the only examples in the hobby where we see Cobb on defense. The bulk of his cardboard issues depict him either in portrait fashion or holding a bat, with a few picturing him on the basepaths. Rarely are we reminded that Cobb played on the other side of the ball as well.
This PSA VG 3 example stands out for its superior image and overall clarity. A few minor flaws are visible: some surface abrasions within the border and a few stray spots of wear on the card front. Vivid and clean, the card remains strong, if the grade is slightly generous. Demand for these cards must consider any population impact of our hobby’s “Black Swamp Find,” a 21st Century discovery that added many high-grade E98 examples to the overall population, varying by player and background color. The PSA population report attempts to differentiate between “Black Swamp” cards (which are all high-grade) and original, circulated examples, but it fails miserably – at this point, many cards from that find have filtered their way into PSA’s regular population reports. By example, though the population report identifies 18 “Black Swamp” Cobb cards graded, there are now 29 red background Cobbs in their census, 24 graded EX-MT or better (including 15 MINT 9 and three GEM MINT 10 examples). Clearly, all of these are Black Swamp cards. Before the find, E98 cards were scarce and quite condition sensitive; high-grade specimens were nonexistent. Recognizing the scarcity of “circulated” E98 cards, advanced collectors have begun to treat the two as different sets, so the Black Swamp Find cards do not mask the difficulty of obtaining true E98 cards that were circulated in their year of issue. By those standards, this is a beauty, a fine example that has maintained strong eye appeal despite circulating for 115 years.
This PSA AUTH #503 Plank shows a clear image and full mount, putting it well ahead of many others at this grade that lack cardboard backing or exhibit excessive surface wear. Plank’s nameplate picked up handling marks over time, perhaps from an owner with damp or inky fingers. “James Spears, Robesonia PA” appears in purple on its reverse, who might be its original owner. Provenance details like this add intrigue to an already compelling piece, whose population report contains just two examples, each with an AUTH grade.
MINIMUM BID: $3,000
The Hall of Famer’s strong facial features stand front and center on this close portrait of a hatless Walter Johnson and his high-collar jersey. Centering sits a bit north on the canvas and the bulk of its PSA 1.5 grade reflects typical edge handling wear and surface toning. Walter’s almost endless list of on-field achievements drives great demand today among T206 and player collectors, so examples in almost any condition retain vim and value for those fans. This listing offers an ideal way to balance his great appeal with accessibility. 41. 1909-11 T206 Walter Johnson (HOF – Portrait) – PSA FR 1.5 MINIMUM BID: $750
MINIMUM BID: $1,500
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