Love of the Game Set Builder Auction - Winter, 2023

3. 1939 Play Ball #26 Joe DiMaggio (HOF) - PSA VG- EX 4 It’s not his rookie card but his 1939 Play Ball is the first full-sized image of Joe DiMaggio to appear in a major baseball card set. 1939 Play Balls, issued by Gum, Inc. (which would become Bowman Gum after World War 2) are a very underrated series, featuring fantastic and bright black-and-white photos, with no front artwork getting in the way. The set was released at a time when high quality photographic reproduction was finally supplanting illustration and also the poorer efforts of the craft in prior years. This PSA 4 of the Yankee Clipper shows just how attractive this set is in both execution and presentation. The image is undisturbed save for a small remnant dot above and to the right of the “New York” team name on his uniform. Centering is up and to the left and three corners are showing just the tiniest of touches. The bottom right corner area (but not the corner itself, which is sharp) has sustained a scuff, which is defining the grade but is contained in the border area and is, frankly, not very distracting. The reverse features the “all caps” version of DiMaggio’s name and is in remarkable condition. MINIMUM BID: $750

4. 1939 Play Ball #92 Ted Williams (HOF RC) - PSA EX 5 1939 Play Ball features Ted Williams rookie card, a key pre-war card and also the key to this set. 1939 Play Balls, issued by Gum, Inc. (which would become Bowman Gum after World War 2) are a very underrated series, featuring fantastic and bright black-and-white photos, with no front artwork getting in the way. The set was released at a time when high quality photographic reproduction was finally supplanting illustration and also the poorer efforts of the craft in prior years. This PSA 5 of the Splendid Splinter shows just how attractive this set is in both execution and presentation. The corners just show very minor touches with a paper hit a little way up the right border being the most obvious flaw. Centering is up and to the right, with the absolutely stunning image of Williams swinging away in glorious sunshine. The reverse, amusingly sparse on information given Ted’s 1938 rip-roaring season with Minneapolis in the American Association, is tasty in appearance and centered ever-so-slightly to the left and features the “all caps” version of Williams’’ name. MINIMUM BID: $2,000

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