T206 Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back PSA-1 sold for $124,440

Goldin (Oct 26, 2024)

Lot # 10: 1909-11 T206 White Border Ty Cobb (Portrait Red Background) - Featuring Extremely Rare Ty Cobb Back - PSA PR 1

Presented here is a vintage-card prize of the highest magnitude: a 1909-11 T206 White Border Ty Cobb, Portrait, Red Background piece bearing a "Ty Cobb" ("King of the Smoking Tobacco World") reverse-side advertisement. A T206 card reflecting this compelling configuration is widely acknowledged—and universally cherished—as one of the most elusive and significant baseball cards ever produced.

Even casual enthusiasts are acquainted with and appreciate this distinctive creation's obverse presentation. The fiercely competitive Ty Cobb displays what was no doubt a briefly held expression of passivity in this classic T206 tobacco insert relic's illustration. His relatively quiescent likeness meshes eloquently with the card's tranquil but powerful aesthetic, and gains additional visual impact from the sea of commanding red that surrounds his portrayal. Fortunately, the sight of the athlete in this fashion is somewhat accessible to collectors, albeit with "lesser"-branded cardback attributes.

The "Ty Cobb" brand promoted by this card's back design, though, was produced only in small quantities. The manufacturer distributed vastly more product—with suitably labeled inserts—to satisfy demand for "Piedmont" and "Sweet Caporal," and allowed the presses to run for at least a measurable spell with conventional "rarities" like "Drum" and "Uzit," too. The "Ty Cobb" brand, generally accepted to have been delivered in a few, specially labeled tobacco tins, might as well have been sold on another world. Such is the nature of its distressingly prevalent absence from today's most comprehensive T206 assemblies. And it is not an overstatement to declare that the T206 Ty Cobb/Ty Cobb Back card is more rare than the well-known T206 card featuring Cobb's N.L. contemporary, Honus Wagner.

Graded PR 1 by PSA (94698013), with just 20 copies in this configuration validated across all levels by that company. Hall of Famer. This esteemed collectible, while unashamedly displaying wrinkles, creases, corner rounding, and other indications of handling over decades past, nevertheless faithfully interprets the unmistakable face of Ty Cobb. His eyes are clear, his complexion is that of an intense, healthy competitor, and his team allegiance ("D") remains prominent. The identifying caption retains full legibility, and the power of the red background is still in force. In its most special element—that "Ty Cobb"-branded back—the card is visually engaging as ever, showing the source of its famed rarity dramatically and evocatively. (The back's appearance and clarity effectively dismiss touches of fading, surface wear, or product stains as posing negligible concern.)

A small number of PSA PR 1 and various examples assessed "Authentic" have fetched between $85,000 and $145,000 in auction sales over the past few years. But the T206 Ty Cobb/Ty Cobb Back card is so rare, with such a scant record of past transactions seeing them change hands, that sales projections are necessarily speculative and inconclusive. It's uncertain where (within a wide six-figure spectrum) a new offering of this tremendously important piece will be greeted by a motivated community of sophisticated enthusiasts.

The introduction of a Ty Cobb-backed Cobb to an advanced, proudly held T206 assembly stands as the pinnacle of satisified aspirations, and the event is hoped-for by many, but realized by very few. This Ty Cobb-backed paper heirloom—one of just a small number confirmed to exist—is certain to contribute immediate prestige, incomparable charisma, and undeniable elite status to its ultimate destination in a thoughtfully constructed T206 or specialized tobacco card gallery.

Final Bid with Buyer's Premium (20%): $124,440