T206 Ty Cobb back from The Factory 25 Collection PSA-1.5 sold for $190,000

eBay (Dec 3, 2024)

1909-11 T206 WHITE BORDER #NN TY COBB (PORTRAIT) "TY COBB" TOBACCO PSA 1.5 FR (The Factory 25 Collection - Rarest Ad Back - No Creases)

"As I was examining the Cobb, my consignor asked me 'Why are you smirking?' I confessed it was because hers was only the second family I would ever tell that their T206 Ty Cobb with the 'Ty Cobb' ad brand was the real deal." Rick Snyder of MINT State

Due to the intense coverage of The Lucky 7 Find, a North Carolina family realized the collection of 570 tobacco cards that had been passed down from generation to generation not only had significant value but also included an example of the rarely seen Ty Cobb card with the "King of the Smoking Tobacco World" advertisement on the back. The family knew they had what appeared to be an authentic collection of tobacco cards more than 110 years old, and properly identified 545 of the cards from the T206 set with 370 different, more than 70% of the complete set. All but one of the T206s in the collection featured one of only two different tobacco brands on the back, "Piedmont" or "Old Mill". The one exception? It just happened to be the rarest brand of the sixteen ad backs featured in the set, the "Ty Cobb" brand of tobacco.

The history of the collection is fascinating. Originally assembled by a former employee of the American Tobacco Company, presumably someone who worked at Factory No. 25 in Virginia, the cards were given to a North Carolina family as a gift in the first half of the 20th century. The collection had been passed down from generation to generation until it was hidden away for years in a cigar box wrapped in aluminum foil. Nearly discarded, the tobacco card collection was recently consigned to MINT State with an estimated value of $300,000 to $400,000. All the cards in what is being dubbed The Factory 25 Collection are low grade since they were treated as children's toys the past 70 or 80 years. Fortunately, many of the cards still retain white borders, boast bright and colorful images, and are well centered.

This listing is for the crown jewel of this incredible collection, the "Portrait, Red Background" Ty Cobb with his own brand of tobacco on the back. What makes this example so special is that it has no creases or surface wrinkles, typically found on the vast majority of the Cobb with Cobb back. The card also displays nearly perfect centering on both the front and back. Rounded corners and tobacco staining explain the PSA 1.5 FR technical grade, the card has extraordinary eye appeal and highlights this life-changing collection. Considerably rarer than and undervalued in comparison to the Honus Wagner, Cobb’s branded T206 has been elevated to one of the hobby's most valuable and recognizable cards.

Buy It Now: $190,000