Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb, other rare T206 Carolina Brights cards up for bid at Central Mass Auctions
When Wayne Tuiskula first laid his eyes on the binders filled with T206 tobacco cards, he knew his clients were sitting on a baseball card collection possibly worth as much as $500,000.
The collection of rare cards from the early 1900s, including a T206 Ty Cobb Portrait Red card, are now up for bid at Tuiskula’s Central Mass Auctions.
The collection belonged to the estate of a Monson, Mass. family whose father had acquired them from a Connecticut family who was about the throw them away. When their father passed away, the family called Tuiskula to take a look at them.
He knew right away the family had inherited a valuable collection.
“I saw that, overall, they were in very nice condition and the T206s jumped out at me immediately,” said Tuiskula, who has been an antique and sports memorabilia dealer for more than 35 years. “I saw there were some Hall of Famers in there and just notebooks full of them, so it was pretty impressive when I first laid my eyes on them.”
The collection is highlighted by 60 T206 Carolina Brights cards featuring an advertisement for the Carolina Brights tobacco company on the back. Among tobacco cards, the Carolina Brights are among the most rare.
“The ones you usually find are Sweet Caporal or Piedmont, so to find those with those backs are pretty rare and collectors like cards that are different,” said Tuiskula, the Auctioneer/Appraiser at Central Mass Auctions.
Tuiskula estimates the Carolina Brights Ty Cobb card to be worth close to $50,000. It already has an early bid of $15,000.
He estimates the collection, which includes such Hall of Famers as Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker, Chief Bender, Frank Chance and Eddie Collins, to be worth $250,000-$500,000.
Many of the Carolina Brights cards are among only one or two examples known to exist. Other rare cards in the collection include:
• Gavvy Cravath (PSA VG - EX 4 Pop 1)
• Harry Gasper (PSA PR 1 Pop 1)
• Stoney McGlynn (PSA VG 3 Pop 1)
• Jack Quinn (PSA VG - EX 4 Pop 1)
• John Anderson (PSA VG+ 3.5 Pop 2)
• Hal Chase (PSA GOOD 2 Pop 2)
• Jack Dunn (PSA EX 5 Pop 2)
• Lou Fiene (PSA GOOD 2 Pop 2)
• Steamer Flanagan (PSA VG - EX 4 Pop 2)
• Ollie Pickering (PSA VG 3 Pop 2)
• Jimmy Slagle (PSA VG - EX 4 Pop 2)
The auction also features several T206 Sweet Caporal cards, including a Cobb Portrait Red, and a T201 double folder card featuring Cobb and Sam Crawford.
It also features several rare 1887 N172 Old Judge cards from a different estate, including graded cards of Hall of Famers John Clarkson and King Kelly.
Also up for bid is a 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card.
For more information, visit centralmassauctions.com.
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Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
