Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Winter 2020
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/26/2020
Always exciting and captivating are tobacco card sets, with the intrigue heightened when cards are being offered to the hobby for the first time, with this inviting ensemble having recently gone from an old-time collector to PSA for encapsulation. One of hockey’s most coveted rookie cards, that of Canadiens’ goaltender Georges Vezina highlights the Imperial Tobacco issue, with card #38 here featuring pleasing centering and no unsightly creases and graded VG 3. Close to two-thirds of the set (29 cards) is VG-or-higher, with the condition leaders being a trio of Renfrew players looking dashing indeed, depicted in their turtleneck sweaters. Rookie cards of 24-Sprague Cleghorn and 26-Skein Ronan merited EX-MT 6 status, while just behind at EX+ 5.5 is 25-Odie Cleghorn RC. At EX 5 is 13-Alex Currie RC, while slabbed VG-EX.5 is 3-Gordon Roberts RC. The most plentiful group (11 cards) rests in VG-EX 4 holders and includes Hall of Famers 30-Harry Hyland and 41-Didier Pitre, as well as the “Right Hand on Stick” version of 27-Walter Smaill RC. Other VG-EX 4s are 3-Holden, 7-Mallen RC, 8-McDonald RC, 9-Lake, 10-Kerr RC and 19-Smith RC, with (MC) qualifiers for cards of 6-Dunderdale and 34-Glass. A trio of VG+ 3.5 cards (11-Walsh, 35-Russell and 43-Payan RC) is followed by nine at VG 3, including Joe Malone’s important rookie card and RCs of fellow HOFers 17-Jack Darragh and 36-Jimmy Gardiner, with goalies 21-Bert Lindsay RC and 32-Riley Hern (MC) also 3s. The set’s three most valuable cards, after the Vezina, scored GOOD+ 2.5; Cyclone Taylor, Art Ross and Newsy Lalonde, the same as 2-Hall RC, 29-Marshall and three others. The first card (Moran – GOOD 2) and last (Laviolette – FR 1.5) are among the lesser lights, with more details and images on our website. Featuring beautiful thought-provoking renditions of a who’s who of pre-NHL legends, (including 24 rookie cards and 22 Hall of Famers), the C55 set is an absolute prerequisite to an important pre-war card collection/portfolio. Good luck with these fascinating relics.
Not already mentioned are VG3s of 5-Oatman, 37-Bernier and 39-Dallaire, three at GOOD+ 2.5; 12-Shore, 22-Gilmour and 23-Rowe and another trio at GOOD 2; 14-Ridpath, 16-LeSueur and 40-Power RC, while completing are PR 1 examples of 18-Vair RC and 44-Poulin RC, along with a torn-in-two 15-Stuart, labeled “Authentic Altered.”
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