When Tobacco made Baseball popular

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Let us remember this remarkable private transaction conducted by SCP Auctions in September 2007: $ 2.8 million a baseball card. It shows the bust of Honus Wagner. His jersey is marked "Pittsburgh" (the final h is over).

Not surprisingly : in all classes of collectibles, a piece of top prestige has no price limit, when it is available in perfect condition. This one also had a great provenance: it had belonged to Wayne Gretzky, the Canadian ice hockey player.

It was a 1909 chomo of small size, similar to what fans of old photos name "cartes de visite". The back of these cards is devoted to advertising for the American Tobacco Company, which published the series.

The sale currently running on the web at the same auction house includes a card of Eddie Plank from the same series, printed between 1909 and 1911, with on the back an advertisement for Sweet Caporal cigarettes. It is in very nice condition. The reserve price has not yet been reached: it is probably 70 K$, which corresponds to twice the starting bid. The sale ends on July 23.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Unsold. The last bid at $ 82 K, has not reached the reserve price.

It is surprising to consider the very low starting bid, and the absence of an estimate.

This is yet another example that confirms that web only sales can not compete with auction rooms.