Spring 2020 - Item detail
1912 Boston Garter Advertising Display Sign with Eddie Collins and Hal Chase
- Sold For:
- $9,900
- Year:
- 1912
- Auction:
- 2020 Spring
- Lot #:
- 475
- Category:
- Prewar Baseball - 1910s and 1920s Cards
The 1912 Boston Garter set is universally regarded as one of the rarest and most beautiful card issues ever produced. Their great rarity is no doubt in part due to the fact that only one card was issued with each box of twelve garters. 1912 Boston Garters are unique in that each features a player in the dugout, without pants, in the midst of getting dressed, proudly displaying his Boston-brand garters. In the background are beautiful stadium scenes, featuring ballplayers warming up.
Offered is an incredible Boston Garter cardboard advertising display sign featuring illustrations of two of the large-format cabinet-style display cards in the set: Philadelphia's Eddie Collins and New York's Hal Chase. The exquisite full-size images of the cards on the poster (each measuring 4 x 8.25 inches) are produced with the same unparalleled production quality as the cards themselves. (It appears that the same printing plates were used to produce both the images on the poster and the cards.) The fronts of each are literally indistinguishable from one another, making ownership of the poster tantamount to owning two 1912 Boston Garter cards, but with the bonus of additional advertising for the product presented within an attractive display format.
In addition to being one of the most beautiful and interesting sets ever produced, 1912 Boston Garters are also one of the rarest. In fact, as noted in the Standard Catalog, they are so rare that if it were not for the checklist that appears on the back of each card, we would not know which players comprise the set, let alone that there are sixteen cards to the set (one player is represented from each team). Boston Garter advertising posters, not surprisingly, are even rarer than Boston Garter cards. We estimate that fewer than twenty-five examples of 1912 Boston Garter cards are known to exist. However, fewer than ten advertising posters are known. (Note: The posters are not all of exactly the same design; the known posters include several different combinations of players.) On this extraordinary example, both Eddie Collins and Hal Chase appear to be taking a break, each lounging with traveling suitcase at side, and displaying their Boston-brand Garters as they dress for the day's game. The unparalleled quality of the lithography and the unique concept of the set both contribute to making 1912 Boston Garters one of the most distinctive and noteworthy baseball-card sets ever issued.
The sign (20 x 10.25 inches; visible dimensions), which is printed on heavy cardboard stock, has wear commensurate with its age and former use. Moderate abrasions are evident near the lower left border, including a few that touch upon the base of the Collins card image. There is a tiny tear in the central image picturing a garter, and a few tiny abrasions appear along the right bottom border. Light creasing appears along the right border, including some that touch upon the Chase card image. In Very Good condition overall, but closer to Excellent in its overall appearance. Matted and framed to total dimensions of 26.5 by 17 inches. This is an outstanding example of one of the hobby's finest baseball-card advertising display pieces. The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot. Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).
Offered is an incredible Boston Garter cardboard advertising display sign featuring illustrations of two of the large-format cabinet-style display cards in the set: Philadelphia's Eddie Collins and New York's Hal Chase. The exquisite full-size images of the cards on the poster (each measuring 4 x 8.25 inches) are produced with the same unparalleled production quality as the cards themselves. (It appears that the same printing plates were used to produce both the images on the poster and the cards.) The fronts of each are literally indistinguishable from one another, making ownership of the poster tantamount to owning two 1912 Boston Garter cards, but with the bonus of additional advertising for the product presented within an attractive display format.
In addition to being one of the most beautiful and interesting sets ever produced, 1912 Boston Garters are also one of the rarest. In fact, as noted in the Standard Catalog, they are so rare that if it were not for the checklist that appears on the back of each card, we would not know which players comprise the set, let alone that there are sixteen cards to the set (one player is represented from each team). Boston Garter advertising posters, not surprisingly, are even rarer than Boston Garter cards. We estimate that fewer than twenty-five examples of 1912 Boston Garter cards are known to exist. However, fewer than ten advertising posters are known. (Note: The posters are not all of exactly the same design; the known posters include several different combinations of players.) On this extraordinary example, both Eddie Collins and Hal Chase appear to be taking a break, each lounging with traveling suitcase at side, and displaying their Boston-brand Garters as they dress for the day's game. The unparalleled quality of the lithography and the unique concept of the set both contribute to making 1912 Boston Garters one of the most distinctive and noteworthy baseball-card sets ever issued.
The sign (20 x 10.25 inches; visible dimensions), which is printed on heavy cardboard stock, has wear commensurate with its age and former use. Moderate abrasions are evident near the lower left border, including a few that touch upon the base of the Collins card image. There is a tiny tear in the central image picturing a garter, and a few tiny abrasions appear along the right bottom border. Light creasing appears along the right border, including some that touch upon the Chase card image. In Very Good condition overall, but closer to Excellent in its overall appearance. Matted and framed to total dimensions of 26.5 by 17 inches. This is an outstanding example of one of the hobby's finest baseball-card advertising display pieces. The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot. Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).