Fall 2017 - Item detail
1950-1951 Toleteros Joshua Gibson PSA NM+ 7.5
- Sold For:
- $54,000
- Year:
- 1950
- Auction:
- 2017 Fall
- Lot #:
- 12
- Category:
- Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards
Graded NM+ 7.5 by PSA. This is the ONLY example graded at this level by PSA with just one higher. Presented is a stunning ultra-high-grade example of one of the rarest and most highly prized of all postwar cards: the 1950-1951 Toleteros Josh Gibson. This is a card that is so rare, its existence has been documented only within the last fifteen years, and its significance as Josh Gibson's only known standard card issue has propelled it in this very brief time to being one of the most well-known baseball cards in the collecting world.
Many collectors concentrate on collecting Hall of Famers. Josh Gibson has always presented a problem for these collectors because for decades he was simply not found in any card sets. The discovery of his inclusion in the 180-card 1950-1951 Toleteros set, the third and final year in which this company issued cards in Puerto Rico during the Puerto Rican Winter League season, was momentous. Finally, a card issue featured the legendary Josh Gibson, the greatest slugging star of the Negro Leagues. Similar in spirit to the 1940 Play Ball card of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the 1948-1949 Leaf card of Babe Ruth in that this card was not issued during Gibson's playing career, this card is unique and of great significance: There really are no equivalent alternatives. Babe Ruth had hundreds of cards issued of him, dating to his earliest days as a minor-leaguer with Baltimore in 1914, and many different cards were issued of virtually every Hall of Famer of the twentieth century. The nature and economic realities of the Negro Leagues, however, have created several special challenges for card collectors. Of these, no player is of a greater stature than Josh Gibson. Even Satchel Paige can be found in the 1949-1949 Leaf, 1949 Bowman, and 1953 Topps sets. While some may think it is almost inconceivable that the most celebrated stars of the Negro Leagues were not honored with trading cards at the peaks of their careers, it must be remembered that it was a different time and world, and the issuing of cards needs an economic incentive and rationale in any era. This incentive simply did not exist to justify the issuing of cards of many Negro Leaguers. This is actually very much in keeping with the harsh economic realities of the Negro Leagues, and the fact that this affects even the greatest Negro League stars such as Josh Gibson speaks volumes about the significance of this card, issued in Puerto Rico in 1950, in tribute to the then recently deceased legend. Gibson, a huge star in Puerto Rico, played his final season there in 1946. He died of a brain hemorrhage in early 1947 at the age of 35, although it is well documented that Satchel Paige, Ted Page, and all his teammates were certain that he really died of a broken heart because he was not chosen to be the first black player to break the color barrier in the Majors.
According to the combined Population Reports of PSA and SGC, twenty-seven examples of this card have been graded between both services. (Note: we believe some of these may be "double-counted" as they have been regraded or crossed from one company to the other.) This is an outstanding ultra high-grade example of this important rarity! The card is bright, crisp, and clean, with four sharp corners, and centered very slightly to the left. Also of note is the fact that the image quality on this card can vary, and the image quality of this example is extremely strong, far better than most others known, with extremely rich colors and perfect registration. The blank reverse is perfectly clean. It should be noted that this card was originally graded in the years prior to PSA's adaptation of half grades, so we submitted the card for reholder and review in advance of this auction at our consignor's request, and the card was awarded the half grade, which it deserves in every way! This is an ideal opportunity to acquire an ultra high-grade example of this famous card, worthy of the finest Hall of Fame or rookie-card collection. Reserve $10,000. Estimate (open).
Many collectors concentrate on collecting Hall of Famers. Josh Gibson has always presented a problem for these collectors because for decades he was simply not found in any card sets. The discovery of his inclusion in the 180-card 1950-1951 Toleteros set, the third and final year in which this company issued cards in Puerto Rico during the Puerto Rican Winter League season, was momentous. Finally, a card issue featured the legendary Josh Gibson, the greatest slugging star of the Negro Leagues. Similar in spirit to the 1940 Play Ball card of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the 1948-1949 Leaf card of Babe Ruth in that this card was not issued during Gibson's playing career, this card is unique and of great significance: There really are no equivalent alternatives. Babe Ruth had hundreds of cards issued of him, dating to his earliest days as a minor-leaguer with Baltimore in 1914, and many different cards were issued of virtually every Hall of Famer of the twentieth century. The nature and economic realities of the Negro Leagues, however, have created several special challenges for card collectors. Of these, no player is of a greater stature than Josh Gibson. Even Satchel Paige can be found in the 1949-1949 Leaf, 1949 Bowman, and 1953 Topps sets. While some may think it is almost inconceivable that the most celebrated stars of the Negro Leagues were not honored with trading cards at the peaks of their careers, it must be remembered that it was a different time and world, and the issuing of cards needs an economic incentive and rationale in any era. This incentive simply did not exist to justify the issuing of cards of many Negro Leaguers. This is actually very much in keeping with the harsh economic realities of the Negro Leagues, and the fact that this affects even the greatest Negro League stars such as Josh Gibson speaks volumes about the significance of this card, issued in Puerto Rico in 1950, in tribute to the then recently deceased legend. Gibson, a huge star in Puerto Rico, played his final season there in 1946. He died of a brain hemorrhage in early 1947 at the age of 35, although it is well documented that Satchel Paige, Ted Page, and all his teammates were certain that he really died of a broken heart because he was not chosen to be the first black player to break the color barrier in the Majors.
According to the combined Population Reports of PSA and SGC, twenty-seven examples of this card have been graded between both services. (Note: we believe some of these may be "double-counted" as they have been regraded or crossed from one company to the other.) This is an outstanding ultra high-grade example of this important rarity! The card is bright, crisp, and clean, with four sharp corners, and centered very slightly to the left. Also of note is the fact that the image quality on this card can vary, and the image quality of this example is extremely strong, far better than most others known, with extremely rich colors and perfect registration. The blank reverse is perfectly clean. It should be noted that this card was originally graded in the years prior to PSA's adaptation of half grades, so we submitted the card for reholder and review in advance of this auction at our consignor's request, and the card was awarded the half grade, which it deserves in every way! This is an ideal opportunity to acquire an ultra high-grade example of this famous card, worthy of the finest Hall of Fame or rookie-card collection. Reserve $10,000. Estimate (open).