Goldin Elite Closing October 23-24
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/23/2021
Graded 96 MINT 9 ("MINT 9" equivalent) by SGC. Hall of Famer. One of the most exclusive cards to appear in the fabled Toleteros issue was this impossibly rare and commensurately hungered-for collectible of Willard Brown. Toleteros was issued in Puerto Rico – in three separate releases – between 1948 and 1951, and it's thought that the cards were initially employed as elements of a tobacco-premium table game. (Ultimately, they came to be regarded as free-standing collectibles.) Willard Brown was a favorite subject in the release. Gifted with prodigious home run power, Brown was repeatedly selected as a Negro League All-Star, and he was viewed with tremendous respect by his peers – including the great Josh Gibson. Although the total number of these Willard Brown cards still in existence can never be conclusively determined, it's virtually certain that there are only a scant few: the world's entire population is quite likely limited to less than three dozen copies. The stature of the card's revered subject – in combination with the piece's undeniable scarcity, its deserved acclaim as an essentially peerless jewel of the post-war hobby, and its condition sensitivity – elevates this treasure to the top echelon of the industry's elite prizes. Barely touched edges surround a luscious, sepia-toned illustration on this example. The reverse carries almost no evidence of past handling. This is a hobby masterpiece. The only example at this tier with none grading higher — or even close to it. This is one of the most sought-after tributes to an immortal Negro Leaguer and Hall of Famer – in phenomenal Mint condition.