There are very few cards that seem to transcend our hobby, and one of those is offered here. An example of the 1915 Cracker Jack card of Joe Jackson should be included in the collection of any enthusiast who has the means. The card possesses, quite literally, every feature that inspires collectors of vintage cards. It has the qualities of beauty, popularity, rarity and, in the case of this exhilarating specimen, condition. The legend of Joe Jackson is widely known to all baseball enthusiasts. Unfortunately for modern collectors, the great player's career was abridged by scandal, and his inclusion in contemporary card sets was correspondingly limited. Besides a strip card, a few black-and-white issues and a caramel card from his early days with the Athletics, there are very few period mementos of the legendary hitter's career. Accordingly, the industry rejoices, collectively both thrilled and relieved that Cracker Jack decided to include Joe Jackson in the company's 1915 offering. The Cracker Jack issue, on the basis of an aesthetic brilliance that yields unparalleled visual appeal, is clearly the keepsake of choice when the rare opportunity to obtain a high-grade copy presents itself. The piece is, simply, a beautiful card. Its design provides the classic, colorful batting pose of Jackson, placed against the brightest-imaginable background. Its red is the true shade, far more lustrous than crimson, more dazzling than scarlet. Stylized letters identifying the card as one of the "Cracker Jack Ball Players" elegantly decorate the top edge of the design's boundary. The back carries a biography of "Shoeless Joe," along with instructions on how to obtain a full set of 1915 Cracker Jack cards by mail.

      Graded EX-MT 6 by PSA. An eager collector of long ago undoubtedly obtained the offered card through the send-away opportunity, as its surface reveals almost no hint of circulation. The item's colors are perfect, totally unsullied by any contact with the sticky treat to which we're forever obligated for the card's existence. Registration of detail is exemplary. Centering is of exceptionally high quality for this notoriously alignment-challenged issue, and a slight tilt to the illustration (which is negligible in degree) poses absolutely no interference with the item's inspiring appearance. The corners exceed expectations for the assigned grade, with barely visible touches at the outermost tips. This is a splendid example of one of the hobby's true crown jewels. A widely coveted classic, in Excellent to Mint condition.

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