2017 Great American Trading Card Auction Ending April 1
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/1/2017
Graded 55 VG/EX+ 4.5 by SGC. Hall of Famer, in a debut-year appearance. This is the lone example at its tier among a total of just twenty copies recorded in SGC's census reporting. In 1936, Joe DiMaggio enjoyed one of the finest seasons ever experienced by a rookie, batting .323 with 29 home runs and 125 RBI as he helped lead the Yankees to the first of what was then a record four consecutive World Championships. Contemporary collectible reminders of the great athlete's first Major League campaign, however, are notably restrained in aesthetic terms, as well as in variety. DiMaggio's unbelievably successful first year is most familiarly commemorated, for enthusiasts, by a couple of large-sized paper objects. But for "standard"-dimensioned, "Rookie" gum cards? Only this exceedingly rare, North of the Border jewel truly qualifies. Presented is an almost never-seen, very early Joe DiMaggio collectible that was produced in Canada for distribution solely in that country. The compelling, black-and-white photo card hails from the sparsely distributed 1936 V355 World Wide Gum series, a counterpart to Goudey's "Big League Chewing Gum" product. Compounding scarcity, the Canadian audience of the time was single-mindedly focused on the land's national pastime, hockey; it's a wonder that a baseball card survived at all. Yet, the offered example has endured the passage of numerous decades with mostly mild traces of wear on its corners (and a bit of barely visible layering at the bottom-right), bold, fully legible black text on its back, and a presence that echoes the strength and determination of its famed subject. An emotionally gratifying and historically meaningful baseball relic, in Very Good to Excellent-plus condition.