This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/6/2018
Each card has been graded by SGC. Presented is a 160-card near set (missing #92 Williams for completion) of R334 Play Ball issue from 1939, plus 56 back variations with a total of 19 cards hailing from the late Lionel Carter's collection. Based on our research (spanning twenty-plus years), at 216 different cards, this is the second largest offering of these cards to appear at auction. With its 86.26 GPA, this assembly merits undisputed "#1 Current Finest" accolades on the SGC Set Registry! These collectible treasures were released at the timely hobby crossroads between the Golden Era of Goudey gum cards and the post-war Topps and Bowman period. The set is noted for crisp, uncluttered black-and-white fronts, thorough player biographies on the backs, and the uncommon scarcity of the later series in today's market. This Play Ball series was the first of three which Gum Inc. would produce before the U.S. involvement in World War II. On the list of collector favorites are the early card of Joe DiMaggio, and also features a supporting cast of Greenberg, Ott, the Waner Brothers, Berg, Gehringer and Hubbell. Unless noted, all of the cards have a "Lower Case" reverse. Includes: Graded SGC 96 MINT 9: 1 card, #35; SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5: 7 cards w/#'s 38, 47/Upper, 51 Ott, 56 Greenberg, 64, 65 and 71; SGC 88 NM/MT 8: 94 cards w/#'s 1 Powell/Upper, 3 Ruffing, 5, 7 Doerr/Upper, 9/Upper, 10/Upper, 12/Upper, 15, 18, 18/Upper, 21, 22, 24/Upper, 25, 25/Upper, 26 DiMaggio/Upper, 29/Upper, 30 Dickey/Upper, 31, 33/Upper, 34/Upper, 36, 37/Upper, 39/Upper, 41/Upper, 45/Upper, 48 Gomez, 50 Gehringer, 52/Upper, 53 Hubbell, 54, 54/Upper, 55 Vaughan, 55 Vaughan/Upper, 58/Upper, 59/Upper, 61/Upper, 62/Upper, 63/Upper, 66/Upper, 71/Upper, 73, 74, 74/Upper, 75/Upper, 77/Upper, 78/Upper, 80, 80/Upper, 81/Upper, 82 Klein/Upper, 83/Upper, 84/Upper, 85/Upper, 86/Upper, 88/Upper, 90, 90/Upper, 93/Upper, 94 Manush/Upper, 96/Upper, 97, 101, 102/Upper, 107/Upper, 109/Upper, 111/Upper, 112 Waner/Upper, 115, 120, 121, 128, 129, 130, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143 Averill, 145, 147, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 159 and 162 Moore; SGC 86 NM+ 7.5: 32 cards w/#'s 2, 11/Upper, 16/Upper, 17/Upper, 21/Upper, 22/Upper, 23/Upper, 28/Upper, 31/Upper, 43/Upper, 48 Gomez/Upper, 60/Upper, 65/Upper, 70/Upper, 76/Upper, 78, 79/Upper, 87/Upper, 91/Upper, 99/Upper, 100/Upper, 102, 108, 110, 123, 127, 131, 146, 148, 149, 150 and 160; SGC 84 NM 7: 67 cards w/#'s 2/Upper, 4, 6 Durocher, 6 Durocher/Upper, 7 Doerr, 8/Upper, 13/Upper, 14/Upper, 15/Upper, 19/Upper, 20/Upper, 27/Upper, 32/Upper, 35/Upper, 36/Upper, 38/Upper, 39, 40/Upper, 42/Upper, 44/Upper, 45, 46, 46/Upper, 49/Upper, 50 Gehringer/Upper, 51 Ott/Upper, 53 Hubbell/Upper, 57/Upper, 64/Upper, 67/Upper, 69/Upper, 72, 72/Upper, 75, 79, 81, 82 Klein, 83, 89 Waner/Upper, 95, 95/Upper, 98/Upper, 99, 100, 103 Berg/Upper, 104, 104/Upper, 105/Upper, 106/Upper, 108/Upper, 109, 113/Upper, 114/Upper, 115/Upper, 116, 117, 118, 119, 122, 124, 125, 138, 144, 152, 157, 158 and 161; SGC 80 EX/NM 6: 15 cards w/#'s 4/Upper, 5/Upper, 13, 34, 41, 56 Greenberg/Upper, 60, 68/Upper, 73/Upper, 89 Waner, 96, 97/Upper, 101/Upper, 105 and 114.