Rare Shoeless Joe Piece Tops Mile High Sale

Content originally published by sportscollectorsdaily.com on 15 February 2008

Nearly a century ago, it was just something a clothing store owner stuck in his display window to help sell something that kept your socks from falling down.

The price realized in a sports memorabilia auction for that little piece of cardboard may knock a few socks completely off.

Mile High Card Company offered one of just a few surviving examples of the 1914 Boston Garter window store ad in its February auction. The piece, apparently headed to the home of a serious baseball memorabilia collector, generated a realized selling price of $86, 976 including the buyer's premium.

Produced by the George Frost Company of Boston, Massachusetts, the Jackson is one of 12 subjects issued. It measures 4”x 8-1/4” and is printed on a thin cardboard stock displaying period lithography

A 1914 Cracker Jack card of Shoeless Joe, graded 5 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), sold for $22,887 when the sale came to a close early Thursday.

There is no question about the value of football cards still holding strong when you consider the second highest price obtained in the auction was a completely graded 1955 Bowman football set. Standing #3 on the PSA Set Registry, the set averaged 8.48 in grade and sold for $52,639. A 1959 Topps footbal set, #6 on the Registry, sold for $30,860 and included all but five cards grading PSA 8.

A 1965 Topps baseball near set of 459 cards including an astonishing 447 9s and brought $47,853 while a 1948 Leaf set with variations, all graded PSA 5, sold for $44,628.

Vintage signed baseballs are usually a 'can't miss' item for auction houses. A single-signed Babe Ruth autographed baseball, authenticated by PSA/DNA and James Spence, sold through Mile High for $29,711.

Other vintage baseball card highlights in the sale:

1963 Fleer Sandy Koufax PSA 10 $25,503
1950 Bowman Ted Williams PSA 9 $21, 076
1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie card SGC 96 $20,806
1967 Topps Tom Seaver rookie card $20,575
1958 Topps #1 Ted Williams PSA 9 $19,160
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth PSA 8 $18,664