Summer Premier Auction 2020
Wed, Aug 12, 2020 08:00PM EDT - Sat, Aug 29, 2020 07:51AM EDT
Timed Auction
Lot 14
1914 TEXAS TOMMY E224 WALTER JOHNSON (TYPE 1) PSA PR 1 - THE RAREST "BIG TRAIN" IN THE HOBBY! (YAHTZEE BOX FIND)
Sold for
$10,038
Sold Price includes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $150,000 |
Presented here is the third best 1914 Texas Tommy of the "Elite Eight" found in that ole Yahtzee box. Many consider "Big Train" the greatest pitcher of all time, and that's saying something since he arrived just after Cy Young and Christy Mathewson. Only two Walter Johnsons (both Type 1's) from the short-lived E224 candy series were ever graded by PSA prior to this one, and each received the same POOR 1 designation.
With the wear and aging expected of a 100+ year-old card, it remains in decent shape overall. The most noticeable issues on the front are two diagnonal creases running parallel to each other in opposte corners and some paper loss along the mid-right edge. The back has some dirt spotting at the end of the bio. Centering is off, especially left to right and print colors are somewhat faded on the front.
SGC has graded two Type 1 and two Type 2 (blank back) Walters for a grand total of seven Texas Tommy cards known (five Type 1's). Johnson's first trading card, his true rookie, was the 1907-09 Novelty Cutlery Postcard issue (dated 1910 by PSA), but more of these exist according to the pop reports (6 in PSA; 3 in SGC). Thus, you're looking at the rarest Big Train card in the hobby. A Type 1 graded SGC PR 1 went for $8,400 a few years ago and a Type 2 rated SGC VG-EX 4 sold for over $15K back in 2005.
For more on the "Yahtzee Box Find" and the rest of the "Elite Eight", see Lots 3 and 4.
Here's the Sports Collectors Daily article (6/24/2020) that announced this monumental discovery: https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/yahtzee-1914-texas-tommy-find-includes-cobb-jackson/
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