If you can overlook the back, you might have a chance to own a copy of one of the hobby’s rarest yet most recognizable trading cards.
A 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie graded SGC 10 (poor) has been listed on eBay. It’s one of just 34 ever graded by the company and one of only about 120 on the combined population reports of the professional graders.
The card is well-centered and clean looking but does have some significant paper loss on the back.
Originally discovered among some family heirlooms not long ago, the same card made its hobby debut last year via Heritage Auctions where it sold for $23,900.
For those who aren’t aware, Goudey didn’t produce a card numbered 106 in its 1933 set, causing collectors to spend oodles of pennies trying to track down what turned out to be a non-existent card. When they wrote desperate letters to the Boston-based gum maker after the season, the company responded by mailing back a 1934-style card of Lajoie, who had long been retired but remained popular.
As of Thursday night, the high bid was $10,500. A couple of SGC 10 Lajoie cards sold in 2016, one for $21,600 and another for $23,900. A PSA 5 brought $31,070 while a PSA 8 netted $119,500.
The current sale, conducted by Probstein Auctions, closes next Wednesday night and also features several dozen vintage Cracker Jack cards including a 1914 Honus Wagner.