• Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on Ebay
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • 50 Hottest Baseball Hobby Boxes
      • Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs
      • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Most Watched Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Nolan Ryan Cards
      • T206 Cards
      • Goudey Cards
      • 1952 Topps Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Top Prizm Basketball Auctions
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • National Treasures Cards (all sports)
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
      • Most Watched 2020 NFL Rookie Card Auctions
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched Rookie Cards
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
  • Lelands

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may receive a commission.  It helps keep us afloat!

  • Sports Memorabilia News
    • Barnebys Sports Auction Highlights
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
    • Hobby Shops Selling, Breaking Online During COVID-19
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Business/Industry News / Sports Memorabilia Industry News / Million Dollar Find in a Paper Bag
Baseball Card Exchange

Million Dollar Find in a Paper Bag

March 2, 2016 By Rich Mueller

The population of one of the rarest baseball cards in the world has grown by seven after an amazing discovery in the rural South.  Only about 15 of the rare 1909-1911 T206 Ty Cobb variation, distributed only in tins of the short-lived Ty Cobb Tobacco product, were known to exist until a  family began going through the belongings of a family’s deceased great-grandfather.  While not immediately certain of the scarcity of what they’d found, it became apparent last month that they’d stumbled upon a small fortune inside the dilapidated home.

It’s one of those stories that makes collectors swoon.

Ty Cobb tobacco cards
Photos from PSA.

T206 Cobb Cards Had a Humble Home

According to PSA President Joe Orlando, the cards were sitting inside a crumpled paper bag that contained other items, including some old postcards.  The family almost tossed the bag away but decided to flip through the contents when the cards, turned face down, caught their eye.  Having seen a TV report on the Black Swamp Find, they contacted South Carolina vintage card dealer Rick Snyder of Mint State, Inc.

“My initial reaction was absolute skepticism.  I doubted they were authentic because finding seven of these cards at one place at one time seemTy Cobb tobacco backed almost impossible,” Snyder recalled.

The Cobb rarity can easily be differentiated from all other T206 cards by the back, which reads “TY COBB – KING OF THE SMOKING TOBACCO WORLD” in green ink.

Cobb tobacco newspaper
Reidsville, NC newspaper, January 25, 1910

Cobb Tobacco was made in Reidsville, NC, and made its debut early in 1910, according to old newspaper accounts.

After about a week of phone calls with the family and examining emailed photos of the cards, Snyder finally saw them in a person and was convinced they were authentic.

“I told the family, ‘I’m going to help change your life.’  This is a historic find.  It is something every single individual whoever unearthed anything in their family’s basement or garage has dreamed about: finding something important and valuable,” said Snyder, who sells high-grade cards privately and also sells on eBay.

Arrangements were made to have the seven cards shipped to PSAT206 Ty Cobb with Cobb back for authentication and grading.

The Real Deal

Orlando also was skeptical when he first learned about the cards’ discovery, and remained so until the shipment arrived at PSA’s southern California headquarters and he saw them with his own eyes.

“Our senior staff examined the cards.  Due to the magnitude of the find I even had an outside expert come to our offices to examine the cards as well.  They all shared the same assessment.  No matter how improbable, each of the seven cards was undoubtedly authentic,” said Orlando.

“This is one of the greatest discoveries in the history of our hobby involving one of the greatest rarities in baseball cards from arguably the most popular baseball card set ever produced.”

Small creases and other light wear meant the technical grades were relatively low, but one was labeled a 4.5 (VG-EX+) and another a 3.5, making them the highest graded examples in existence.  Four others were graded 2.5 and another was assigned a grade of 1.5.

T206 Cobb with Cobb Back Values

The combined value of the seven cards, should they be sold at auction, is likely well over $1 million.

In April of 2015, Robert Edward Auctions sold a Cobb with Cobb back graded SGC 30 for $132,000.  They had sold a PSA 1 for $154,050 the year before.  Goldin Auctions sold one in July of 2013 for $120,1098.   With the values of rare vintage baseball cards continuing to rise, it’s likely the newly discovered examples will set new records.

“There have been some spectacular finds over the years, such as the 1952 Topps baseball card find of 1986 and ‘The Black Swamp Find’ of 1910 E98 cards found in 2012.  As incredible as those were, and both were certainly larger in terms of sheer size, I am not sure if any other baseball card find is more remarkable than this new discovery,” stated Orlando.

The find is somewhat similar to a group discovered in Georgia about 20 years ago, when five of the Cobb Tobacco variations were pulled from an old book where they’d apparently been left decades earlier.  They were all sold in through REA in 1997.

“Prior to this revelation, there were about 15 of these rare Ty Cobb cards known,” said Orlando, who chatted with ESPN about the find.  “This group of seven previously-unknown Cobb cards raises the total to approximately 22 or so, which increases the population by around 50 percent.  To put this in proper context from a scarcity standpoint it would be the equivalent of finding 30 to 40 newly-discovered T206 Honus Wagner cards in one shot.  It is simply miraculous.”

The cards will be sold through MINT State but there was no immediate word on when they would be available or whether they’d be offered through a straight sale or auction.

  • See T206 cards on eBay

Get more great sports collecting stories in your email every morning.  Click here to sign up for our daily headlines.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Valuable Ty Cobb cards found Lucky 7 Find2 of Rare Cobb Cards Found in Bag Sold T206 Ty Cobb back PSA 4Highest Graded Cobb Back from Lucky 7 Find Sold Picker’s Rare Find: T206 Broad Leaf Ty Cobb to Enter Market tobacco baseball cards matchbox find SCP AuctionsGeorgia Sock Drawer Held Hobby’s Latest Big Find Lucky 7 Find Plus One: Family Uncovers 8th Cobb Tobacco Card in Dusty Box Notes: T206 Cobb Back Find; Mathis Talks ’52 Mantle Sale; Ohtani Atomic Refractor Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps PSA 7Notes: Vintage Sales and a Find; Cobb Cards Featured; Ruth Auction Ty Cobb tobacco cardsCobb Backs Get New Values as 3rd Card Sells Ty Cobb King Smoking Tobacco WorldREA to Auction Cobb Card from Lucky 7 Find T206 Cobb back 2.5Second T206 Cobb Back Coming to Auction
Avatar

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]

Filed Under: Popular Stories, Sports Memorabilia Industry News Tagged With: great find, great finds, Lucky 7 Find, t206 baseball cards, T206 Cobb, T206 Ty Cobb, Ty Cobb back, Ty Cobb tobacco

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click one and make a purchase, we receive a commission.  The revenue is what helps keep SC Daily afloat!

What\
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan Cards Under $5
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $100
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $75
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1985 Graded Football Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1980 Graded Basketball Cards Under $10
  • Pre-1990 Graded Hockey Cards $5 and Less
  • Complete Sets Under $10 with Free Shipping
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1

RSS Auction Report

  • Steve Novella Offers PSA Graded Football and Basketball Ending January 26, 2021
  • CertifiedLink: Bid on Rookie Cards: Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Jordan, Gretzky, Mahomes & More! Ends Feb. 8th
  • Kobe Bryant Custom-Built Car on Goldin Auctions Block


Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forum
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cards
  • Game Used Jerseys
  • 1952 Topps Baseball
  • Championship Rings For Sale
  • Vintage Basketball Cards
  • NBA Signed Items
  • Signed Sports Memorabilia
  • UFC Memorabilia
  • Autographed Baseballs
  • NASCAR Autographs
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cards
  • Player Pictures
  • Vintage Football Cards
  • Sports Card Boxes
  • Sports Collectors Store

Pages

  • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
  • 100 Hottest UFC Trading Cards
  • 100 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 20 Hottest Barry Sanders Football Cards
  • 2016 Cubs Replica Championship Rings Don’t Cost a Fortune
  • 2017 Topps Definitive Collection Box Breaks, Most Watched
  • 2019 Toronto Raptors NBA Championship Memorabilia Guide
  • 2019 US Women’s World Cup Apparel, Merchandise, Memorabilia Guide
  • 50 Hottest Baseball Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Kareem Hunt Rookie Cards
  • 50 Most Watched Kevin Durant Auctions on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • 8 Types of Kobe Bryant Collectibles to Remember Him By
  • Aaron Judge Game Used Memorabilia Inventory Growing
  • About Us/Contact/Advertise
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Affordable Vintage Sports Cards and Collectibles
  • Barnebys Sports Memorabilia Auctions
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Best Derek Jeter Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Best Display Cabinets for Sports Memorabilia
  • Best Joey Votto Rookie Cards
  • Best Pascal Siakam Rookie Cards
  • Chiefs Super Bowl Champs Memorabilia Hits the Market
  • Current Most Watched Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Dale Murphy Rookie Card Remains Popular, Affordable
  • Eagles Super Bowl Champions Memorabilia Guide
  • Fanatics Under Wraps 2017 Next Level Edition Autographed Baseballs
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Frank Gore Rookie Cards Get No Respect
  • Gardner Minshew Rookie Cards Heat Up as Fun-Loving Rookie Shows His Ability
  • Great Gifts for Cubs Fans
  • Guide to 2018-19 Clemson Tigers National Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Houston Astros Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to LSU National Championship Merchandise, Memorabilia
  • Guide to Nationals World Series Champs Memorabilia, Merchandise
  • Guide to St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup Champions Merchandise, Memorabilia
  • Guide to Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Memorabilia
  • Hank Aaron Cards on eBay
  • Henrik Lundqvist Rookie Cards a Strong Long-Term Play
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Hottest 2019 Baseball Rookie Cards
  • Hottest 2019 NFL Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Chicago Bulls Memorabilia Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Devin Booker Rookie Cards as Suns Star Piles Up Points
  • Hottest Kyle Lewis Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Lonzo Ball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini World Cup Stickers on eBay
  • Hottest Pokémon Card Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Topps NOW Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Xander Bogaerts Rookie Cards
  • LeBron James Lakers Jerseys Already Available
  • Links
  • Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Popular Mark McGwire Rookie Card Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Kobe Bryant Basketball Card Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Topps Project 2020 Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Nick Bosa Rookie Cards Getting Collectors’ Attention
  • Patriots Super Bowl 51 Champions Merchandise
  • Ryne Sandberg Rookie Cards, Minor League Issues Still Collector Favorites
  • Selling Sports Cards on eBay for Cash
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Test
  • The 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Kris Bryant Auto Saga: A Timeline
  • Tony Gwynn Rookie Cards Recall “The Best Hitter Since Ted”
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Top Selling Patriots Super Bowl Championship Items
  • Upper Deck Authenticated Autographs Remain Popular, Accessible
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
  • Wade Boggs Rookie Cards Still a Collector Favorite
  • What’s Hot on eBay
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Where to Buy the Anthony Fauci Topps Baseball Card
  • Write About Your Sports Collection
  • Write for Sports Collectors Daily

Copyright © 2021 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Genesis Web Design by Wickam Group