This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/6/2021
The current high bids for the cumulative group of singles, $28,868.00 is currently higher than the total for the complete set, $27,813.00 (this lot is currently losing)
Unlike other major sports in America, the National Hockey League (NHL) came into existence in 1917 as a strictly Canadian affair consisting of just four teams, one of which dropped out after six games. It wasn't until 1924 that professional hockey expanded to the USA with the Boston Bruins coached by hockey legend Art Ross. Even with the Bruins' dismal 6-24 record that year, the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Americans entered the next year, followed by teams from Chicago and Detroit. Hockey was on its way to be accepted as an American sport. But prior to the NHL, when professional hockey was a hodgepodge of barely functioning leagues, the Imperial Tobacco company released hockey cards in the same manner that American tobacco companies were introducing the public to Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. In 1911, the 45-card Imperial Tobacco C55 set was born, a follow-up to their initial C56 release the previous year. While most second-year issues are short on rookie cards, the C55 set added and changed many of the players and included seven new pasteboard debuts, most notable being Hall of Famer Georges Vezina. Considered the forefather of modern-day goaltending, the Vezina rookie card is likened to the T206 Honus Wagner or 1948 Bowman George Mikan as the single most respected card of its respective sport. Almost half of the set is comprised of Hall of Famers but it's the Vezina RC (PSA 5) that leads the way, making the C55 set one of the greatest compilations in sportscard collecting. Presented is one of the finest C55 master sets ever assembled, ranking #9 on the PSA Set Registry with a 5.335 GPA. Key cards to the collection in addition to the Vezina PSA 5 are #4 Malone PSA 6, 20 Taylor PSA 5, 27 Smaill (hand on hip) PSA 5, 31 Ross PSA 6, and 42 Lalonde PSA 5. This collection is being offered as a complete set as well as each card offered individually, with the final sale going to whichever total (the set versus the sum of the individual lots) is higher. This gives prospective bidders the opportunity to examine each and every card in the collection through the use of our high-quality scans. A link to the complete card-by-card breakdown of this set, including individual grades and populations, will be available through our website or by visiting the PSA Set Registry.
LINK: 1911 C55 Master Set #9 Finest on Registry