19050

1914 Christy Mathewson Signed Photograph PSA/DNA

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop / Sports - Autographs (Original) Start Price:11,500.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
1914 Christy Mathewson Signed Photograph PSA/DNA
<B>1914 Christy Mathewson Signed Large Photograph.</B></I> On Independence Day of this year, the great Christy Mathewson shut out the Phillies in the bottom half of a Polo Grounds doubleheader to notch his 350th career victory. With Babe Ruth nothing more than a promising prospect at the close of the year 1914, and Ty Cobb a brilliant but unloveable star, it was Mr. Mathewson that held the collective hearts of baseball fans nationwide at the time he inked this remarkable photograph to a fraternity brother. It ended up being Matty's final winning season, a brilliant twenty-four and thirteen campaign that should have earned the Giants a fifth pennant under his reign if not for the improbable Miracle Braves.<BR><BR> Those with any knowledge of the baseball autograph market need no explanation of the rarity and desirability of such a piece. Mathewson's tremendous fame and Hall of Fame relevance, paired with his early death in 1925 from tuberculosis brought on by World War I chemical warfare lung damage, directs supply and demand in extreme opposite directions. Collectors scramble for any slip of paper blessed by Matty's hand, well aware that the final few remaining examples are finding permanent homes and one day these opportunities will be gone. This is no mere slip of paper however. It's not even your typical Mathewson signed photo, if there were such a thing.<BR><BR> Presented here is one of the finest Mathewson signed artifacts ever to be offered for public sale, a thrilling oversized studio portrait of Christy in uniform with a conservative 8/10 fountain pen inscription to a Bucknell fraternity brother. The photo measures a regal 10.5x13.75" in size and shows only light age toning, with a complete absence of creasing, tearing or foxing so typically seen with photographs of this vintage. The inscription reads, "Best regards to Brother Gus From Christy Mathewson, Dec. 1914." This amazing specimen has never before been seen in the hobby, yet another example of the fresh and fantastic material that Heritage strives to bring to our bidding clientele every auction. <I>LOA from PSA/DNA.</B></I> <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 22.5% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. This lot is being auctioned in conjunction with a live floor auction by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers, and all other information should be considered preliminary. Lot:19050 <BR><BR><B>Winning Notification and Billing:</B> After the FINAL session in this auction is complete, Heritage will send e-mail and snail mail invoices. This process normally takes several days. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers, and all other information should be considered preliminary. <BR><BR>This auction will be conducted on a live auction floor and over the Internet through eBay Live. If you choose to place an absentee bid, please take a moment to <font color='#0000ff'><u><a href='http://pages.ebay.com/liveauctions/help/before/laabsentee.html'>learn how eBay Live absentee bidding works</a></u></font><font color='#000000'>