Ty Cobb Postcard Guide
Ty Cobb Post Cards: Rookie Era and Beyond
Ty Cobb is one of the most influential and intriguing players from the dead ball era of baseball. He was feared in the batters box and on the base path. Cobb has a huge collector base, with many focusing on cards from his early playing days cards. For a long time postcards were looked down upon by the hobby, as many considered them not be true cards. Recently that mindset has shifted, with collectors starting to appreciate them. Typically rookies cards are a player's most valuable card. Many Ty Cobb postcards from 1907 are considered to be a rookie card for Ty Cobb, as these are from his "rookie era". Ty Cobb postcards are extremely interesting, as many showcase unique images not found anywhere else. They are also rare, to the point many have less than 20 copies known to exist.
Rare And Valuable Ty Cobb Rookie Post Cards
1907-09 Dietsche Batting Ty Cobb
Printed in 1907-09 by the Detroit based A.C. Dietsche printing company to commemorate the 1907 World Series, this card features the left handed Cobb in his batting stance. Population reports show ~140 examples of this card graded. Low grade examples will cost several thousand dollars.
1907-09 Dietsche Fielding Ty Cobb
The "Fielding" Ty Cobb variation in the set was produced early on in production then switched to the "Batting" variation. As a result, very few examples were printed. Population reports show less than 25 graded. Even low grade examples typically sell for 15-20k.
1907 Wolverine Ty Cobb Portrait
The 1907 Wolverine News series was also released to celebrate the Tigers making the World Series that year. Ty Cobb was featured twice, and the "Portrait" card showcases a young Cobb starting into the camera. There are 17 graded examples of this card. Low grade examples typically sell for 15-20K.
1907 Wolverine Ty Cobb Batting
The Ty Cobb "Batting" card in the series shows Cobb digging his cleats into the batter's box. There are ~23 known examples graded of this card. Low grade examples usually sell for 15-20k at auction.
1907-09 H. M Taylor Ty Cobb
As printed on the lower right corner, this H.M. Taylor rookie postcard features "Tyrus Cobb at bat". The hortizontal image shows Cobb at the plate, with stadium bleachers in the background. Like other Cobb rookies, these typically sell in the 5 figures even in lower condition. ~50 copies have been graded.
1907-09 H. M. Taylor Detroit Club
This "Detroit Club" team card is also from the H.M. Taylor set. Ty Cobb is featured (2nd row, third from the left), along with hall of famers Sam Crawford and Hughie Jennings. This is one of the more affordable Cobb playing days postcards, as low grade examples can usually be had for $300 to $500. ~80 examples have been graded.
1907 Seamless Steel Tubes Co. Ty Cobb
The Detroit Seemless Tubes Co. Ty Cobb postcard is one the toughest Cobb rookies to obtain. It features an intimidating Cobb staring directly back at the owner. With less than 10 examples known to exist, this card rarely comes up for auction. When it does, good luck getting one for less than six figures.
1908 and up Ty Cobb Postcards
1908 Free Press Ty Cobb
This Free Press postcard is the ultimate rarity. It is one of the few images you will ever see of Cobb smiling. There are also only total 2 examples graded by PSA & SGC. None have sold at auction recently but they are likely worth near the six figure mark.
1908-09 Rose Co. Ty Cobb
1908-09 Rose postcards are some of the most visually attractive cards available. An image of Cobb (same image used on his T206 portrait cards) appears in the middle of the card, surrounded with intricate gold trim and 2 bats. A ball diamond appears below his image. Only 5 copies of this postcard have been graded. In 2022, one graded "Authentic" sold for ~50k at auction.
1908 American League Pub. Co. Ty Cobb
1909 Topping & Co. Ty Cobb
The Cleveland based American League Pub. Co. released a 14 card set featuring members of the Cleveland team plus Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. It showcases Cobb batting plus a small portrait of him wearing a suit and tie. PSA and SGC pop reports show a total of 4 have been graded. An SGC 1 sold at auction in 2024 for 30k.
The 1909 Topping set was released to honor the 1909 American League champion Tigers. An image of Cobb is at the center of card surrounded by a yellow star. 10 total copies have been graded by PSA and SGC. A PSA 4 recently sold for 23k at auction.
1910 PC796 Sepia Cobb/Wagner
Not much is known about the 1910 Sepia set, but the sepia tone sure makes the postcards look vintage. This iconic image of Cobb and Wagner shaking hands during the 1909 World Series immortalizes the 2 legends. 23 total examples have been graded. Low grade examples typically sell in the 10k range
1910 PC796 Sepia Ty Cobb
The solo Ty Cobb postcard in the sepia set shows the intensity of Cobb. Notice his strong grip on his bat, as if he is getting ready to slap down a bunt and wreak havoc on the base path. There are 20 copies graded. Low grade examples fetch around 10k and up.
1910 Novelty Cutlery Cobb /Wagner
1910 Novelty Cutlery Ty Cobb
The 1910 Novelty Cutlery set uses the same images from the 1910 Sepia set. The only difference is the fancy border around each image. The Cobb/Wagner card has a combined total pop of 5.
The solo Cobb postcards uses the same image from the Sepia set, but this issue is rarer. Only 12 examples have been graded by PSA and SGC.
1913 The Sporting News M101-3 Ty Cobb
The M101-3 postcards were offered as premiums from the weekly Sporting News publication in 1913. The images are "duotoned" and offer a close up of Cobb in amazing detail. 19 have been graded by PSA and SGC. Low grades typically hover around 10k
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