Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction November 2023
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/28/2023
An absolute goldmine for all lovers of vintage cards and especially those that chase pre-war offerings, is this jackpot of little sepia-tone treasures issued by Hamilton, Ontario’s Tobacco Products Corporation of Canada Limited in the form of this complete assembly of 1924-25 Champ’s Cigarettes C144 tobacco cards. Unnumbered but totalling 60-cards, the set features nearly one third of its checklist having been freshly graded by PSA. Led by the “Big Three” of the Montreal Canadiens, the cardboard of HOFers Howie Morenz (PSA PR 1), Aurel Joliat (PSA VG 3) and Georges Vezina (PSA GOOD 2) as well as the card of rugged Senators blueliner, King Clancy (PSA VG+ 3.5), this astonishing set of cards bring up the question of Champ's or Champs, since newspaper ads back in the day, along with actual cigarette packs, feature "Champs" while the back of the cards themselves reading "Champ's Cigarettes." For the rest of the graded cards, specimens housed comfortable in their holders for preservation and display include the likes of Reg Noble (HOF – PSA VG+ 3.5), Frank Nighbor (HOF – PSA VG 3), Harry Broadbent (HOF – PSA VG 3), Cy Denneny (HOF – PSA VG 3), Clint Benedict (HOF - PSA GOOD 2), Sylvia Mantha (HOF – PSA GOOD 2), Sprague Cleghorn (HOF – PSA GOOD 2), Alex Connell (RC – HOF – PSA GOOD 2), C.A. “Babe” Dye (HOF – PSA GOOD 2), Clarence “Hap” Day (RC – HOF – PSA FR 1.5), Hooley Smith (RC – HOF – PSA FR 1.5) and Jack Adams (HOF – PSA PR 1). For the rest of the set, remaining in raw ungraded form, the rookie card of Dutch Cain is seen as being in the scope of EX condition while VG range cardboard includes the likes of Lloyd Andrews' RC, Fred Lowrey's RC, Wilfrid Coutu, Edmond Bouchard, Mickey Roach, Robert McKinnon's RC, Alfred Skinner's RC and George Redding's RC. Next, cards seen as being in the vicinity of GOOD condition include Albert McCaffery RC, Stanton Jackson, Bert Corbeau, John Ross Roach, Frank Finnigan RC, Louis Berlinquette RC, Gerald Munro RC, Jesse Spring, Redvers Green, Shorty Green (HOF), Werner Schnarr RC, Carson Cooper RC, Herbert Mitchell RC and lastly, the RC of Norman Fowler. Rounding out the rest of the set, examples of Albert Holway RC, Mickey O’Leary RC, Earl Campbell RC, Odie Cleghorn, Louis Langlois RC, Billy Burch (HOF), Ken Randall, Goldie Prodger, Vernon Forbes and James Herberts RC are viewed as being in the neighborhood of FR condition while those of Chris Speyers RC, Bob Boucher RC, Fred Hitchman RC, George Carroll RC, Samuel Rothschild RC, Duncan Munro RC, Ganton Scott RC, Charles Dinsmore RC, Billy Boucher and Curley Headley’s RC are in the range of PR. Additionally, a KSA graded copy of The Stanley Cup is also present and accounted for, housed in an older style holder with the card displaying a VG 3 designation over its label at the top. A truly remarkable and seldomly seen assembly that is sure to become a staple in your all-important vintage collection!
It must be noted that the grading standards followed by KSA may not correspond to those currently employed by PSA, BGS or SGC. The outcome of an attempted cross-over of this piece through any of those services, then, would be uncertain and cannot be guaranteed.
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