This and a number of other postcards in this auction came from a single source. We thought we'd share the story in the seller's own words:

My grandparents operated a small antique store in upstate New York in the 1960's, and later a "trash and treasure" barn out in the country.

In addition to her "antiques", my grandmother was an avid postcard and stamp collector as well as a baseball fan.

In her mind, everything she had for sale (and EVERYTHING was always for sale) was "rare" and "valuable" but as it turned out, as it so often does, most of her stuff wasn't.

At some point before she passed in the 1990's, she gifted me with her "Baseball card collection" which consisted of a dozen or so junk-era sets and a handful of sports related postcards, including the PC 796 Ty Cobb. She was always proud of the Cobb card, but I just assumed it was more of "grandma's junk" and stashed it away. (For example, her collection also included a virtually worthless 1984 Donruss Champions #26 Ty Cobb postcard-sized card.)

I'm pretty sure I "googled" the Cobb several years ago and I thought I found it to be valued at $50 or so. This wasn't a surprise because I assumed that since it was a postcard it would not have the same collectibility as a cigarette card or a studio card, etc. And again, it was just more of "grandma's junk."

Earlier this year, I sold the junk era sets (cheap) to get rid of them. On a whim, I took a pic of the Cobb PC and brought it to the Vintage Show in Strongsville. Needless to say, I was surprised at the reaction. A friend of mine had done business with you in the past, and recommended I show it to you, and here we are...

While the technical grade is correct it has a ton more eye apeal than a couple other twos we have seen. Moderately OC to the upper left. Moderate to heavier corner wear with a very light crease in the lower right. The white dot in the upper left is a print flaw on every example of this card we can find, NOT damage. Postally unused with a stunning image of Cobb. One of those cards you have to grab when you see it because it's hard to guess when the next opportunity is going to come around!

For more lots that include Ty Cobb, click here