1909 Ty Cobb Tobacco Shipping Crate???

[UKCardGuy]

Not sure if anyone saw this auction that closed yesterday.

https://hibid.com/lot/166493402/ty-c...cco-wooden-box

What are the chances that it's a real item vs a fantasy piece?

I was watching it but couldn't see enough to overcome my suspicious mind.

Either someone's gotten the deal of the century or they overpaid for a decorative fantasy piece.

[jimq16415]

I don't know if it's real but here's a little PSA article that mentions both Cobb and the F.R.Penn co https://www.psacard.com/articles/art...inauctions-com.

[bigfanNY]

Very attractive box. But I do not believe it ever shipped Ty Cobb tins. Just to much. Built like a piece of furniture rather than a utilitarian box for shipping $2.40 worth of tobacco tins. Printed shipping labels for every customer?

[pherbener]

I would love for this to be real but I just don't buy it. Way too much effort put in for something mass produced. Plus it's so clean. I would expect it to look more like this if there were any surviving.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-l...2-c-41047c5bb7

[Hankphenom]

Man, somebody really made a gorgeous piece of functional art, whether it was yesterday or 100 years ago. Of course, the mind rebels at the very idea this could be real, but those tins had to be shipped in something, didn't they? There's so much information on this thing, who can find a fly in the ointment? Otherwise, I don't know...

[MGHPro]

It’s modern but boy is it nice

[chalupacollects]

Seems to me the way printing on all four corners of the lid have some discoloration whereas the rest of cover does not. Like every me one did some sanding or something. Jumps right out at you…


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[doug.goodman]

I have no way of forming an opinion as to it's authenticity, but dang it sure does look cool.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by chalupacollects

Seems to me the way printing on all four corners of the lid have some discoloration whereas the rest of cover does not. Like every me one did some sanding or something. Jumps right out at you…


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This was the thing that for me pushed it away from maybe towards no.

The crate itself is pretty typical for the era, almost everything got shipped in similar small crates. And the printing was either stenciled on, or pressed into the wood and colored. I'm not sure, but that may have been one step.

At best, it's been improved by repainting or staining the printed areas which look recessed and sanding off the excess.
At worst, it's a blank old crate that's been taken apart, laser etched and reassembled. If that was done they got some stuff right, but probably went a bit overboard on the graphics.

[smokelessjoe]

This thing appears to be a fantasy piece. It looks like they pulled all the information off of the net54 thread we had years ago. They even used the newspaper advertisements I posted on net54 for the graphics on the sides of the crate.
Enjoy the fantasy