It’s news anytime a card from the 1894 Mayo’s football set comes up for auction and this week, we’re excited to not only have one of these ancient artifacts in our eBay listings but one that’s among the better examples you’ll find. This George Gray (misspelled Grey) is graded PSA 4 and certainly doesn't look 119 years old. I guess that’s why bidding has been so strong and we are certainly anxious to see where it winds up. The card is part of the 35-card set that featured the stars of the day—those Ivy Leaguers from Harvard, Yale and Princeton. This was more than two decades before the dawn of the National Football League and it’s the lone 19 th century trading card set that features only football players. There have been only 358 total graded by PSA; only 14 Gray cards and just 4 have been rated higher than this example. We've sold several Mayo cards before and they always attract attention from advanced collectors because of their scarcity and their place in hobby history. Easily the rarest football card set ever produced, these were put inside packages of Mayo’s Cut Plug Tobacco. It’s not a stretch to say many of those who opened the packs for the tobacco inside probably knew little, or perhaps nothing at all, about the game of football. How times have changed! If you're collecting the Mayo’s set, this is a card you'll want to own. If you have never purchased a rare, vintage football card, an example from the Mayo’s set would be a great one to launch your collection. Considering the low population, the historic nature and the quality of the card, it’s a can't miss prospect.
