Lefty Grove and the Diamond Stars

I'm taking a break from the constant string of trade posts tonight to showcase a new highlight of my Red Sox collection, my first true vintage Lefty Grove card!

I've talked about these National Chicle Diamond Stars cards numerous times now.  I'll go ahead and say it again though, I think they're beautiful cards.  I guess it's a combination of the smaller size, the fact that they're illustrated/painted vs photographs, and the fantastic art deco-style backgrounds.  Lefty Grove was the biggest name in the set as far as the Red Sox are concerned, so finally landing a copy of this one was a huge win for me.

Here's a closer look.  The card was graded a "lowly" 1 by PSA, probably because of some rounded corners and surface wrinkles.  To me, it's perfect, and I can honestly say that I have no desire to ever upgrade this copy (keep in mind the wear you see on Grove's hat is part of the original painting).

The backs are less exciting, but what do you want from a card that was printed a good 80 years ago or more?  At the bottom of the write-up we get the warning to young pitchers about not pushing it too hard, which I've seen on other vintage cards before.

This card represents a major victory for my collection in another sense though, as it completes what is now my oldest team set by a long shot.  Check it out!

Despite being just 6 cards in size, that's easily one of the most rewarding projects I've completed since returning to collecting.  Feels awesome to put this one to bed!