Lot # 228: Newly Discovered 1949 Aero Service Station Ralph Kiner PSA GOOD 2 (mc) - Only Known or Graded!

Who says that great finds still don't happen in the hobby?! Completely unknown prior to late 2024, the 1949 Aero Service Station issue was introduced to the collecting world through an unlikely eBay listing of St. Louis Cardinals star Joe Garagiola. Since then, a battered Joe DiMaggio surfaced and sold in Summer 2025 for $19k+, the first such example to surface through an auction house. As such, it stands to reason that vintage hobbyists the world over would comb through their collections seeking to add to the checklist. In a stroke of unbelievable fortune, our consignor found not one, but two new entries to the 1949 Aero Service Station catalog (each offered as separate lots in this auction)!

The 1949 Aero Service Station issue appears to be inextricably linked to the already incredibly rare Schumacher Service Station edition of the same year. These “kissin’ cousins” both measure nearly 2-5/8 x 3-1/2” and feature black-and-white portraits placed above crudely typed player/team name identifiers. The reverse is much more colorful for each issue with the Aero Service Station implementing blue-and-orange advertising text including the addresses for a pair of St. Louis area locations that are only a “stone’s throw” apart. The checklists otherwise appear identical.

Graded GOOD 2 by PSA with an (mc) qualifier. Proudly offered is a 1949 Aero Service Station exemplar of Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. This possibly one-of-a-kind regional is crease-free with only a hint of surface foxing or printing imperfections. The reverse displays a 2-1/2” hint of residue which is surmised to have originated from the packaging of a stick of bubble gum. However, as is the case with so many unique finds, technical grades are hardly relevant. This monumental proposition is probably a once-in-a-lifetime bidding opportunity for the most advanced of regional or Hall of Fame Type card collector.