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2.
1937 O-Pee-Chee Die-Cut #118 Joe DiMaggio .................. SGC
96 - $150,000
 The
one and only Mint example. This spectacular single
is definitively one of Joltin' Joe's three scarcest and enormously desirable
cardboard images. Very cleverly designed, this visually stunning rendering
contains the most beautiful baseball card imagery of The Yankee Clipper,
as it depicts him in his legendary batting stance. Years later, much more
common issues like the 1940 and 1941 Play Ball cards simply copied this
vivid O-Pee-Chee original, which represented Joe's Rookie Season as a
New York Yankee. Categorically, a complete and total condition anomaly,
this truly Mint 96 SGC graded gem exhibits fresh-from-the-pack qualities
that are vastly superior to any other 1930s gum card. Aside from perfect
centering and brand-new corners, this is one of the only known copies
that, in addtion to being incredibly well printed, is shockingly ghost-white
and untoned. This is in stark contrast to the next two highest-graded
examples -- both PSA 8s. Easily the best condition specimen in existence
and among the most valuable pieces of Joe DiMaggio nostalgia!
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3. 1935 National Chicle
#34 Bronko Nagurski .......................... SGC 96 - SOLD!
Once every century, an antiquity is discovered that is so incredibly rare,
unbelievably well-preserved and valuable, that it completely and remarkably
astounds the collecting and investing world. Clearly,
this is the most amazing card graded by SGC since they encapsulated the
MINT 96 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle from the Commerce, Oklahoma Find! This
most important and classic issue features the Rookie Card of World Champion
Chicago Bear and first tier Hall of Fame running back, Bronko Nagurski!
He was decidedly, the player most responsible for ushering in the golden
era of the National Football League and is generally considered the “Babe
Ruth” of football. Of the extremely limited population of this card, only
a handful have been graded NM/MT and this is the one and ONLY Mint example!
The colors are vibrant, brilliant and bright. The borders are stark white
and the surface sheen is unequaled by any other. Most importantly, the
corners are sharper that one could ever imagine! This card is so
remarkably well-preserved that it is a Mint 9 by ANY grading company's
standards! Unquestionably, and by far, the most dynamic example
of the most precious and legendary football card in the world! It has
no equal -- there can never be another!
4. 1933 Goudey Sport Kings #38 Bobby Jones ...........................
SGC 96 - $75,000
An absolutely
stunningly perfect example of the Greatest and Most Valuable Golf Card
in the World. What makes this card really
special is that it has 100% original razor sharp corners and astonishing
centering! One of only two examples graded Mint by any grading
service! Bobby established a one-year, amateur to professional success
story that no other golfer could hope to achieve. The only way that one
can even begin to compare Tiger Woods to Bobby Jones would be if Tiger
had won his two NCAA Championships, the British Open and the U.S. Open
in his first try and in the same year! If
you follow golf, you will understand this and you will also fully comprehend
why Bobby Jones, despite a very short career, can be considered the greatest
golfer of all-time. Easily PRISTINE or GEM MINT 10 by any other grading
company's standards, NO ONE could ever argue that this unbelievable gem
is the hobby's best known copy!
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5. 1933 Goudey Sport Kings
#2 Babe Ruth ................................ SGC 92 - SOLD!
Perhaps the best known
example of the 1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth in the hobby!
With near-perfect centering, exceptional and unbelievably fresh color,
perfect edges, untoned borders, and four extremely sharp corners, this
card HAS NO EQUAL. Even some PSA 9s pale in comparison and just do not
have the same visual appeal as this one of a kind GEM!
One of the all-time greatest images of the Sultan
of Swat and virtually impossible to find in top grade with this type of
centering. In fact, we would challenge ANYONE to find an equivalent Sport
Kings Ruth! It just cannot be done!
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6. 1909 T206 Ty Cobb (Bat
Off Shoulder) UZIT Reverse ............ PSA 6 - SOLD!
 One
of Ty Cobb’s most popular and appealing prewar issues. This particular
version was distributed with Uzit mouth piece cigarettes and to date,
is the only known graded example!
As such, it has been identified by collectors as one of the most important
20th century baseball cards. For the Cobb collector who has nearly everything,
this card is unquestionably scarcer than either the Honus Wagner or the
Ty Cobb “brand” back variety. Its significance is further enhanced by
Professional Sports Authenticator which has assigned a grade of Excellent
to Mint (PSA 6) to this specimen. Well centered with unbelievably strong
and vibrant color. An unprecedented and unique investment opportunity!
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here to view larger image
7. 1936 Word Wide Gum #51 Joe DiMaggio ..............................
SGC 84 - SOLD!
Joe DiMaggio defined baseball excellence and splendor in all aspects of
the game. In only 13 War shortened seasons, he marshaled the New
York Yankees to 10 American League Pennants and 9 World Championships.
One of the only players to be named All-Star every season he played, The
Yankee Clipper led the league in Runs, Triples, Home Runs, RBIs, Batting
Average, Slugging Percentage and Fielding Percentage (in 1947 he made
only one error). This 3-time MVP is one of the only players to have an
almost perfect 1 to 1 ratio of Home Runs to Strikeouts -- almost unheard
of for a power hitter. This Hall of Famer's 56 game hitting streak in
1941 remains today as one of the most legendary and most difficult to
eclipse records. A captivating player who enthralled legions of devoted
fans throughout the World with his consummate professionalism both on
and off the field.
Easily, the highest graded Joe DiMaggio Rookie Card in the Hobby!
When you consider that there are at least twice as many Zeenut (PCL or
minor league) Rookies as the elusively impossible 1936 World Wide Rookies,
it is completely understandable how this is one of the 2 most valuable
cards found in the entire Country of Canada. We have personally seen at
least a dozen Zeenuts and only six of these condition and quantity scarce
1936 Joe DiMaggio Rookies. An extremely strong SGC Near Mint 7 example
-- ask yourself the last time you had an opportunity to buy one of these
in any condition. Even the Barry Halper example was only Good (autographed).
Not surprisingly, the highest PSA-graded example is a 3 (VG), with a total
population of only 4 specimens submitted in almost a decade! Start with
the rarest Rookie Card in the hobby or finally finish your Hall of Fame
Card collection with the toughest Joe DiMaggio of them all!
8. 1936 World Wide #18
Howie Morenz ...................................... SGC 96 -
$50,000
The most valuable hockey card in the World, featuring the greatest
player from before World War II. "The Babe Ruth of Hockey" was
easily the most gifted and recognized athlete in his sport for the first
half of the 20th Century. 3 Stanley Cup Championships, All-Star Appearances
and Scoring Championships (Hart Trophy) were all part of his dynamic career.
Sadly, on January 28, 1937, his leg was broken in a game, and he died
of complications only 6 weeks later. In 1945, the "Canadian Comet" was
one of the first 12 men elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. This incredible
card is from the most valuable 1930s gum card sets and it is the premier
card in the series. The only period card of Morenz known in Mint condition,
it is certainly a centerpiece of any fine card collection. If you only
buy one hockey card in your life, make sure that you make it this magnificently
perfect Mint 9 Gem! Graded and encapsulated by SGC, it is a tremendous
value and lifetime investment.
 9.
1915 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb ............ SGC 92 - SOLD!
One of the key cards from the popular and attractive 1915 Cracker Jack
Series! A spectacular card possessing four sharp corners, perfect picture
quality, white borders, and virtually perfect centering. A gorgeous image
of a reposed Ty Cobb contemplating his next act of entropy while standing
ready to club another record setting base hit. One of the finest
examples of a 1915 Cobb on the planet. Truly Outstanding!
Click here to view larger image
10. 1948 Leaf #76 Ted Williams
................................................. SGC 96 - SOLD!
 A
Spectacular card with 50/50 centering and four perfect corners!
The Spendid Splinter was the batting champion for 1948. Of course, Teddy
Ballgame also led the league in doubles, walks, slugging and on-base percentage.
If you compare this exceptional SGC Mint 9 to other "Mint" examples,
you will undoubtedly see the difference! Unless you have access to several
cases of unopened packs, and are extremely lucky, you will never find
a better condition 1948 Leaf Ted Williams! Click
here to view larger image
11. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko ....................................................
SGC 88 - SOLD!
 Unbelievably
fresh with four GEM MINT corners -- taken straight from a pack!
This superb copy is so vividly colorful, reflectively glossy, and brilliantly
bright that it actually glows! In fact the borders are so magnificently
white that they practically luminesce. Although it would not have really
mattered who was selected by Mr. Berger as the #1 card in most popular
baseball card set in the land, Andy Pafko is, to the best of our knowledge,
the only player to be part of three different National League World Series
teams (1945 Cubs, 1952 Dodgers & 1957-1958 Braves). If you are absolutely
resolute in collecting a quality 1952 Topps baseball card set, you should
start it off right with what is, without much argument, the best overall
example of the first 1952 Topps card in the World!
Click here to view larger image
12. 1954 Bowman #66 Ted Williams ..........................................
SGC 92 - SOLD!
 The
highest SGC-graded 1954 Bowman Ted Williams in the Hobby!
There are literally a bevy of NM-MT (44+) singles and perhaps that creates
a very real problem for the discriminating collector who desires Mint-quality
condition! This example has the sharpest corners and best gloss you will
ever see. In addition, the color, focus, registration and white borders
are incredibly intense. In fact, if this specimen was 10% better centered
it would certainly have been graded Gem Mint. I have seen 7 examples taken
directly from unopened packs and not one of them is this nice! Of course
in 1954, the greatest hitter in baseball also paced the Major Leagues
in On Base Percentage at .516, the third highest of his career. One of
the best known hobby example of this extremely rare short printed card--one
of the four most valuable Post WWII baseball cards! Click
here to view larger image
13. 1936 World Wide Gum #96
Lou Gehrig ................................ SGC 88 - $40,000
The highest graded example of Lou Gehrig's very
last card and certainly, one of his toughest! Until now,
the best known graded example of this elusive card was only a PSA 6 (EX-MT).
This outstanding SGC Near Mint to Mint 8 exhibits marvelous centering,
fresh white borders, vivid contrast and four sharp corners. Over the past
23 years, we have seen at least 15 different legitimate (not cut from
a sheet or trimmed) T206 Wagners. Examples of the World's most valuable
card have ranged from Poor to Excellent. During this same time period,
we have observed only a dozen or so copies of the vaunted 1936 World Wide
issue of the Iron Horse. Similarly, the average condition of this rarity
generally falls within the Poor to Excellent range. It is not unremarkable
that this featured example is not only the best, but the best by two entire
grade levels! In fact, it is one of only two NM-MT 8s (the other is Chuck
Klein) among all of the cards in the entire set! Other than this one,
there are exactly 5 different "key" cards of Lou Gehrig -- 4
Goudeys and a DeLong. Cumulatively, there are at least 7 NM-MT copies
of the other main Lou Gehrig singles (105 graded total) and still only
one NM-MT 8 World Wide. This card truly epitomizes the word "rare"!
Click
here to view larger image
14. 1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle .............................
SGC 96 - SOLD!
A legendary baseball titan.
Appearing on only his third Bowman issue, Mantle demonstrates the form
that made him the American League's most powerful switch hitter. With
536 lifetime home runs and another 18 in the World Series (a record),
this three-time MVP (1956, 1957, 1962) remains today as one of the sport's
greatest heroes. Indescribably perfect are the best words for this spectacular
gem -- perfect centering, perfect picture quality, perfectly white borders,
perfectly sharp corners, and enough gloss to give this glorious image
of Mantle a perfectly surreal glow! A very low population scarcity. Quite
simply, the BEST of the best! Click
here to view larger image
15. 1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose Rookie (Vending) ....................
SGC 96 - SOLD!
Probably the most undervalued and greatest potential of any Hall of Fame
Rookie Card in all of collecting. This is,
without question, the finest Charlie Hustle Rookie Card known! Perfect
centering (even the back is well-centered), four razor sharp corners,
brilliantly white borders, flawless printing, bright color, exact registration,
astounding focus and multiple layers of gloss are only some of the incredible
qualities that this superb card exudes. Do not wait until Rose enters
Cooperstown, make the shrewd investment now! Click
here to view larger image
16. 1924 Willard's Chocolates
#39 Ty Cobb .............................. SGC 92 - $30,000
 Ty
Cobb's last full season as player and manager for the Detroit Tigers!
Produced by the Willard Candy company in Toronto, the three baseball players
in this 56-card set received only sporadic distribution in the United
States. That factor, combined with the extremely fragile nature of the
card stock, makes this one of Cobb's toughest cards in top grade. With
four Mint corners, a clean white reverse side, perfect image quality,
superb contrast, and outstanding centering, this condition scarcity is
the only one of its kind in the world! For the Cobb collector who thought
he had everything! Click
here to view larger image
17. 1921 E121 American
Caramel Ty Cobb ............................... SGC 88 - $30,000
Regarded by some as the Best Player of All-Time and given Cobb's incredible
statistical records, there really can be no argument! With a career batting
average of .366 (highest in Baseball History), Ty Cobb was the top vote
getter as one of the five original members elected to the Hall of Fame!
During his storied career, the "Georgia Peach" led the league in batting
twelve times, was the leader in hits eight times, stole home 35 times,
and eclipsed 100 RBI seven times. This Triple Crown winner led the league
an almost unbelievable 75 times among 13 categories. Additionally, he
even paced all outfielders in fielding percentage and played in three
consecutive World Series Championships.
Despite only leading the league in Home Runs once, his ability and desire
were unmatched by anyone. One of the more dramatic stories involves Cobb's
disdain for Babe Ruth and Home Run hitting. Ty Cobb maintained a split-hand
grip that allowed great control, but limited his power. His way of thinking
was simply that hitting round tripper took no particular talent. To demonstrate
his hypothesis he changed his grip for the game against the Browns on
May 5, 1925. At age 39, Cobb hit 3 home runs in this contest and 2 more
the next day. In every aspect of the game, Cobb was absolutely phenomenal!
In life, he was equally successful, accumulating one of the largest fortunes
of any baseball player up to the time of his death. A true American story
of excellence!
Perhaps the finest known caramel card in collecting history. Certainly,
the finest known Ty Cobb card of its kind and the only NM-MT copy ever
found. Graded NM-MT 8 by SGC, it would certainly have been graded Mint
9 by other companies. The borders are purely white, the corners are extremely
sharp and the imagery if poignantly vivid. The incredibly wonderful quality
of the superb single perfectly matches the ability of the greatest hitter
in baseball history.
18. 1911 C55 #38 Georges Vezina
.............................................. SGC 88 - SOLD!
Easily the most valuable hockey card in the World! The
first and greatest goalie depicted on his Hall of Fame Rookie Card in
the very first cataloged hockey card set. Despite extremely fragile card
stock, this unbelievable card is almost Mint. Brilliant white borders,
very sharp corners, fresh-from-the-pack appearance, superb focus, fantastic
registration and great centering make this unique specimen one of a kind
and the hobby's most historically important ice hockey card!
Click here to
view larger image
19. 1933 Canadian Goudey
#55 Lou Gehrig ............................... SGC 88 - SOLD!
One of the finest athletes and greatest human beings ever to don a Major
League Uniform. Chief among the Highest Level Hall of Famers, the Iron
Horse played first base for the World Champion New York Yankees an amazing
13 straight seasons, without missing a single game. During his remarkable
career, one that was shortened by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou played
in 7 different World Series classics, the first six All-Star games and
led the league 37 times among all of the major offensive categories (Games,
At Bats, Runs, Hits, 2Bs, 3Bs, HRs, RBIs, BBs, Average, On-Base-Percentage
and Slugging Average). No other player has ever accomplished this feat!
A true hero, Lou Gehrig represented the highest level of determination,
excellence and achievement in the history of baseball! Many times scarcer
than American counterparts, this World Wide (Canadian Goudey) version
is absolutely spectacular and is the finest known example. This superb
SGC graded copy has many of the finest qualities known on any Goudey Gehrig.
The centering is approaching perfection. The corners are extremely sharp.
The wonderful registration and focus, along with deep dark rich color
vaults the imagery to World Class proportions. The most attractive and
best quality NM-MT Gehrig in the Land!
20. 1937 O-Pee-Chee #120
Bob Feller ...................................... SGC 92 - $25,000
Despite losing almost four seasons to World War II, "Rapid Robert" won
266 games and maintained a .621 win percentage. His fastball is said to
have rivaled Nolan Ryan's "Express" and he led the league in wins 6 times,
including the 1951 season -- the year of this card. This 8-Time All-Star
sandwiched the finest pitching career of this time period around World
War II and paced all American League hurlers 44 times among 14 statistical
categories. He won a World Championship ring in 1948 and led the Cleveland
Indians to another Fall Classic in 1954. In 1962, he became the first
pitcher to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility!
One of the greatest pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball!
A perfect Mint 9 condition card by any company's standards, except SGC,
which graded this NM-MT+ 8.5, thereby making it the World's best condition
Bob Feller Rookie Card! Wow! Fantastically well-preserved for almost two-thirds
of a Century, this outstanding single is fresh-from-the-pack and ready
for even the most discriminating collector. Razor sharp and remarkable
in ever way, do not let this extremely rare card escape your investment
portfolio.
21. 1953 Bowman Color #121 Yogi
Berra ................................... SGC 96 - SOLD!
There are a precious few (only 7) of these Mint 9s and this brilliant
gem is perhaps the best of the group. Why? Because it is
better centered, has whiter borders, has better color, has better focus,
has more gloss, is fresher, has a better surface, has much sharper corners
and most importantly, it is FULL-SIZED. Do not be fooled, this rare, high-numbered,
Hall of Fame single is not only one of the most important and best-looking
baseball cards around but this particular specimen is the Best!
Click
here to view larger image
22. 1940 Play Ball #225 "Shoeless"
Joe Jackson ...................... SGC 88 - SOLD!
 An
absolutely stunning example! With possible Hall of Fame
induction in the near future, this card enjoys one of the greatest potentials
of all prewar issues. Uncommonly good centering, four sharp corners and
excellent clarity highlight what could be the best 1940 Play Ball Joe
Jackson ever! With not a single example graded higher, this near-perfect
gem is scarcer that many other notables from the same time period including
the 1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio and the 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams. The
player that legends were made of, Joe Jackson never hit below .300 and
was ranked by many of his contemporaries, including Babe Ruth, as the
best hitter of his era. Click
here to view larger image
23. 1914 Crack Jack #103 "Shoeless"
Joe Jackson ................. SGC 60 - SOLD!
Taking all cards in to consideration, including the T206 Wagner
and 1933 Lajoie, the 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson remains as one of the
scarcest baseball cards today in top grade! This fine copy possesses many
attributes of a Near Mint card including four square corners, white borders,
superb color and image quality, and an appearance unmarred by an candy
staining. Remarkably, the reverse side is as outstanding as the front!
Only a tiny defect near the top of the card prevents it from grading much
higher. With the highest previous grades consisting of only two SGC 40s,
this is the Highest Graded Copy by SGC! Don't
wait until "Shoeless" Joe makes the Hall of Fame to buy his
scarcest card!
24. 1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams
................................................ SGC 92 - SOLD!
With only 4 examples of this card graded higher than an "8"
by either PSA or SGC, this remains one of the scarcest high-grade 1950s
baseball cards and toughest postwar issues. Visually, a
MINT condition card! Remarkably, this stunning specimen has brilliant
color, none of the typical printing imperfections, and a PERFECTLY mint
reverse side! Absolutely fantastic! Easily worthy of either a PSA 9 or
SGC 96 holder with its exceptional quality and visual appeal! The best
of the best!
Click here to view larger image
25. 1938 Goudey Heads-Up #250
Joe DiMaggio ...................... SGC 86 - SOLD!
With Strong Near Mint to Mint corners and 60/40 centering, this
card is every bit as many PSA 8s! A unique card design employing the art
style popular during the 1930s art-deco/popart era. Why spend SMR ($13,000)
or auction prices ($15,000+) for this card in a PSA "8" holder
when a superior condition and more strictly graded SGC card is available
for thousands less? Compare the quality and you'll understand why we can
make the guarantee that this card is every bit as good as a PSA 8 or your
money back! SGC cards are hot -- find out why! Very reasonably
priced for one of the most famous of all Goudey Rookie Cards!
Click here to view larger image
26. 1887 N172 Old Judge Comiskey
(St. Louis Champions) ..... SGC 84 - SOLD!
Appropriately nicknamed "The Old Roman", Charles Comiskey enjoyed
a spectacular season in 1887 in which he hit .335, stole an amazing 117
bases, scored 139 runs, and drove in 103 for the St. Louis Brown Stockings
of the American Association. Also, a manager for the team, Comiskey led
St. Louis to a first place finish. Then, in 1900, he founded the Chicago
White Stockings by bringing a St. Paul minor league team (which he owned)
to the American League. Without reservation, one of the scarcest of all
19th century Hall of Fame cards -- only two examples have been graded
by SGC (the other, a Vg-Ex 4). Superb contrast, untoned borders, spectacular
centering, sharp corners, and an uncommonly even cut make this the
best N172 Comiskey in the hobby!
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27. 1887 N172 Old Judge C. Alcott
(Taken from Old Judge Pack) .... SGC 98 - SOLD!
Among all of the grading companies, there are literally only
a handful of N172 Old Judge singles graded Mint. However,
there is ONLY ONE GEM MINT 10. Furthermore, this Gem
Mint 10 is the only known example that was found in a completely intact
and unopened Old Judge Cigarette package. In fact, it is unlikely that
another such find has occurred in the last 100 years. As such, it is,
and always will be the only Pedigreed Gem Mint 10 example. In fact,
SGC, which is the strictest grader of 19th Century baseball cards, has
never even graded a Mint 9! While no card is completely flawless, this
card is significantly nicer than any other known N172. First, This
is the only Old Judge with four original, razor sharp, Gem Mint, and Perfect
corners! The imagery is unquestionably superb. The contrast, focus
and registration are absolutely incredible. Furthermore, the edges are
fresh and clean and the reverse is literally fresh-from-the-pack! The
clarity of the depicted Charles Alcott, third baseman for Mansfield (the
only Mansfield player in the set!), is absolutely stunning. Remember,
while the only auctioned PSA Mint 9 Old Judge climbed to more than $30,000.00
on eBay, this vastly superior example embodies GEM MINT 10 PERFECTION!
Click
here to view larger image
28. 1951-52 Parkhurst #66 Gordie
Howe Rookie ...................... SGC 92 - SOLD!
Pronouncing this as the best graded Gordie Howe rookie card in the land
is no exaggeration! Mint corners and some of the deepest,
most abundant color we have ever seen make this an absolutely unbelievably
high-end Hall of Fame Rookie Card of one of the greatest players in hockey
folklore! The most valuable and best condition postwar hockey card
in the world!
Click
here to view larger image
29. 1956 Topps #135 Mickey
Mantle ........................................ SGC 92 - $6,500
One of the greatest New York Yankees pictured during
his MVP, Triple-Crown season of 1956. This 14-time American
League All-Star enjoyed one of baseball's finest seasons while scoring
132 runs, driving in 130, batting .353, and hitting 52 round-trippers.
Not surprisingly, the condition of this fabulous nostalgic rendering of
Mickey Mantle is every bit as prodigious as the season it embodies --
four sharp corners, fantastically precise centering, glowingly vivid color,
and perfect registration. Even the reverse side is free from all defects.
As good or better than many 1956 Mantles graded "Mint", this
example is the highest graded by SGC thus far!
Click here to view larger image
30. 1952 Bowman #218 Willie
Mays .......................................... SGC 92 - SOLD!
Willie Mays earned eleven Gold Gloves, set records for career putouts
and total chances, and was the first player to hit 300 home runs and steal
300 bases. The "Say Hey Kid" is pictured here in only his second
major league season. Dangerously sharp corners, untoned borders, and good
color make this condition scarcity one of May's toughest high-grade cards.
This is the highest graded example by SGC and the equal of many Mint
9s! Click
here to view larger image
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