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In what seemed like an ordinary day at J&J Sports Cards/Got Baseball Cards in Loganville, Georgia, turned extraordinary when a local woman walked in with a cigar box that would make any card collector's heart skip a beat. Inside the box were about 600 strip cards from the 1920s, a treasure trove of sports and non-sports cards accumulated by a candy-loving youngster a century ago and preserved through generations.

This collection wasn't just any assortment of cards. It boasted 20 cards of baseball legend Babe Ruth, 15 of Ty Cobb, alongside other notable figures like Walter Johnson and Rogers Hornsby, revealing a slice of history through the popular figures of the time.

Owned by Joe Davis, the shop was suddenly in possession of a collection that included diverse names from the world of sports, with cards of boxing titan Jack Dempsey, golf's Walter Hagen, and tennis star Bill Tilden. Moreover, the collection spanned beyond sports, featuring early film icon Charlie Chaplin, aviator Charles Lindbergh, and several US presidents, showcasing the broad appeal of these early collectibles.

The discovery speaks volumes about the enduring allure of strip cards, produced in long strips and typically separated by the children who acquired them. Despite their rough condition due to their paper stock and the less-than-gentle handling over the years, their historical and sentimental value is immense.

The woman, aiming to maximize her return, worked with Davis' team to sort and assess the collection's value. With the shop's expertise in leveraging their grade to consign program, the most valuable cards, including those featuring Hall of Famers, are off to SGC for grading. Soon, these cards will find new homes, listed for sale on the Got Baseball Cards eBay store and the shop's website, continuing their journey from a century ago candy shop purchase to cherished collector's items.