Meanwhile, a number of card collectors who doubted the card contacted eBay and demanded that the card's listing on the website be removed. And perhaps no card is as revered as a T206 Honus Wagner. Heritage Auctions handled the sale of the card, which exceeded pre-auction estimates. Examining Font In Player's Name On Front Of T206 Card One of the first areas to examine when authenticating a T206 card is the front text area where the player's last name and team name are located on the bottom of the card. The T206 Honus Wagner card is quite simply in a league of its own and a mere pipe dream for millions of collectors. 3, July/August 2008, p. 4. Copeland's sizable transaction revitalized interest in the sports memorabilia collection market. Gretzky resold the card four years later to Walmart and a company called Treat Entertainment for $500,000. You can learn more about this particular card here. History is just a couple of mouse clicks away. In 1939, for instance, a pioneering collector named Jefferson Burdick, who incidentally coined the T206 name for the series, valued the card at $50 (roughly $1,000 today, accounting for inflation); most other cards in his catalog were listed for less than $1. Hughes admitted to knowing that the card had been altered when he graded it. In many cases going to a collector one would worry they might undervalue with the hope of buying the collection. T206 Honus Wagner All Cigarette Tobacco Card Back Backs Reprint Novelty 16 Card Lot 5 out of 5 stars (5) $ 19.99. He threatened to seek legal action against ATC if they went ahead and distributed his baseball card. No T206 Honus Wagner card has graded higher than PSA 8 NM-MT but if one is ever to be found in better shape than thatwho knows what its value would be? [27] They stopped production of the card, however, after Wagner denied authorization. Unsurprisingly, the ATC asked for Wagner's permission to have his picture on a baseball card. If you hang around this hobby long enough, you'll find there are many quirks in how baseball card values are determined. The 1909 T206 Wagner is considered the "Holy Grail" of sports card and the SCG 3 is one of the five best-known examples in existence. This is a sharp reprint of the famous T-206 Wagner card. [70] Cobb, like Mastro back in the late 1980s, does not divulge the exact details of how he came to own the card. Other notable authentic T206 Wagner cards, The PSA grades card based on a 110 scale. His granddaughter, Blair, remarked that "[h]e loved children. That's where the demand comes into play. Thank you for your response. Five years later, in 2005, another PSA 2 card sold for $237,000. [51] Four years later, on July 5, 2000, Gidwitz partnered with eBay and Robert Edwards Auctions to start a 10-day online auction for the card. I imagine theyd be very eager to grade your card. [37], The circumstances regarding how Ray came into possession of the Gretzky T206 Wagner have been shrouded in mystery. Is it really? The Trout and the Mantle were just two in a slew of record or notable sales that also included a $5.2 million LeBron James card (which set a mark in April for a basketball card) and a $3.75 million Wayne Gretzky card (in June, a new peak for a hockey card). The card, produced by the American Tobacco Co. between 1909 and 1911 as part of what is now known as the T206 series of baseball cards, is in extremely limited supply and has been setting price records for more than 80 years, most recently in 2016 at $3.12 million. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. This early 20th-century card of Honus Wagner is one of just two copies known to exist. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 by Old Sports Cards, LLC, Wagner was upset at the company for using his likeness without sufficiently compensating him, Wagner did not want his image associated with tobacco and smoking since these cards usually found their way into the hands of kids. She consigned the card to Christie's, a New York-based auction house better known for selling famous artworks. Courtesy SCP Auctions The damaged Wagner card sold at auction recently for $475,960. Stock photo shown. Learn more - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab. By last count, there have been 57 known examples. It is graded PSA 1. skytuc_49 (0) Save seller. Your inbox approves RB enters top 10 Men's basketball . . "[14] These discrepancies were taken advantage of by so-called "card doctors", who trimmed corners and dirty edges to improve the appearance of the card. [61] In 2013, Mastro pleaded guilty, having entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, and admitted to trimming the Honus Wagner card in the mid-1980s to increase its value. 1910-1911 M116 Sporting Life Doc White SGC VG 3 Chicago White Sox FREE SHIP! It doesnt have his name on the front but the ink is brown on the team name. Although not quite as valuable as the previously mentioned Gretzky and Jumbo Wagners, this card is still impressively expensive considering even in poor condition it has sold for six figures! Note: Please note that this card is not an originally issued card, but rather a Reprint of the Original. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Linda (ID 58011) Once proven authentic, the card is potentially worth A LOT. [36] McNall orchestrated the plan to buy the card. It sold in March 2022 for $3,136,500, setting a record for a PSA 1 example.[89]. Then it has on the back the story about him not wanting his name associated with tobacco. Wagner held his fans in high regard, particularly the younger ones. Produced by the American Tobacco Company for its T206 series of baseball cards between 1909 and 1911, the Wagner has reached such mythical proportions that it is often simply called The Card. The next year, a Florida postal worker won the card and auctioned it at Christie's auction house for $640,000. Most collectors equate Honus Wagner with his T206 card and aren't aware of his playing day and later year cards that can fit into some collector budgets. With this proof as their claim to credibility, they proceeded to list the card on eBay but eventually had the listing removed due to the overwhelming number of questions the online auction marketplace received about the cards authenticity. He tried to avoid answering any questions regarding the matter but, in a 2001 interview, claimed to have received it from a relative, whose name he did not disclose. The publicity coverage of the Sotheby's auction renewed interest in the hobby of sports memorabilia collecting. Burdick had his reason. Bill Hughes[33] was the official grader of the card, working for PSA at the time. In February, 2007, Siegel then sold the card privately to an anonymous collector for $2.35 million. [20] He had appeared on advertisements for a number of other products such as chewing gum, gunpowder, and soft drinks. Elected to the Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, Wagner was truly one of the greats. The 1909-11 T206 card was graded in Good 2 condition on a scale of 1 to 10 from Sportscard Guaranty Corp (SGC). Do you know how much it is worth? One thing is certain, whenever a T206 Honus Wagner is sold, it will make national headlines. [47] The two companies intended to use the card as the grand prize in a promotional contest. He explained that all T-206s have dark brown letters printed for the team's name and player's name and this one was in black. Wagner was offered a $20,000 contract by the Chicago White Sox, but turned it down and continued to play with the Pirates. [16] The Wagner cards in particular advertised the Piedmont and Sweet Caporal brands of cigarettes and were produced at Factory 25 in Virginia, as indicated by the factory stamp imprinted on the back of the cards. The card is a T206 Honus Wagner -- one of the move coveted sports cards on the planet -- that dates back to 1909. On August 3, 2022, a SGC Grade 2 T206 Honus Wagner card sold for $7.25 million in a private sale, breaking the record for the most expensive card. He refused American Tobacco Co.s request to use his image, which led to the company ceasing production of his card. Its called the Jumbo Wagner. Copperfield had Gretzky sign a reprint of the card, then proceeded to tear the card into four pieces, after which he restored it and magically removed the signature. The next year, a Florida postal worker won the card and auctioned it at Christie's for $640,000 to collector Michael Gidwitz. The old record price for a T206 Wagner was $3.75 million, set in May. A mangled Honus Wagner baseball card, graded and authenticated by PSA more than 25 years ago and stashed away by a collector ever since, just sold for way more than the average home in America. This is the real deal its truelly amazingI am a card expert and have spent 300 hours researching under magnification and every other testwanted to get a second opinion from a t206 card expert and and his conclusion is 100 per cent authentic so I got a third from a print expert and his opinion is 100 percent real. Contact seller; The T206 Honus Wagner card has long been viewed by collectors as the "Mona Lisa" of sports cards. A Proof Strip Exists: A 5-card strip featuring the Wagner card is known and was authenticated by SGC. The police launched an investigation, but found no evidence of wrongdoing. [5] These transactions have made the Wagner card the most valuable baseball card in history. The card was sent all across the United States, as part of Walmart's plan to rejuvenate the baseball card market. Included in the above auction, a PSA 1 card sold for $110,000. The T-206 is one of the reasons I do what I do and why serious collectors around the world love this hobby so much. Honus Wagner was a triple threat and an original Hall of Fame inductee. An IPS expert determined that the card dated back to 1910, which would be consistent to the time period when the card was distributed. It's rounded corners, creasing, and what looks to be a pinhole above his head are definite causes to be graded in poor condition. "[74] Afterwards, an appraiser named Bob Connelly valued the card at $850,000, based on the two previous paper analysis reports. Reader wrote that "[i]t is not at all uncommon to find T206 examples that have been altered at some point during their near-century of existence. The card long had a controversial past, as some speculate that it was once altered, most likely having been trimmed or cut from an undistributed sheet. Supply of the Honus Wagner card is minimal, however. Honus Wagner in 1905 In 1901, the American League began to sign National League players, creating a bidding war, which depleted the league of many talented players. Ray, who later stated he "had a money situation," agreed to Mastro's terms of the deal. I hve honus wagner card with his pic on front and wagner Pittsburgh at the bottom.on bck in red box honus wagner value 35000.00 1910 tobacco card then small storyis it valuable or worthless. Another raw T206 Wagner can be found at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. One such example is known in the industry as the 'Jumbo Wagner' [shown on the right]. )[40], In 1987, Mastro sold the Gretzky T206 Wagner to Jim Copeland, a San Luis Obispo, California, sporting-goods chain owner, for $110,000. We have 100's of thousands of cards, comics, records, coins, posters, and other collectiblesso check back often. Here's a look at some sales points of this card over the years: Because this particular T206 Honus Wagner card has an extra 1/16th of an inch of cardboard in its bottom border, it has been dubbed the "Jumbo Wagner". They should be able to tell pretty quick. The Wagner card is considered to be the Mona Lisa of baseball cards. There is thought to be fewer than 50 authenticated copies in the industry. The T206 Honus Wagner card is one of the most valuable cards in the hobby. Contact him at [emailprotected]. "There's a reason why no Wagner card has sold for less than it was previously purchased for -- the card is art, it's history, it's folklore.". People who can play at that level understand that this is an opportunity thats not going to come around often, Dwyer says, and so when you have an opportunity to acquire something that is so rare, that is so special and so revered, and that is in such good condition as the example that were selling, youre going to see tremendous interest and prices that generally are record-setting.. With more than a week remaining for potential buyers to enter the fray, the bidding has leapt across 18 bids from a reserve price of $1 million all the way up to $4,005,519. As Connelly pointed out, the collectors chose not to make bids because "[w]hen eBay pulled the card it raised too many questions about its authenticity."[76]. The folklore of the card hinges on its uber-rarity (somewhere between 50 and 60 copies exist) and multiple theories on why so few Wagners exist, including: Wagner's printing plate breaking during production, A copyright dispute between artist and tobacco company, The most popular theory, offered up by Wagner's family and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is that Wagner didn't want to promote smoking tobacco to children and asked the card be pulled from production, The most logical theory is Wagner realized he wouldn't be compensated fairly for his name, image and likeness and objected. A bidding competition between Mike Gidwitz, Mark Friedland and an unknown phone bidder ensued. However, a handful are known to have the Sweet Caporal 150 Series-Factory 30 advertisement. There are a couple of theories as to exactly why this was the case: Either way, there just aren't many T206 Honus Wagners to go around. Meanwhile, HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel decided to cover the progress of Cobb and Edwards' struggles with the card. In April 2011, that anonymous purchaser was revealed to be Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Honus Wagner 1914 Cracker Jack E145-1 #68 The beauty of the 1914 Cracker Jack set has not been forgotten. The size and scope of the deal revitalized interest in the sports memorabilia market as investors saw it as a means of sheltering money in turbulent economic times, free from the volatility of the stock market and other traditional investment tools. And since there's no indication they'll become cheaper anytime soon, the Honus Wagner card will remain a dream for many collectors as long as this hobby exists. LOL! To give you an idea, here are four of the most popular cards from the sets and their respective populations (number of them graded) by PSA currently: So, that should give you a good picture of how scarce Wagner's card is relative to others in the set. Since baseball cards were primarily used as a sales promotion, ATC removed them from its tobacco packs, almost driving the cards into obsolescence. My sentiments exactly gentlemen..Very very unkikely if not a guarantee that not a single card of the 10 mentioned here are authentic. [35] Bill Mastro, a sports memorabilia dealer who later founded Mastro Auctions and became one of the most powerful figures in the industry, heard the news, and immediately jumped on the offer. Brian Dwyer, owner and president of Robert Edward Auctions and who brokered the T206 sale, spoke with The Athletic on Tuesday . But the T206 Honus Wagner card he listed as the most expensive and valuable card of them all worth $50, about $1,000 in today's money. michael reardon If you have a local card shop, start there. [36] Mastro, with the financial backing of friend Rob Lifson, sought to improve the offer and had Ray add 50 to 75 of his other T206 series cards, including the rare T206 Eddie Plank, into the deal. I guess the next step is to take it to a local baseball card place. [10], Thereafter, the ATC was back in competition with other tobacco companies, so it reinserted baseball cards into cigarette packs. There's really no way of knowing for certain. Within five years, Copeland decided it was time to sell his card collection; he chose to sell his entire 873-piece collection in a single sale, through Mastro. However, this record was recently broken when a Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractors series rookie card with a card count of 1 sold in August 2020 for a record setting $3.93 million, and pushed further back by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that sold for $5.2 million in November 2020,[6] making Wagner the third most valuable baseball card in the world. It is the highest graded example to hit the market in the past six . "[80] The Roman Catholic nuns auctioned the card, which despite its poor condition was expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. Regardless, it's still a great baseball card and last sold for $403,664 in 2014. ! Honus Wagner's baseball card in the T206 series is one of the most coveted of its kind. In 1991, Copeland sold the card to ice hockey figures Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall for $451,000.
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