One thing is certain, whenever a T206 Honus Wagner is sold, it will make national headlines. [56] The anonymous collector was later revealed to be Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick. United States v. American Tobacco Company, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, "Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner (ESPN Films' 30 For 30 Shorts)", "Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick reveals $2.8 million secret Honus Wagner card", "Honus Wagner baseball card sells for new record $3.12 million", "1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sells for record $5.2 million", "Honus Wagner Card Sells For $6.6 Million, The Third Record Baseball Card Sale In A Year", "Bill Mastro admits cutting T206 Honus Wagner card, pleads guilty to mail fraud", "Wagner A Wonder: One Player In Game Who Is Not Money Mad", "eBay invokes new rules for baseball card auction", "World Record of $2.8 Million Paid for Famed T206 Honus Wagner Baseball Card", "Grantland's 30 for 30 series examines The Card - the T206 Honus Wagner", "Wagner's Wild Card: Mystery has surrounded Honus T206 since 1909", "Baseball's Card of Cards Is Up for Grabs", "Legendary T206 Honus Wagner Baseball Trading Card for Sale on eBay", "T206 Honus Wagner Sold on eBay for $1.265 Million;", "Honus Wagner card sold for $2.35 million", "Honus Wagner card sells for record $2.8 million", "Memorabilia dealer admits to altering famed $2.8 million Honus Wagner card", "Sports memorabilia king Bill Mastro indicted on fraud charges", "Bill Mastro Honus Wagner Altered: Dealer Cops To Doctoring Most Valuable Baseball Card Ever Sold", "Judge tosses out Mastro's plea deal again", "Mastro Released from Federal Prison Camp", "Goldin Auctions Winter 2013 Auction Offers The Rare Chance To Own One Of Only Three 1909 Honus Wagner T206 Graded Excellent 5 Or Higher By PSA", "A Q&A About the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Baseball Card Collection", "Nuns cash in big on sale of Honus Wagner T-206 card", "Christmas comes early, thanks to a Haddonfield physician", "Nuns' Honus Wagner card goes to new buyer", "Rally Rd. A Honus Wagner baseball card, the most famous and among the rarest sports trading cards in the world, sold at auction Monday morning for a record $6.6 million. I imagine theyd be very eager to grade your card. Note: Please note that this card is not an originally issued card, but rather a Reprint of the Original. That looks like an even better bargain after a 2009 Mike Trout rookie card set a baseball card record at $3.9 million last August and a 1952 Mickey Mantle beat it with a $5.2 million sale price in January. [79] The card came with her brother's handwritten note: "Although damaged, the value of this baseball card should increase exponentially throughout the 21st century! An outraged Edwards dismissed the accusations as "bullshit," adding that they would not have been made "if we were white. I guess the next step is to take it to a local baseball card place. It topped the price sold in August 2021. Regardless of the specific reason, what is known is that, unlike other cards in the set, the T206 Honus Wagner is disproportionately short-printed compared to other cards in the series. [10] During the presidency of "trust-buster" Theodore Roosevelt, the ATC was subjected to legal action from the government, in hopes of shutting down the monopoly in the industry. Shop COMC's extensive selection of all items matching: 2022 topps 206 - honus wagner. "There is nothing on this earth like a T-206 card," said Ken Goldin, executive chairman and founder of Goldin, in a statement. Mr. Mangasarian said the card seemed authentic and stated he would attend the auction for the card later on if the card could be taken out of the thick lucite holder for a closer examination. 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. The card was sent all across the United States, as part of Walmart's plan to rejuvenate the baseball card market. [34], The Gretzky T206 Wagner first came to attention in 1985, when small-time Hicksville, New York card collector Alan Ray contacted Bob Sevchuk, the owner of a Long Island sports memorabilia store, to arrange a potential $25,000 deal for his T206 Honus Wagner card. . [69] Cobb and Edwards also have alleged that they have been dismissed because they are inner city black men in a hobby that has been dominated by successful white men. The phone bidder was Wayne Gretzky, who purchased the card with advice and financial backing from his 'boss' Bruce McNall, the owner of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. I am interested in selling my T206 Honus Wagner card. [87] Historical price increases and the state of the sports collectible market contributed to projections that the auction could set a new overall price record for the sale of a T206 Honus Wagner. We have 100's of thousands of cards, comics, records, coins, posters, and other collectiblesso check back often. "[22] However, Wagner chewed tobacco, and he had previously appeared in advertisements for many tobacco products, including a cigar baseball trading card in 1899 and a newspaper ad for Murad cigarettes during the 1909 World Series. Other notable authentic T206 Wagner cards, The PSA grades card based on a 110 scale. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! The card was designed and issued by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) from 1909 to 1911 as part of its T206 series. [29] The card became known as the "Gretzky T206 Wagner" to the public. He refused American Tobacco Co.s request to use his image, which led to the company ceasing production of his card. So this Wagner is a collectible that really does transcend the hobby.. Obviously, we need to get to $5 million before we can get to $6 million, before we can get to $7 million, says REA president Brian Dwyer, but based on the early activity, based on the reception and the interest that were seeing, we do believe that theres going to be significant interest as the auction progresses.. He didn't like the idea of how it might encourage kids to use tobacco. [50], Michael Gidwitz, the same individual who battled with Gretzky and Mark Friedland for the card at the Copeland auction in 1991, won the Christie's auction with a bid of $641,500 in 1996 (equivalent to $1,108,367 in 2021). All Rights Reserved, T206 Honus Wagner Baseball History of the Worlds Most Famous Card, Bill Mastro admitted to trimming the card, 2022-23 Topps UEFA Club Competitions Variations Guide, Top Selling Sports Card and Trading Card Hobby Boxes Hot List, 2023 National Sports Collectors Convention Guide - Autograph Signers, 2023 Topps Home Run Challenge Baseball Cards Checklist and Game Details, 2022-23 Upper Deck Young Guns Rookie Card Checklist, Gallery & Hot List, http://goldinauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=1861, 2022-23 Panini Select Premier League Soccer Cards Checklist Added, 2023 Panini Select Draft Picks Football Cards, 2022 Leaf Vivid Baseball Cards Checklist Added, 2023 Topps Game Within the Game Baseball Cards Checklist Gallery. The version of the Wagner that sold recently was graded a 2 out of 10 by Sportscard Guaranty Corp., or SGC; the 2021 record-breaker received a 3 from SGC. In fact, an executive at PWCC said in an interview in April that it had sold over $100 million of assets in the first quartermore than in all of 2020. As you can see, every time the card has sold, the value has risen significantly. In later years, Mastro Auctions was the subject of an FBI investigation for using unscrupulous methods such as card doctoring, price-fixing and shill bidding to increase profits. 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! [21], The reasons for Wagner's strong negative reaction to the ATC's request have been the subject of much speculation. Otherwise, manually looking things up on eBay is also a good way to get a second opinion just pay particular attention to condition, which is very important for vintage stuff. [63] In August 2015, Mastro was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison under a new plea agreement. Johannes Peter "Honus" "Hans" Wagner Born:February 24, 1874 - Chartiers, PA Died: December 6, 1955 - Carnegie, PA Batted:RH Threw:RH Position:SS Career BA:.328 Managerial Record:1-4 Teams: Louisville Colonels NL (February 24, 1874 - December 6, 1955) Pittsburgh Pirates NL (1900-1916; player-manager: 1917) Despite PSA company president David Hall's personal statement that the card was "superb" and a "fantastic card in every way," a number of people in the memorabilia industry were not convinced that the card had not been altered at some point. Hopefully after reading through this you have a further appreciation for the rarity and value of this notorious baseball card. [55] Less than six months later, on September 6, 2007, SCP Auctions announced that the card had been sold once again to another anonymous collector for $2.8 million (equivalent to $3.7million in 2021). A card collector by the name of Alan Ray first sold the card in 1985 to Bill Mastro, formerly of Mastro Auctions, who then sold the card to sporting goods retailer, James Copeland in 1987. An IPS expert determined that the card dated back to 1910, which would be consistent to the time period when the card was distributed. Mastro worked with Sotheby's for the next four years to facilitate sports memorabilia auctions and established himself as a leading card dealer in the industry. The other Piedmont-backed card belongs to a collector from Virginia. He had a photograph of the card taken before the transaction with Mastro and claimed that the card in the photo looked significantly different from the photo of Gretzky's card. [8], In October 2013, Bill Mastro, CEO of Mastro Auctions (the owner of Robert Edward Auctions) pleaded guilty to mail fraud in U.S. District Court and later admitted to the court that he had trimmed the "Gretzky" Wagner card to sharply increase its value.[9]. 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. [60], On December 4, 2012, Mastro was indicted on federal fraud charges, and entered a plea of not guilty. It is graded PSA 1. [44] Pre-auction estimates placed Copeland's T206 Honus Wagner at a price of $114,000. It was later revealed that the anonymous collector was former major league pitcher Tom Candiotti. "[80] The Roman Catholic nuns auctioned the card, which despite its poor condition was expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. Click here to see a timeline of the sales history of the T206 Honus Wagner "Gretzky Wagner.". [11] Some cards were awkwardly shaped or irregularly sized, which prompted a belief that many of the cards in the series had been altered at one point or another. [25] This theory has its flaws, however, since Wagner sent Gruber a check for $10 to compensate him for the fee ATC would have paid him if Wagner had given permission to create his baseball card. History is just a couple of mouse clicks away. The majority of the cards seem to have been printed with a Sweet Caporal 150 Series-Factory 25 back. It sold for $262,000 despite being in poor condition. Connelly consented and took the card across the country to prospective buyers. The "MC" in the grade refers to the fact that it was miscut, hence its extra size. Gidwitz dropped out of the competition when the bidding reached the $300,000 mark. Wagner was offered a $20,000 contract by the Chicago White Sox, but turned it down and continued to play with the Pirates. Beckett Graded Card Investor and Price Guide, Vol. The most famous T206 Honus Wagner is the "Gretzky T206 Honus Wagner" card. Perhaps, the most famous is the Gretzky T206 Honus Wagner. In a 2005 interview, McNall stated his "philosophy was, if you buy something that is absolutely the best in the world, you'd be okay because there is always another buyer for something at the top end. These dimensions far exceed the standard size for a T206 baseball card, virtually preserving a Near Mint example within its boundaries. 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. 'Believe in the power of cheese': How a group of rookies helped give the Brewers the best vibes in baseball, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. . An authentic card is part of the Leopold Morse Goulston Baseball Collection in The New York Public Library's George Arents Collection. [62] Mastro's plea agreement was rejected by a judge. 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. Having produced anywhere between 60 and 200 in total, it is remarkable that this manyof the cards have survived the test of time. Thanks for contacting us. )[40], In 1987, Mastro sold the Gretzky T206 Wagner to Jim Copeland, a San Luis Obispo, California, sporting-goods chain owner, for $110,000. [53][54] In February 2007, the Associated Press announced that Seigel had sold the card privately and directly to an anonymous collector from Southern California for $2.35 million (equivalent to $3.071million in 2021). But nearly everyone agrees: The truly high-end cards will continue to rocket up, insulated from any broader stabilization or downturn. Votto back with Reds after rehab . But the centering and overall eye appeal of the card are still fantastic. However, many long believed the card to have been trimmed at some point in order to achieve such a high grade. One more after that will set a record. His granddaughter, Blair, remarked that "[h]e loved children. The T206 Honus Wagner is rare and defies traditional grading standards. Another raw T206 Wagner can be found at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. David Thompson (ID 39461) The best place to start would be to go to your nearest shop, at least to get a ballpark figure based on condition. eBay officials decided to remove the listing the day before the auction was scheduled to begin. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. And it expects to see the record obliterated. Friedland dropped out of the competition after the phone bidder countered with a $410,000 bid for the card. They should be able to tell pretty quick. skytuc_49 (0) Save seller. Belonging to the brother of Sister Virginia Muller, he left all his possessions to the Baltimore-based School Sisters of Notre Dame convent. Linda (ID 58009) Very nice. [84] In May 2020, Gregorio Amor and a team of investors, purchased the card. On April 6, 2013, a T206 card sold for a record for a baseball card on an online auction. An owner of a Long Island sports memorabilia store announced that a man named Alan Ray was selling his 1909 T206 Wagner for $25,000. In April 2011, that anonymous purchaser was revealed to be Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rookie cards, autographs and more. These individuals had to wire a $100,000 deposit to iEscrow.com in order to be pre-approved to make bids for the card. [24] Wagner had a history of being a tough negotiator; he had announced his retirement from baseball in December 1907, but returned shortly before the start of the 1908 baseball season after receiving a $10,000 contract, double his salary from the 1907 season. 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). $109.00. Similar to the All-Star Cafe / Sheen Wagner, this one also possesses rounded corners, creasing, and marking which is why it received the "MK" qualifier on its grade.. The 1909-11 T206 card was graded in Good 2 condition on a scale of 1 to 10 from Sportscard Guaranty Corp (SGC). In 2010, a rare Honus Wagner was found in a box left by the brother of Sister Virginia Muller, who left all her possessions to the Baltimore-based School Sisters of Notre Dame. Many of the remaining T206 Honus Wagner cards in existence have rated low on the PSA grading scale. It's the face of an entire hobby. To be a part of history and facilitate this record-breaking sale is an honor.. This victory was a redemption of sorts for the Pirates team that six seasons prior had lost the inaugural World Series. 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 then, the card has changed hands a few times but remains known as the "Gretzky Wagner" to this day. Bill Hughes[33] was the official grader of the card, working for PSA at the time. MLB Power Rankings: Who's No. How do I contact the PSA or BVG for authenticity? 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. Home Baseball Baseball Cards T206 Honus Wagner Baseball History of the Worlds Most Famous Card. Jul 22, 2021. We've received your submission. "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.". LOL! Gotta Have . Let's take a look at some of the most famous: This is the finest known example of the T206 Honus Wagner card, having received a grade of 8 Near Mint - Mint from PSA in 1991. "[46], In 1995, Gretzky sold the card to Walmart and Treat Entertainment for $500,000 (equivalent to $889,168 in 2021). Learn more - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab. Included in the above auction, a PSA 1 card sold for $110,000. It may not look like much, or even resemble what we think of as a baseball cardthe shortstop sits upright, expressionless, in a fuzzy image against an unnatural orange background, no cap upon his headbut the T206 Honus Wagner just might be the single most valuable baseball collectible on earth. A bidding competition between Mike Gidwitz, Mark Friedland and an unknown phone bidder ensued. [83] It is currently on display in the Rally Rd Showroom in the Soho section of New York City. Regardless, it's still a great baseball card and last sold for $403,664 in 2014. It should be pre-80s. Lifson was skeptical, but he took Mastro's word and accepted the deal, successfully selling this other Wagner card to New Jersey businessman Barry Halper for $30,000. Rare T-206 Wagner card sold for record $7.25M, Yankees put Judge on injured list with hip strain, Harper ready: 'Body has been very good to me', Braves OF Acuna (shoulder) day-to-day after HBP, Tatis fires up crowd in winning return to Petco Park, Giants place SS Crawford, OF Yastrzemski on IL, Astros' Urquidy lands on IL, Garcia exits start, What the longest game in MLB history says about baseball today, Mexico City's uphill climb toward landing an MLB franchise. 2 No. This ungraded or "raw" card, as it's referred to in the hobby, is currently housed at the New York Public Library. The consultant stated that a decent counterfeit of the card could only be produced from a "master pressman with 510 years experience, and would require a machine which would cost between $500,000 and $2 million. Do you guys have any information on the Honus Wagner card up that is up for auction now at Goldin Auctions? Meanwhile, a number of card collectors who doubted the card contacted eBay and demanded that the card's listing on the website be removed. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Surprisingly, the card's reverse has nothing to do with cigars or baseball, but instead features a poem, a parody of Joseph Bert Smiley's "St. Peter at the Gate," which promotes union labor and rails against . [37], The circumstances regarding how Ray came into possession of the Gretzky T206 Wagner have been shrouded in mystery. Gretzky resold the card four years later to Walmart and Treat Entertainment for $500,000 for use as the top prize in a promotional contest. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? It brought in $2,105,770.50 in an online sale by. Ray personally stated that Mastro might have been doing this to prevent others from trying to trace the card. With a hobby so dependent on condition and rarity for determining value, it is remarkable that the Wagner gets such a pass on condition. 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]. Ever since then, the card has dominated the record books. Auction houses including REA saw their sales spike in 2020 and are projecting them to double again in 2021. Five years later, in 2005, another PSA 2 card sold for $237,000. But it's believed there may be less than 60. In February, 2007, Siegel then sold the card privately to an anonymous collector for $2.35 million. In November 2005, Cobb and Edwards put the card up for sale on eBay. Wagner, a Hall of Fame shortstop who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 1900s, was said to be upset that his likeness was being used on a tobacco product. Now, a Wagner looks poised to retake the throne. Since baseball cards were primarily used as a sales promotion, ATC removed them from its tobacco packs, almost driving the cards into obsolescence. Seller information. Free shipping for many products! See questions and answers Very small. The current owner is Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who purchased the card privately in 2007 for $2.8 million. 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. 1910-1911 M116 Sporting Life Doc White SGC VG 3 Chicago White Sox FREE SHIP! [71] When Cobb and Edwards tried to sell the card on eBay in 2002, an attorney from Newport, Kentucky (part of the Cincinnati metro) filed a police report against the two men because he believed the card was a reprint that was stolen from his office months earlier. On November 4, 2010, the final sale price exceeded the expectations of auctioneers at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions and sold for $262,000 to Doug Walton, a collector and card-shop owner. Here's a look at five different price points at which this card has sold over the years: This card was part of a large find of T206 cards that made its way into the hobby from a collector in the Chesapeke Bay area. 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. My dad just found the same card and it doesnt have any markings and/or words that signify that its a reprint. 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. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. The card was sold for $6.6 million at that time. Other T206 Wagners, both legitimate and fake, have surfaced in recent years. PSA is considered to be the benchmark in the vintage card grading industry so collectors put heavy premiums on their graded cards. The police launched an investigation, but found no evidence of wrongdoing. [85][86], President of PSA, Joe Orlando said "The PSA EX 5 (MC) 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner (serial number 15385994) is, without question, one of the top examples of this historic card known. [68], Another T206 Wagner card owned by two Cincinnati men was dismissed as a fake by Bill Mastro and PSA president Joe Orlando. This controversy didnt prevent the card from receiving a grade of 8 from PSA/DNA, the first card ever graded by the company in 1991. There are fewer than 60 authenticated Wagner cards in existence. [66], The Honus Wagner card was first reissued by Topps in 2002, with variations on its background color. I line in sparks Nevada and guess I was blessed to find honus Wagner.amazing card. Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Tuesday's MLB games, Seattle Mariners unveil City Connect uniforms. Thanks for any information. Not all Honus Wagner baseball cards have been professionally graded by PSA or SGC. Sports Card Guaranty's population report shows they've graded 10. 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. Gretzky, who was not a major card collector, said he purchased it because he thought "the market would remain strong," thus making for a valuable investment. The cards were printed at seven factories in New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. [26] The ATC had already produced a number of T206 Honus Wagner baseball cards; the exact number is unknown, but is speculated to be between 50 and 200. A SCG 3 grade of the famous T206 Honus Wagner card is set to hit the open market and could set a new record for sports cards. Standard Shipping (eBay Standard Envelope for Trading Cards, Stamps, Postcards & Coins up to $20) Estimated between Fri, May 5 and Tue, May 9 to 23917 For one thing, the Wagner currently for sale was given a grade of VG 3 (on a scale of ten) by the authentication agency SGC. The most commonly told account is that Wagner rejected the deal because he did not want young baseball fans to purchase the tobacco packs for his baseball card. Turns out, half a Honus is still pretty valuable. Honus Wagner was a triple threat and an original Hall of Fame inductee. [77], An authentic card is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.[78]. 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? Now, one of the hobby's most famous copies of the rare T206 Honus Wagner card is coming back on the auction block for the first time in nine years. According to PSA, current market values in various conditions are: Can you imagine owning a baseball card worth $7.5 million dollars? Brian Dwyer, owner and president of Robert Edward Auctions and who brokered the T206 sale, spoke with The Athletic on Tuesday .