• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • Victor Wembanyama Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2023 NFL Rookie Cards
        • CJ Stroud Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Topps SuperFractors
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
      • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.com.

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Popular Stories / A Honus for the Rest of Us: A Handful of More Affordable Wagner Cards

A Honus for the Rest of Us: A Handful of More Affordable Wagner Cards

August 16, 2021 By Rich Mueller

You couldn’t blame a novice collector for thinking every Honus Wagner card is out of reach.  Anytime one of the few dozen T206s sells at auction, the headlines scream as the price soars deeper into seven figures.

Yet one of baseball’s most famous faces has plenty of original cards you can own without seeing a loan officer.  No, they’re not as inexpensive as they may have been a few years ago, but at least a few of these should be in reach of most collectors.

In no particular order, here are ten more Wagner cards to put on your want list if you don’t own them already.  There are some other, lower priced Wagners out there that just aren’t very attractive.  We’ve tried to pick cards that best represent the Flying Dutchman.

Click the title of each to see any that may be available now on eBay:

1909 Colgan's Honus Wagner1909 Colgan’s Chips Wagner

The Carl Horner portrait Honus made famous when he opted out of the cigarette card giveaway that same season is the same image used for his Colgan’s Chips card.  The mint-flavored gum was more wholesome and kid-friendly and the little disc of Wagner is way more wallet-friendly. 

Many are off-center or creased but you can sometimes find a respectable-looking version for for less than you’d pay for a higher end box of a current product.  Just don’t dally if you see one.

Honus Wagner Sporting Life 19111911 Sporting Life Wagner 

The classic image—this time on a Sporting Life premium.  The little cards got a pastel touch and it creates a really neat looking card of Wagner during his prime. 

High-grade examples may be out of reach for many collectors but by being choosy, you can still land a lower grade version that isn’t ugly for a modest four-figure price.

E93,E94,E95,E98 Wagners Honus Wagner E95 baseball card

OK, we’re cheating a little here, but the fact is the caramel cards are plentiful enough to keep prices in check and it’s really hard to pick just one.  Again, seek out the lowest graded, best looking example you can find and you’ll be pretty happy. 

Of course, if you can afford a better one, go for it but you can grab one of these in a lower grade for less than $5,000.

Sporting News Supplement Honus Wagner1909 Sporting News Supplement Wagner (M101-2) 

This isn’t really a ‘card’ but the Sporting News Supplements have been treated that way forever since they’re part of a long-running series.  This Wagner came out during the heat of the 1909 pennant race and it’s a great photograph of Honus at the bat. 

There’s another one featuring Wagner shaking hands with Ty Cobb.  Either is great but the single shot of Honus is usually less expensive.

Honus Wagner M101-51916 M101-4 Wagner

He’s “Hans” Wagner here and it’s a great photo of him following through on a practice swing.  The M101-4 is an immensely popular set and while this card is from late in his career, it’s great to have him in it. 

Prices vary quite a bit but this is one of the best images of Wagner you can own for the money.

1916 FergusonFerguson Bakery Honus Wagner Pennant Bakery Wagner (BF 2)

Part pennant, part photo card, this unique looking issue was a premium in loaves of bread back in the day.  The little set also includes Joe Jackson.  There was a small find of these in southern Illinois several years ago.  

Again, less than $4,000 will usually get you one.

Keep these out of the light as they will fade. 

1914 Polo Grounds Wagner (WG4)

Polo Grounds Honus Wagner 1914

Part of a tabletop game, the Polo Grounds cards were naturally protected in boxes and typically weren’t played with that much so higher grade examples are easy to find and really not very expensive.  You could lump the Tom Barker and National Game Wagners in here too.  Offbeat, but great old photos of “Hans”.   

A no-brainer, really, if you just love having original, pre-War cards of iconic players.

Honus Wagner 1936 National Chicle with <a rel=1936 National Chicle (R312,R313) Wagner

The R312 is preferred here although both are great.  Dating from his coaching days with the Pirates, the R312 shows Honus coaching Arky Vaughan.  The other is a solo shot.  Honus always looked like an old soul and even though he’s not really that old yet, he looks ancient on the latter. 

Not really that easy to find, but ultra-cheap, I suppose because he’s a coach and the size is non-traditional.  So what.  It’s Honus Freaking Wagner.

Honus Wagner 1940 Play Ball1940 Play Ball Wagner 

Wagner joined a lot of past and present legends on this black and white set but the difference was that Honus was still wearing a uniform, a couple of decades after his last game. He spent many years as a Pirates coach so this isn’t just a commemorative card of a long retired Hall of Famer.

The 1940 Play Ball set has a lot of great names in it.  You can own a mid-grade example of this one for a few hundred dollars.

1948-49 Leaf Wagner Honus Wagner 1949 Leaf card

Interestingly, the man who didn’t want kids to hang around or even worse, buy cigarettes 40 years earlier, is shown taking a big dip of chew on this incredibly awesome card from the latter stage of his life in uniform.  He’s “John” here, even though his real name was Johannes Peter Wagner (“Hans” or “Honus” for short). And he’s wearing that late 1940s baby blue Pirates gear. Like Play Ball, Leaf knew putting a coach in one of its sets wasn’t dumb if it was this guy.

If you can only afford $200 or so, this would be our choice.  A card of a Hall of Famer that’s also a baseball card conversation piece?  It doesn’t get much better.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

1902 Honus Wagner Sporting Life cabinet baseball cardNew 1902 W600 Wagner Could Fetch Six-Figure Price 1909 Colgan's Honus WagnerThree Sets Make Up E254 / E270 Colgan’s Chips Issues Lou Boudreau 1948 Leaf5 Underrated 1948 Leaf Baseball Cards Tris Speaker Colgans Chips red border1933 Butter Cream HOFers Lead Sterling Sports Auction PSA 3 T206 Honus WagnerT206 Wagner Brings $1.32 Million M116 Sporting LifeM116 Sporting Life Cards Uncovered; Heading to Auction 1888-89 Old Judge Mike King KellyPre-War Rarities Top Goodwin Auction Box auction Wagner Sporting Life 1911News & Notes: Second Chance at Local Auction Yielded Valuable Wagner Card

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].

Filed Under: Popular Stories, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1940 Play Ball, 1949 Leaf, Colgan's Chips, Ferguson Bakery, honus wagner, M101-4, Sporting Life, Sporting News supplements, T206 Wagner

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Heritage Auctions December Sports Showcase Auction Ends Dec. 23, 2023
  • JG.Limited History & Culture Auction Ends December 12, 2023
  • Pristine Auction December 2023 Daily, Weekly and Featured Auctions

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window