He was a strapping young man in his 20s, fully deserving of the “Husky Hans” moniker that had been bestowed on the star shortstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In fact, it was “Hans” as the nickname of John Wagner’s 1902 W600 cabinet card—not Honus. The Sporting Life cabinets ran from 1902-1911 and Heritage Auctions is selling one of the earliest Wagner W600 cards … [Read more...]
Top Banner 486X60
Hall’s ‘Holy Grail’ Cards Protected by Special Glass
When the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum made arrangements to include some highly valuable trading cards in its new “Shoebox Treasures” exhibit, they knew they’d have to be well protected—not just from theft but from the impact of being on display for thousands of visitors each month. Part of a permanent display, the group of ‘holy grail’ cards includes a T206 … [Read more...]
T206 Wagner, Plank, Cobb with Cobb Back Set for Same Auction
A T206 Honus Wagner will be coming to the auction block later this year--but it's sharing the spotlight in this auction with a couple of close cousins. Mile High Card Company will offer a PSA 2 (Good) version of the most recognizable baseball card in history in its Fall Auction. The card was sold privately awhile ago for $1.2 million, a deal that was just announced … [Read more...]
T206 Wagner Card Sells for $1.2 Million
A 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner has changed hands for a seven-figure price. The PSA 2 (Good) example sold privately for $1.2 million, according to SCP Auctions, which brokered the transaction. It's scheduled to be offered at public auction later this fall through Mile High Card Company. The same card has sold twice at auction in the last five years, realizing … [Read more...]
Baseball Hall’s Shoebox Treasures Exhibit Set to Open in May
The Baseball Hall of Fame is planning to open its new permanent baseball card exhibit on Saturday, May 25. Last year, the Hall announced a campaign to raise $800,000 for the exhibit’s design and construction to build the exhibit, billed as a dedication “to the story of baseball cards.” According to the Hall, the exhibit will span more than 700 square feet of space on … [Read more...]
A Nine-Year-Old Gets Hooked on Baseball History, Tobacco Cards
My son was calmer than me. “$30 is the price,” the veteran card dealer said. “$20,” my nine-year old countered staring down the white-haired linebacker of a man. I am in part to blame for this negotiation. I showed The Sandlot movie to my family on a cold winter night several years ago. All my kids took something from the movie. My daughter embraced the … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Mount Rushmore of Vintage Cards
Recently on Twitter, PSA posed an interesting question: What would be on your Mount Rushmore of baseball cards? After giving it a bit of thought, I've at least got my own list. As a bit of a disclaimer here, my Mount Rushmore is more about the most popular and prestigious cards, not necessarily the most expensive. These, to me, are the biggest cards in the hobby. While … [Read more...]
Record Price for ‘Authentic’ T206 Wagner Highlights $2.7 Million Memory Lane Auction
A restored copy of the famed T206 Honus Wagner sold for a record price of $420,000 early Sunday morning, as Memory Lane wrapped up its Holy Grail Rarities Auction. Graded ‘Authentic’ by PSA, the card’s history can be traced back some 50 years. It last sold in a public auction in 2011 for $188,000. The price attained by Memory Lane makes this copy the most … [Read more...]
Notes: The Athletic Visits Panini; Wagner Update; Charity Jersey Auctions; Holiday Sales
The Athletic published a story about Panini America this week, discussing the company’s exclusive licenses with the NBA, NFL and most college sports programs as well as its exclusive autograph agreements with athletes. After 50 years with Topps, the NFL gave an exclusive deal to Panini a few years ago and the NBA has done the same. Topps just renewed its deal with MLB. … [Read more...]
T206 Wagner Headlines New Memory Lane Auction
The first T206 Honus Wagner card to be offered at auction in nearly 18 months has hit the auction block as Memory Lane Inc. opens its year-ending ‘Holy Grail Rarities’ auction. It’s one of over 1,000 sports card and memorabilia listings in the auction, which runs now through December 15. Graded Authentic by PSA, the Wagner card has been restored on two occasions, … [Read more...]
