SportsMemorabilia

Newly Discovered T206 Honus Wagner Card Auctioned for Over $5 Million

4 months agoUS
Newly Discovered T206 Honus Wagner Card Auctioned for Over $5 MillionSource: espn.com
A rare 1909 Sweet Caporal T206 Honus Wagner card, unseen by the collecting community for over a century, has been auctioned for over $5 million, making headlines in the sports memorabilia world.

Key Insights

A 1909 Sweet Caporal T206 Honus Wagner card sold for $5.124 million via Goldin Auctions.

The card had been kept within the same family (the Shields family) for 116 years since it was pulled from a tobacco pack.

This sale marks the third-highest price ever paid for a T206 Wagner card.

The card was graded a PSA 1.

The discovery of this card was featured on Netflix's "King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch."

Why this matters: The sale highlights the enduring value and collectibility of rare sports memorabilia. It also demonstrates how pop culture (Netflix) can influence the sports collectibles market.

In-Depth Analysis

The T206 Honus Wagner card is one of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards in the world. Its scarcity is attributed to Wagner requesting the American Tobacco Company to stop producing the card shortly after its release in 1909. Theories for this request range from Wagner's opposition to promoting tobacco to children to disputes over compensation for his likeness.

This particular card, graded a PSA 1, was consigned to Goldin Auctions by the Shields family, who inherited it from their grandfather, Morton Bernstein. Bernstein, a silver manufacturing plant owner, collected trading cards in the early 1900s and kept them framed. The card's discovery and auction were featured on the Netflix series "King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch," further boosting its visibility and value.

The top sales for T206 Wagner cards include:

$7.25 million (SGC 2, private sale, Aug. 4, 2022)

$6.61 million (SGC 3, auction via REA, Aug. 15, 2021)

$5.12 million (PSA 1, auction via Goldin, Feb. 21, 2026)

FAQs

Q: Why is the T206 Honus Wagner card so valuable?

Its scarcity, historical significance, and iconic status within the sports memorabilia world contribute to its high value.

Q: What is PSA and SGC?

Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC) are leading grading services that assess the condition and authenticity of sports cards.

Key Takeaways

Rare sports memorabilia can command significant prices at auction.

The T206 Honus Wagner card remains one of the most sought-after collectibles.

The story behind a collectible can significantly impact its value.

Discussion

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