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Each player has a story and each player contributed to the game. This book takes a look at each individual pictured on the cards, from superstars of the day like Ty Cobb and Cy Young to lesser-known major and minor leaguers like Clyde Engle and Bill Cranston.
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More often than not, it is the sports figure’s name that makes the collectible special. Otherwise, it may be just a card or just a bat or just a ball. I think you get the point.Ībove all, it is the story behind the person that drives the majority of the value. Would a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson and one signed by Jackie Jensen be valued the same? No. If a Mickey Mantle game-used bat was instead used by Mickey Vernon, would it be worth anywhere near the same amount? No. If Honus Wagner were a relatively unknown player, would his T206 card carry the value it has today? No. This is also true of every figure the collectible relates to, and that is what makes this particular book different from so many of the published hobby guides released over the years. How were these cards distributed? What makes this game-used bat special? Why did Babe Ruth sign this particular document? Every collectible has a story. Every collectible, in its own way, is a conversation piece. Knowing what we now know about the dangers of tobacco, especially as it relates to cigarettes, this stance taken by Wagner over 100 years ago becomes all the more interesting.Īs with most other great collectibles, such as autographs, game-used equipment, and original photographs, the stories behind the items make them interesting and desirable. Many people believe Honus Wagner wanted his card pulled from production because Wagner, though an avid user of tobacco himself, did not want to promote tobacco to children since the cards were packaged with various brands of cigarettes. There is more than one theory behind the rarity of the card, including a simple contract dispute theory.
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The number of surviving copies is only part of the story. What may come as a surprise to most casual collectors or even noncollectors is the fact that the T206 Wagner is not nearly as scarce as some other notable trading card rarities. The most prevalent misconception about this great card is that it is the rarest of the rare, resulting in its staggering value. All of these facts may be true, but the reason why the T206 Wagner has reached such lofty heights in value is the story behind the man and the card. Yes, after being pulled from production early on by the manufacturer, only 50 or so examples of this card are known to exist, making it one of the true rarities in the trading card world. Yes, Honus Wagner was one of the most significant players ever to put on a uniform. Yes, the T206 set may be the most significant release in hobby history. While Wagner was a true legend of the game and one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history, the card depicting this Hall of Fame member has certainly surpassed the man himself in terms of fame. The card, like the set itself, has taken on a life of its own and become an iconic collectible. The Wagner card is so desirable that even low-grade copies that receive only a Poor 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 (the lowest possible grade on the PSA grading scale) have fetched $400,000 at auction.
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At the time of this writing (2009), the highest price ever paid for any trading card was $2.8 million, a Wagner example that was graded NM-MT 8 by Professional Sports Authenticator, the leading third-party authentication and grading service. The Wagner card shares the limelight with 75 other cards featuring members of baseball’s Hall of Fame, but it is worth more than the other 523 cards combined, assuming they are in the same condition. Of course, I am referring to the Mona Lisa of trading cards. It is also arguably more visually appealing than the 1952 Topps set due to the superb artwork used in the design.įurthermore, the 524-card T206 set is home to the most valuable trading card in the world, the card that has become the symbol of the hobby itself. It is much larger than the 1933 Goudey set, requiring more than twice the amount of cards to complete. You can easily make the argument that “The Monster,” as it is commonly referred to, is truly the pinnacle of all trading cards sets. Along with the 1933 Goudey and 1952 Topps sets, the classic T206 set is one of “The Big Three” in the world of baseball cards. The visual appeal of the cards, the immense size of the set, and the incredible player selection make this treasure a collector favorite. The 1909 to 1911 T206 baseball card set has long been considered one of the most, if not the most, important issues in the entire hobby.