Ultra-Rare Honus Wagner T206 Card Sells for Record $3.75 Million at Auction
May 23, 2021
The famous Honus Wagner T206 card has been sold at auction for $3.75 million Saturday.
Goldin Auctions posted the incredibly rare memorabilia item up for bids starting May 3. The company's official listing noted it could sell for more than $5 million.
The Wagner card has long been one of the most sought-after sports cards in existence. This version of it received a GD 2 grade from Professional Sports Authenticator, noting it does have some faults, including "spaced, horizontal creases, a small smudge or two, and the expected corner wear."
But the main aspects of the card remain largely intact.
Goldin Auctions' listing noted "this Wagner is superior to virtually all of those challengers" because the main portrait area featuring the iconic Pittsburgh Pirates star is largely untouched.
The Wagner card has routinely generated seven-figure sale prices when it has been available in the past. A version that received a PSA grade of VG 3 sold for $3.7 million to real-estate mogul Kurt Rappaport in December.
That was the second-highest sale price for a baseball card ever, trailing only a Mike Trout rookie card that went for $3.9 million in August.
The American Tobacco Company released the Wagner card in 1909 as part of the T206 series. He played 21 seasons from 1897-1917 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1936.
