The Gretzky T206 Wagner was first sold by Alan Ray to a baseball memorabilia collector named Bill Mastro, who sold the card two years later to Jim Copeland for nearly four times the price he had originally paid. How the Honus Wagner Card Became the Mona Lisa of Baseball Cards He tried to avoid answering any questions regarding the matter but, in a 2001 interview, claimed to have received it from a relative, whose name he did not disclose. [43] Sotheby's advertised Copeland's items as the "Copeland Collection of Important Baseball Cards and Sports Memorabilia" to attract hobbyists and other potential clients. Because of its rarity, history and the iconic Hall of Famer it depicts, the T206 Honus Wagner has been coveted, pursued, owned and sold by industry executives, Hollywood moguls, athletes and entertainers. "[46], In 1995, Gretzky sold the card to Walmart and Treat Entertainment for $500,000 (equivalent to $889,168 in 2021). Regardless, it's still a great baseball card and last sold for $403,664 in 2014. Collectibles marketplace Goldin announced on Thursday that a T-206 Honus Wagner has sold in a private sale for $7.25M, a record amount for a sports card. [24] Wagner had a history of being a tough negotiator; he had announced his retirement from baseball in December 1907, but returned shortly before the start of the 1908 baseball season after receiving a $10,000 contract, double his salary from the 1907 season. This story has been shared 240,292 times. The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card depicts the Pittsburgh Pirates' Honus Wagner, known as "The Flying Dutchman," a dead-ball era baseball player who is widely considered to be one of the best players of all time. They should be able to tell pretty quick. Collectibles marketplace Goldin announced on Thursday that a T-206 Honus Wagner has sold in a private sale for $7.25 million, a record amount for a sports card. [8], In October 2013, Bill Mastro, CEO of Mastro Auctions (the owner of Robert Edward Auctions) pleaded guilty to mail fraud in U.S. District Court and later admitted to the court that he had trimmed the "Gretzky" Wagner card to sharply increase its value.[9]. [65], A similar but unaltered card, the 'Jumbo Wagner', also has a NM-MT grade quality for the majority of the card, but the lower quality edges have not been trimmed, lowering it from NM-MT to an overall grade of PSA 5 one of only three (along with Mastro's trimmed card) rated PSA 5 or better sold at a 2013 auction for $2,105,770.50. Few collectibles possess the kind of mystique that this card carries. The T206 Honus Wagner card is quite simply in a league of its own and a mere pipe dream for millions of collectors. [58], Soon afterward, Alan Ray came back into the picture, claiming that he had proof the card had been doctored by Mastro at one point after the initial $25,000 trade in 1985. In 2010, the fabled T206 Honus Wagner card once again gained national notoriety when a new card was found. Elected to the Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, Wagner was truly one of the greats. Authentic versions have a tobacco ad on the back. Several months later, in November 2008, an SGC 3 graded Wagner card was sold by Philip Weiss Auctions of New York. Widely considered the most valuable baseball card of all-time, the T206 Honus Wagner has been the subject of great debate and, at times, controversy.
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