What if I told you that there’s a Honus Wagner card 75 times rarer than the 1910 tobacco card that sold for $3.1 million one year ago? In fact, it’s the only one of its kind. And so far the price is only $3,194 (with the buyer’s premium) in a SCP auction closing on November 4. As I file this post, it has three measly bids.
Ross Greene has held onto the more coveted and valuable of baseball cards for 21 years, keeping it a secret to all but family and a few friends and stashing it in his sock drawer. But Greene, a Peachtree City resident and serious baseball-card collector, is relinquishing his Honus Wagner “T206” card, a 108-year-old card believed to be one of perhaps 60 in existence.
A T206 Honus Wagner card that has had only four owners and its provenance can be traced back to 1909 will soon have a new owner. The card has been dubbed “The Original Wagner,” and has been owned by J. Ross Greene since he purchased it in an auction in 1996.
Key memorabilia from late Pittsburgh Pirates great Willie Stargell’s historic 1979 season are being sold at auction this month. Stargell’s National League MVP award and World Series ring are among 20 items being sold by his widow, Margaret Weller-Stargell, through SCP Auctions.
Willie Stargell’s 1979 National League MVP award and his ‘79 World Series ring are up for auction, as part of a collection of the Hall of Famer’s personal items being sold by his widow, Margaret Weller-Stargell.
“Willie’s collection will do very well at auction,” said Terry Melia, spokesman for SCP Auctions, Inc. “We expect it to clear more than half a million dollars when it’s all said and done.”
A rare Honus Wagner T206 baseball card that could fetch upwards of $1.5 million is up for auction later this month. One of the most sought-after baseball cards in history, the T206 features a youthful Wagner in his Pittsburgh Pirates uniform, his hair parted down the middle. Wagner is considered one of the Pirates’ all-time greatest baseball players.
Can you imagine selling your most prized possession for the sake of your family? That’s exactly what J. Ross Greene is going later this month when he auctions off one of the rarest baseball cards that exists in the world. Greene is one of only a handful of people who own a Honus Wagner T206 baseball card that originated in 1909.
SCP Auctions is proud to feature the Willie Stargell Collection in its upcoming 2017 Spring Premier Auction. More than a dozen lots from the late Hall of Famer’s personal collection will open for bidding on Wed., May 24, at www.scpauctions.com, and each item is accompanied by a letter from the Stargell Family. The online auction runs through Sat., June 10.
“It is our distinct honor to auction off Willie’s coveted items,” says SCP Auctions President David Kohler. “He was such a beloved player in Pittsburgh and around the league that we are very excited to see how fans and collectors alike respond to these important baseball treasures have never before been offered publicly.”
Among the items to be auctioned are Stargell’s 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series Champions ring and ‘79 National League MVP Award; his 1988 Hall of Fame Induction ring; two personal player World Series trophies from 1971 and ’79; and his 1962-82 Rawlings Career Gold Glove Award.
The late Hall of Fame first baseman, who stood 6’ 2” tall, was affectionately called “Pops” by teammates and fans alike, and led by example with both his booming bat and steady glove. He launched a total of 475 home runs and drove in 1,540 runs during his prolific 21-year MLB career, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates, a testament to his impressive power and fierce loyalty. When it came to encouraging the troops, the 1979 National League MVP was the Pirates’ consummate field general. A vital member of the franchise’s last two World Series Championships (1971 and ’79), Stargell’s feats remain legendary in the Steel City and in baseball circles everywhere. Stargell passed away on April 9, 2001, in Wilmington, N.C., at the age of 61.
Bidding is open to registered bidders only at www.scpauctions.com beginning on Wed., May 24, and closing on Sat., June 10. For more information on how to participate and take part in the bidding, please call 949-831-3700 or visit www.scpauctions.com. -Terry Melia
Willie Stargell left a massive impression on baseball, particularly in Pittsburgh where he helped the Pirates win the World Series in 1971 and 1979. Over the course of his Hall of Fame career, Stargell amassed quite the collection of trophies, rings and other awards. Many of them are coming up for sale as part of SCP Auctions‘ 2017 Spring Premier Auction that kicks off at the end of May.
