For decades, the Honus Wagner card from the landmark T206 set that was issued between 1909 and 1911 has been regarded as the hobby’s holy grail. Countless collectors have dreamed of owning one, but very few have even laid their hands upon it or seen it with their own eyes.
A pair of iconic pre-war baseball cards led the bidding in SCP Auctions’ 2016 Mid-Summer Classic online auction, which concluded early Sunday morning. The top card, which sold for an astounding $667,189, is one of just two examples of the legendary 1909 E90-1 Joe Jackson American Caramel card graded NM-MT 8 by third-party authenticator PSA Cards with none graded higher. Jackson’s E90-1 representation is one of just a handful of Joe Jackson cards issued during his playing days and is indisputably recognized as his rookie card. The second card, a 1909-11 T206 tobacco issue of Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame center fielder Ty Cobb, is one of the hobby’s finest of “The Georgia Peach” from the most celebrated card set of the era issued at the peak of Cobb’s dominance. The beautifully preserved card, which received a grade of “Mint 9” from PSA Cards, sold for $488,425.
The overall auction, which featured 1,262 lots including 134 from the prestigious Walter Alston Estate Collection and 72 more from Milwaukee Brewers’ Hall of Famer Robin Yount’s personal collection, brought in a total of $5.1 million. Other top bids included a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card (#149), $137,848; a 1973 Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves game worn and signed home jersey and 1974 pants, $97,508; a 1965 Topps Joe Namath rookie card (#122), $91,137; and a circa 1968-71 Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings game-worn and signed jersey of the recently deceased NHL Hall of Famer, which sold for $85,592.
For more information and full results on the auction, please visit SCP Auctions or call 949-831-3700. SCP Auctions is already accepting consignments for its upcoming 2016 Fall Premier. -Terry Melia
Carl Horner’s famous image of Honus Wagner that appears on the world’s most famous baseball card wasn’t just used to sell tobacco. The studio portrait appears on other collectibles, including a remarkable photo composite that pre-dates the T206 set by more than five years and will soon make its way to auction.
