Wagner T206 Just Part of Fun in REA Auction

admin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:49:45 +0000

An authentic Honus Wagner T206 (reserve $25,000) proved once again that it can always be counted on to sell for well into six figures in any grade. In this case, a restored example sold for $188,000.

In fact, just about every card offered from the famous T206 set was a big hit with bidders.

The T206 Eddie Plank in Very Good to Excellent condition (reserve $10,000; estimate $25,000+) sold for $94,000, a new record price for the grade. Two T206 Magie Error cards in VG and VG-EX condition realized $17,625 and $23,500 respectively.

Even a second T206 Plank, heavily trimmed and encapsulated as “Authentic”, sold for $41,125.

”Interest in this card was helped by its rare back. Almost all Planks have Sweet Caporal backs," said company president Rob Lifson. "The Piedmont back made this example very special. For T206 collectors, especially as interest in backs is growing like wildfire, this card is a big deal in any grade. It also happened to be a nice looking card. The bigger message is simply that while we’ve always known that interest in all things related to the T206 set is huge, it’s growing.” REA speculates that the unusual cut of the trimmed Plank may actually be related to the rarity of the card.

A very scarce T206 Brown Lennox sought by most serious collectors, did not go unnoticed.

“This was the first example we have ever offered, let alone in Excellent condition,” notes Lifson. “We had no idea what to expect.”

Neither did anyone else.

With a reserve of $1,000 and an estimate of “open” (indicating that not enough historical pricing information was available to allow REA to provide a meaningful estimate), a frenzy of bidding sent this extreme T206 rarity to the stratosphere with a final selling price of $29,375.

“The buyer’s still recovering. But we think he’ll be OK," joked Lifson. "Seriously, the buyer has no regrets and is very happy. We can understand why. In forty years, this is the only Brown Lenox example we have ever even seen, let alone offered. It is the highest grade example knownand no T206 advertising back collection is complete without one. The price may seem crazy but that’s what they said about Wagners and Planks and Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb backs years ago. Anything related to the T206 set will always be important. It may be another 40 years before we see another.”

Other major sales in the REA auction included a T206 Cobb Green Background in Ex-Mt condition (res. $1,500; est. $3,000/$5,000) realized $10,575; a T206 of common player Francis Pfeffer graded NM-MT 8 by PSA with an SMR value of $865 (res. $300; est. $500+), sold for $3,525; a T206 of Clark Griffith with a rare Drum Cigarettes advertising reverse (res. $1,000; est. $2,000+) sold for $12,925; a T206 Red Background portrait of Cobb in PSA 8 NM-MT condition (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) was hammered down at $18,800. The Wagner T206 may get most of the attention, but the set provides countless collecting and investing opportunities for collectors of all levels.

T206 Cobb Green Portrait Rare Sovereign 150 SGC 10
US $675.00

T206 HUGH DUFFY HOF SGC 30 SWEET CAPORAL 350 460 OUTSTANDING CARD
US $46.00

T206 JOHN MCGRAW GLOVE AT HIP SGC 40 SWEET CAPORAL 350 460 OVERPRINT
US $62.00

Vintage t206 Reulbach no glove 1910 Piedmont SGC Graded 50 4 Chicago Cubs
US $60.00

1910 t206 chief bender tobacco sgc 15 fair trees in background rare
US $70.00

Johnny Evers HOF 1909 11 T206 SGC Authentic Portrait
US $51.69

T206 Piedmont ED HAHN Chicago Americans SGC 3
US $39.99

SGC 40 1909 T206 Sweet Caporal Boss Schmidt Throwing Detroit Tigers
US $39.95

SGC 50 1909 T206 Piedmont George Davis Chicago White Sox
US $122.50

1909 11 T206 PIEDMONT CY YOUNG BARE HAND SHOWS SGC AUTHENTIC
US $182.50

SGC 50 1909 T206 Piedmont Hooks Wiltse Portrait New York Giants
US $51.00

SGC 50 1909 T206 Piedmont John Butler Rochester Minor League
US $49.95

T206 Baseball Cards

Wagner T206 Just Part of Fun in REA Auction