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.

Ed Killian 1909 11 T206 SGC 40
US $32.79

Mike Powers 1909 11 T206 SGC 10
US $15.00

1909 11 T206 American Beauty TOM DOWNEY Fielding SGC 40 None graded higher
US $275.00

1910 T206 Hal Chase portraitblue Yankees SGC 20
US $52.50

1910 T206 Hobe Ferris Browns SGC 50
US $72.50

1910 T206 Harry Howell hand waist Browns SGC 60
US $135.00

1910 T206 Clyde Milan Senators SGC 60
US $135.00

1910 T206 Barney Pelty vertical Browns SGC 50
US $72.50

1910 T206 Jim Stephens Browns SGC 60
US $135.00

1910 T206 Jake Beckley HOF Piedmont SGC 50 4
US $179.99

1910 T206 SOUTHERN LEAGUE Smith Shreport PSA SGC 40 VG
US $140.00

1910 T206 SOUTHERN LEAGUE Reagan New Orleans PSA SGC 30 GOOD
US $125.00

T206 Baseball Cards

Wagner T206 Just Part of Fun in REA Auction