A 1909 Sweet Caporal T206 Honus Wagner card made headlines recently after selling for a staggering $5.124 million during an auction featured on Netflix’s series “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.” This particular card, which received a PSA 1 grade, ranks as the third-highest sale of a T206 Wagner card, underscoring its immense value and significance in the world of sports memorabilia.
This sale marks the 16th instance since 2015 in which a T206 Wagner card has sold for at least $1 million, according to Card Ladder, an online database tracking card sales. Interestingly, another T206 Wagner card, graded SGC Authentic, is currently up for bid with a leading offer of $2.32 million through Heritage Auctions, which still has a week remaining in its auction.
The recent episode of “King of Collectibles” spotlighted the remarkable uncovering of the Wagner card, which was consigned to Goldin by the Shields family. Ken Goldin, the CEO of Goldin Auctions, referred to this card’s discovery as “the biggest discovery in the hobby in the past 50 years,” highlighting the rarity of a publicly unaccounted T206 Wagner card emerging after so long.
The card has a rich history, having been passed down from Morton Bernstein, who began collecting trading cards in the early 1900s after pulling the Wagner card from a cigarette pack. It was kept framed and cherished by Bernstein’s family, particularly by his grandsons, Dennis and Douglas Shields. “It isn’t for monetary issue; but it was the sentimental value that our grandfather held on to these things all his life,” Dennis Shields reflected, emphasizing the emotional connection they have to the card.
The T206 Wagner is notorious for its scarcity, with only 53 examples graded by PSA and SGC combined, and only 10 of those have received the PSA 1 grade. This specific card was famously pulled from production by the American Tobacco Company at Wagner’s request, with multiple theories surrounding his decision, including his aversion to smoking and a desire to protect his image from being exploited commercially.
Wagner card sales continue to command attention in the collectibles market, and as these high prices reflect, the intersection of nostalgia, family history, and sports memorabilia holds an increasing allure for collectors. The recent auction results not only underscore the card’s iconic status but also the enduring legacy of Honus Wagner in baseball history.