If you are a die-hard baseball fan, then you must surely love collecting baseball cards. And if you are a proud baseball card collector with an envious collection, then here is one irresistible piece of news for you. The 1909 card of Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Honus, dubbed as the sport’s “most famous collectible” by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is actually awaiting bids at an online auction that begins today. The rare card has already made it to the news as it is expected to fetch between $1.2 million and $1.5 million! The card is graded a 3 by Sportscard Guaranty LLC.
Update – A New Jersey man paid $1.2 million for the 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card.
The priceless card is part of Goodwin & Co.’s “Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons XL,” an auction of 528 baseball cards from the T206 series released in 1909 the American Tobacco Co. for distribution in cigarette packs. All 528 cards are owned by a man in Texas whose identity has not been revealed. The auction will close on 19th April, and there is expected to be stiff competition among baseball fans to acquire some of the rarest cards. The Wagner card began with a minimum bid of $300,000, the highest in the set, and reached $363,000 after three bids this morning,
Besides the Wagner card, other cards that are expected to generate interest at this auction include a card of former Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Eddie Plank (the card is graded 5.5 by SGC and features a unique “Piedmont 150” back), Hall of Fame players Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Cy Young. Guess we will have to wait till April 19th to know who takes these cards home.
[Businessweek]
