$200 Honus Wagner on Ebay?
72skywalker
Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭
I ust read a story that a guy bought a Honus Wagner card on Ebay for $200. Has anyone else read this and if so is it true that the guy got very very lucky or did it turn out to be fake?
Collecting Yankees and vintage Star Wars
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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss
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Ya, just like these guys Wag! >>
Those guys have been saying that's real for years. Geez...
they should get it the hell out of that screw down block, its hurting the card
IMF
wanted to mention that the seller has already listed a 2nd one on eBay
IMF
<< <i>Auction Linky
wanted to mention that the seller has already listed a 2nd one on eBay
IMF >>
I'm curious who the local 'experts' are who verified the Wagner is authentic. Looking at the Sport Kings Ruth, 2nd Wagner, and Jordan RC he has listed now, they're all easily identified as reprint/counterfeits.
<< <i>I have gotten "lucky" on a 52 mantle, guys. sometime the inherent risk is well worth the pay off. >>
Not the same at all. I understand the chance (slim still) when playing this game with cards like the 52 Mantle or the 86 Fleer Jordan, but those cards were packed out and the Wagner is a completely different deal. New Wagner's do not surface into the market in this day and age. I'll give the Nun Wagner some leeway on this assertion, but before it entered the market it was still a known commodity in the hands of a collection. The odds a new and previously unknown Wagner hitting the market in the next decade (one that is truly unknown - not hiding in a secret collection) is less then 1% and the odds of that card surfacing on eBay is 0%.
<< <i>I have gotten "lucky" on a 52 mantle, guys. sometime the inherent risk is well worth the pay off. >>
What is the full story??
<< <i>The ebay auction description says "REPRINT", but this guy buys it thinking that maybe, just maybe it isn't. >>
You would be surprised at how many people on ebay that don't read descriptions. They only see the item topic/listing.
IT CAN'T BE A TRUE PLAYOFF UNLESS THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONS ARE INCLUDED
but back to the story. yes, a 52 mantle "reprint" was in there as well. the guy said he had it checked out at the local card store (who we obviously knew and respected) and that it was indeed a fake, hence the $20 asking price for the entire lot. so we buy the cards soley for the 72s for my dads set. side note: my dad already had the billy martin card, there was one in the box. my dad upgraded his set and I got the middle finger beater for my collection. I was stoked being a pre-teener. I remember sticking that card in the thickest 4 screw holder I had at the time. so back to the story. my dad gives the guy $15. my dad keeps the 72s and gives me his billy card and the rest of the box with the "reprint" mantle.
now, my dad being in the military coupled with the fact that I loved card collecting, not just because of following my favorite players, but also for the organizational part of it as well. my good cards (the jerome waltons, the chris sabos, the john oleruds, my mantle reprint, etc) always went from packs, straight to penny sleeves, straight to top loaders. I wasn't one of the kids that played games w. 'em or stuck'em in the proverbial bike spokes. looking back, I probably spent just as much of my lawn money on supplies and those long white boxes as I did cards themselves...
flash forward to 1988, maybe 89. there was a huge card show up in charlotte. the mick himself was there signing autos, but before we got to the auto table to get my dads bat and my 52 reprint signed, we naturally perused the vendor tables. I go my way, my dad goes his. so eventually I run across this dealer and we start talking and he eventually asks what I was gonna get signed. I proudly whip out my 52 reprint and the guy says it looks like a really good reprint and that he'd give me $100 for it. I was shocked, stunned and was about to say hell yes. there was another guy there who was overhearing all of this and asked me if my dad was here. I said yes, and he said go find him and let him know what the offer was and let him handle the transaction. I will never forget the look in the dealers face when the bystander cuts in. so I run off and get my dad and let him know what transpired. my dad, IMMEDIATELY grabs the card outta my hand and we head straight for the kit young table, as that was my dads go to dealer. (kit if you are reading, my dad was cliff and hello). kit overlooks the card. has the dealer in the next table come over and look at it and after about 15 mins of talking and blacklighting it (those 52 cards wouldn't glow under a blacklight like todays paperstock) brings the card back and tells us it's legit. he then offers us substantially more for it and we gladly accept. my dad hands me a couple hundred bucks and I go buy a 58 topps for the mick to sign and some other stuff. my dad spends a few bucks here and there and obviously I don't recall the amount but when we get home, my dad hands my mom a stack of cash for the ol college fund! she's stunned, baffled, elated, hysterical and pissed off all at once (pissed because the original guy tried to stiff me).
so that's my story. I still look for that mantle daily on ebay though. I remember the card vividly and has a small print defect in the top left hand corner. I would assume it graded a 3 - 4 these days, if it ever made it to a holder. I have a couple of 5s and a 7, but would probably trade any of them if I ever ran across that card today.
while not quite a wagner find, it's still something that had and will forever have a lasting impression on me for several reasons.
Classic dealer low balling some kid who isn't in the know. Good for Kit Young.
I gotta better chance of finding a diamond up a goat's ass.
<< <i>Great story begsu1013
Classic dealer low balling some kid who isn't in the know. Good for Kit Young. >>
+1
Love the story behind the Mick--well done!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I actually found a diamond up a goat's a** once. I got a story!
Just kidding.
<< <i>Great story Bob. That was awesome. >>
I enjoyed that story too. Reminds me of the days of buying packs of 1986 Fleer basketball and since I did not have money to buy all they had I would collect money from my friends so I could buy more packs for them. A grocery store about ten miles away had the packs and I got to go to there when I had an orthodontist appointment. I brought a lot of good cards to my little school that year.
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
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<< <i>Great story Bob. That was awesome. >>
I enjoyed that story too. Reminds me of the days of buying packs of 1986 Fleer basketball and since I did not have money to buy all they had I would collect money from my friends so I could buy more packs for them. A grocery store about ten miles away had the packs and I got to go to there when I had an orthodontist appointment. I brought a lot of good cards to my little school that year. >>
We passed on the Fleer basketball in favor of Fleer baseball that was 10 cents a pack more. It looked like the convenience store where we frequently bought packs barely moved any of the cards but couldn't keep the baseball in stock.