Honus Wagner baseball card sells for $2.35 million
Michigan
Posts: 4,942 ✭
Pretty good rate of return, better than some coins.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -The "Holy Grail of baseball cards,'' the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday.
The buyer has only been identified as a Southern California collector. SCP Auctions Inc., a company that holds sports memorabilia auctions, said it bought a small share of the card. It is scheduled to be shown at a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
There are about 60 of the tobacco cards in existence featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, one of the first five players to be inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
The seller, Brian Seigel, in 2000 paid a then-record $1,265,000 for the prize card, which is in much better shape than the others.
"This particular one was preserved in spectacular condition,'' said Joe Orlando, president of Professional Sports Authenticator of Newport Beach - the company that certified the authenticity of the card. "It's the Holy Grail of baseball cards.''
Still, the Wagner cards are so rare that even tattered ones will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, Seigel said.
The others "you could stick in middle of the street and let cars drive over it through the day, take it in your hand and crumple it up, and it still would be a $100,000 card,'' said Seigel, CEO of Emerald Capital LLC, an asset management company, who lives in Las Vegas.
Gretzky and Bruce McNall, former owner of the Los Angeles Kings, bought the card for $451,000 in 1991.
During his ownership of the card, Seigel displayed it at several sports collectible shows, showed it at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and at brought it to opening bell ceremonies for the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York.
"The Wagner card gave me a tremendous amount of pride, excitement and pleasure,'' he said. "I hope the new owner will have the same satisfaction I enjoyed over the years.''
The tobacco cards used to be included in packs of cigarettes. Collectors believe Wagner's cards are rare because he stopped allowing the American Tobacco Co. to use his image, fearing it would encourage children to smoke.
Nicknamed the "Flying Dutchman,'' Wagner was the National League batting champion in eight of his 21 seasons and finished his career with a lifetime .329 average. He retired in 1917 with more hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, triples steals than any National League player.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -The "Holy Grail of baseball cards,'' the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday.
The buyer has only been identified as a Southern California collector. SCP Auctions Inc., a company that holds sports memorabilia auctions, said it bought a small share of the card. It is scheduled to be shown at a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
There are about 60 of the tobacco cards in existence featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, one of the first five players to be inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
The seller, Brian Seigel, in 2000 paid a then-record $1,265,000 for the prize card, which is in much better shape than the others.
"This particular one was preserved in spectacular condition,'' said Joe Orlando, president of Professional Sports Authenticator of Newport Beach - the company that certified the authenticity of the card. "It's the Holy Grail of baseball cards.''
Still, the Wagner cards are so rare that even tattered ones will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, Seigel said.
The others "you could stick in middle of the street and let cars drive over it through the day, take it in your hand and crumple it up, and it still would be a $100,000 card,'' said Seigel, CEO of Emerald Capital LLC, an asset management company, who lives in Las Vegas.
Gretzky and Bruce McNall, former owner of the Los Angeles Kings, bought the card for $451,000 in 1991.
During his ownership of the card, Seigel displayed it at several sports collectible shows, showed it at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and at brought it to opening bell ceremonies for the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York.
"The Wagner card gave me a tremendous amount of pride, excitement and pleasure,'' he said. "I hope the new owner will have the same satisfaction I enjoyed over the years.''
The tobacco cards used to be included in packs of cigarettes. Collectors believe Wagner's cards are rare because he stopped allowing the American Tobacco Co. to use his image, fearing it would encourage children to smoke.
Nicknamed the "Flying Dutchman,'' Wagner was the National League batting champion in eight of his 21 seasons and finished his career with a lifetime .329 average. He retired in 1917 with more hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, triples steals than any National League player.
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My first post...updated with pics
I collect mostly moderns and I'm currently working on a US type set.
I've got coins rarer than that that cost less than a thousand
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
I think it's safe to say that American baseball cards won't be a very effective hedge agains a falling dollar. It's not like the market for the card is an international one.
The rise in value likely has more to do with the rapidly increasing affluence of the upper class.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
There might be 60, but most of them are in terrible shape, and unlike coins, low grade cards are not desirable by anybody hardly.....
<< <i>True, but this said card is more like the 33 Saint then anything else.....
There might be 60, but most of them are in terrible shape, and unlike coins, low grade cards are not desirable by anybody hardly..... >>
Most of the '33 Saints are in terrible shape?
<< <i> Prices for "things" continue to show how little interest or confidence there is in the dollar
I think it's safe to say that American baseball cards won't be a very effective hedge agains a falling dollar. It's not like the market for the card is an international one.
The rise in value likely has more to do with the rapidly increasing affluence of the upper class. >>
Oh I think it's a combination of factors but the biggest factor of all is the worldwide lack of confidence and interest in the dollar.
That's one reason why gold has seen such a great bull market as well.
Far as a hedge against the dollar continuing the drop, how much lower can the dollar go in terms of purchasing power? Zero?
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Damn, the nickel looks good compared to this card!
<< <i>I think you're both right: The wealthy tend to be diversified and insulated from a drop in the dollar. This makes them extremely affluent on a relative basis when the dollar drops on an international basis. And they'd rather buy 'things' than hold cash.
Damn, the nickel looks good compared to this card!
... but a kid can make his bike sound motorized with a clothes pin and that card. Try doing that with a lil ole nickel
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
<< <i>Read the article. It's a "condition rarity" >>
Total of 60 known to exist? I'd say that is rare in any grade. "Finest known" would be a better discription....
<< <i>Total of 60 known to exist? I'd say that is rare in any grade. "Finest known" would be a better discription.... >>
Whether or not it is 'rare in any grade' depends on how many collectors there are.
I am active in a lot of other collectibles areas and 60 would be a lot in many of them.
If it's the "only" BIG card, I could see why it could be bid to extreme heights. If you miss out on Honus Wagner what's 2nd best? If you miss out on the 1933 Saint there are many other choices.
roadrunner
<< <i>Total of 60 known to exist? I'd say that is rare in any grade. "Finest known" would be a better description.... >>
Believe it or not, back around 2000 there was a low grade problem one that sold on eBay for just a few hundred dollars. I considered buying it and I don't even collect ball cards, just so that I could say I once owned one. It had been in a fire and was only about half there. But it was identifiable and it was genuine. Probably the worst known specimen.
It has nothing to do with the dollar.
People who have been successful want to spend some of their money on things they enjoy rather than looking at an extra decimal point or two on a financial statement.
(along with possible appreciation)
Depends who the owner is??
<< <i>Just wait to see what my 1963 Clay Dalrymple card brings!!
Hi Jay, I miss your fun posts.
It's the provenance of that Honus Wagner card that made it so valuable, imo.
WAYNE GRETZKY's name attached to it at least doubled the value from the nearly half mil he paid for it. Agree or disagree ?
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
<< <i>Disagree. Nobody forks over an extra mill because of his past ownership. Heck, you can buy Tiger Wood's few year old Mercedes for a slight premium. >>
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>I sold a Honus Wagner a while back.
Russ, NCNE >>
Did you get more than $100,000 for it? If not, will you try running it over with your car next time?
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor