Unarguably One of the Holy Grails of Sports Trading Card Collectibles

Goldin Auctions will be auctioning a rare T206 Honus Wagner in January of 2026 (link here) that has a fascinating backstory. According to Goldin:

“Graded a PSA PR 1, it emphatically boasts one of the most fascinating T206 Wagner “find” stories, with its original owner Morton Bernstein securing this and other tobacco cards since their original ATC 1909 inception. Indeed, this museum worthy marvel can be traced back to being pulled from the American Tobacco Company’s original T206 pack by Mr. Bernstein. Morton was the son of Samuel E Bernstein, who founded The National Silver Company in 1890, and then purchased the F.B Rogers Silver Company in 1955.”

The card is the fourth PSA 1 to be graded, and should easily defeat the current high for the grade of nearly $1.4 million set in 2020. The record for any T206 Wagner is $7.25 million.

The T206 Honus Wagner’s value is driven by its extreme rarity (only 50-60 copies are believed to exist) due to its limited production by the American Tobacco Company between 1909 and 1911.

Notable Recent Sales (Realized Prices)

• $7.25 million (August 2022): An SGC Grade 2 card was sold in a private sale, setting the record for the most expensive T206 Wagner and the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia at the time.
• $6.606 million (August 2021): An SGC Grade 3 example of the card achieved this price at auction, which includes a 20% buyer’s premium.
• $3.136 million (March 2022): A PSA Grade 1 example (considered low grade) set a record for its specific grade.
• $3.12 million (October 2016): The “Jumbo Wagner” (PSA 5 due to oversized borders) sold for this record-breaking price at a Goldin online auction.

Apparently there is a market even for reprints: