Damaged Honus Wagner card sells for $1.5M

A T206 Honus Wagner card sold for $1,528,066 Tuesday morning after a 17-day auction, Robert Edward Auctions announced.

While the intriguing mythology of this card is well-documented and extensive, this sale is just another recent, wild addition to the Wagner legacy: This version is missing three sides, has been trimmed and wields a massive crease across its middle.

The auction tallied 75 bids, and the buyer prefers to remain anonymous.

In February, with SCP Auctions, a Wagner that had been torn in half sold for $475,960; in that iteration, Wagner’s jaw is missing, as is most of his torso. In May of last year, another Wagner sold with Goldin for $3.75 million, a then-record for that card and the fifth most ever paid for a sports card.

Then, in August, Robert Edward Auctions brokered the all-time record for a sports card at $6.606 million — unsurprisingly, a Wagner. That version of the card received a 3 designation from card grader Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC); according to population reports from three grading giants — Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and SGC — only four Wagners have been graded higher combined, all held in private collections.

“The results from this auction speak to the ever-present and growing demand for Wagner cards — which transcends the hobby — in any condition,” Brian Dwyer, president of Robert Edward Auctions, said. “This card was [sold] in 2019 for $540,000; that buyer purchased it in 2012 for $198,850. It’s exciting to see this card continue to rewrite the record books.”