Help Please: Honus Wagner Poster

[T206Collector]

Any thoughts or ideas about this one? It is hanging in a friend's house, and he says he got it in a Sotheby's auction in the early 1990's for $800. I had no idea about its worth, though to my untrained eye it does appear to be the real deal.

[ruth-gehrig]

huh...never seen that before.

[Jlighter]

Why would tennis take first billing over baseball at a HONUS WAGNER event?

[murphusa]

the event happened in 1914 according to a newpapers search

[CarltonHendricks]

Very nice...looks real to me but you can't go by a photo....Since your friend said he got it in a Sotheby's auction it's probably genuine...and rare...Can't recall ever seeing one before...and I'm mister broadside, I usually notice them...the ink looks maroon which would be very cool. It's certainly not stunning visually...but that utilitarian look and the subject are what's charming. What are the dimensions?...looks about 22" x 10"

[drc]

If he got it at Sotheby's, it fair to assume it's genuine. They'd be as good at identifying something like that as anyone.

I haven't seen another example.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by murphusa

the event happened in 1914 according to a newpapers search

Interesting that Honus, an active player until 1917, would head up an old-timers team in 1914. You'd think that would've happened after he had been retired for some time. Not saying it didn't happen obviously, but just that it wouldn't have been my first thought.

Jim, where did you find the newspaper search? Just curious to see what the paper had to say...

[Butch7999]

Far as we can tell, July 23rd fell on a Thursday in 1914 and next in 1925...

Also, Baseball-Reference.com indicates Pirates had a game July 23, 1914, losing 0-2 to Braves.

[Jaybird]

I believe he would have been 40 years old in 1914 so makes sense he would be an Old Timer at that point (at least by their standards). I've seen articles from 1915 talking about whether he'd be going through with another season, etc. Also have seen Honus or Hans Wagner Day articles throughout his career, not only after he has retired.