Quote:
Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie
Ed, a poster asked in the T206 bst if anyone had a Wagner because he knew someone who wanted to buy one. Powell said he had one. Ryan posted he wanted one. That's why I called it a bst sale, and not a private sale. I stood up for the guy that got trashed for guessing the sale price. They both seem happy with the deal, so all is good. Rob
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This is generally correct. I had been after a Wagner for some time and put some feelers out. Then, a few people posted on BST they wanted a Wagner, so I jumped in and posted myself. At this same time, Powell posted on one listing that he had a Wagner. I reached out to Powell, we spoke on the phone, and we made a deal. Note, however, that cards like this just done get sold/bought that easily; this is true with $5,000 cards, let alone T206 Wagners. Both parties needed to get comfortable with one another and pre-qualify. I was able to learn who Powell is through common acquaintances as well as through articles, especially the ones about his collection in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Also, I became comfortable about the provenance of the card (the Connecticut Wagner). After I did my research on the Powell and the card, I was ready. I expect Powell did the same about me, as I know several people vouched for my character and ability to close the deal.
Regarding the Doyle, while I was on the phone with Powell working out a deal on the Wagner, Powell mentioned he would probably just break up the balance of the set now because it was no longer 524. Naturally, I asked if he would sell the Doyle, and he said if he got $X, he would. So I offered his asking price and he accepted. Going in I had ZERO expectation or hope of getting both cards, but when the opportunity presented itself, I had to act - who knows if I would ever get another chance to own a Doyle. So, I cut a deal on both the Wagner and Doyle, and that's how that happened.
With respect to the post by the guy who "guessed" the price: His initial post was much more of a statement, not a question, and implied that he knew the transaction intimately and what the price was, which he did not His post was amended (to what it currently says) only after I "trashed" him. Chris, I do accept your apology, but only warn that words have meaning and how they are written is important -- a question or opinion should be phrased as a question or opinion, as applicable, not as a factual, unequivocal statement.
Regarding price - I am not against telling certain people, privately, what I paid; I have in fact already told a number of people who I know and trust. But, for several reasons, I am not posting the price publicly, on a chat site. First, I have no interest in hearing people's opinion of my transaction - I am thrilled and that is all this community on-whole needs to know. Second, this site is open to the public, and I do not need anyone in my private/personal and business life, many of whom don't understand or care about cards, knowing what I spent on a baseball card. The exact price is not a secret, but its not for public consumption either.
I will disclose that I paid a lot for the Wagner, and far above SMR, which I have always thought was wildly inaccurate for all cards. Powell was not "motivated" to sell the card and the price needed to be sufficient to motivate him; indeed, he named his price and I said yes. Currently, there are a number of people actively and aggressively pursuing a T206 Wagner. Thus, I had competition and had to act (and that';s how I roll). I expect the T206 Wagner in Mile High, which was not available when I cut my deal, to trade for a record-high price for a 1. I agree with Conner that it will sell between $750k - $1mm, and I would not be surprised at all if the card went over $1mm. I feel the fellow who bought the PSA 2 for $1.4mm+/- earlier this year probably got a great deal in retrospect. So you have a borderless "A" selling for $540k (before tax) in September 2019 and a very pretty "2" selling earlier this year for $1.4mm+ (with tax) - there are your comps and should guide where Mile High's 1 may trade.
Regarding the Doyle, it was not as expensive as the Wagner, but close. To me, the Doyle is priceless. T206 Wagners are tough, but they can be had if you are willing to pay (I am an example). The Doyle is simply impossible. Very few exist, and they never sell. It is my belief there are 8-9 known, which means there can be no more than 8-9 complete, 524-card T206 sets. To think that T206 is
the ultimate baseball card set and the Doyle, not the Wagner, is the primary obstacle to achieving a complete set - (to me) the Doyle is really really special.
I hope that answers some questions, most notably confirming that both parties are happy; indeed, I am over the moon.