So the T206 Wagner is not the rarest card in the hobby. So what? I don't collect stamps or coins, but I would guess the holy grails of those hobbies are not the rarest coins or stamps either.
The reasons the Wagner is, and always has been the holy grail of the hobby are many (most popular pre-war set, arguably the best player ever, great story explaining its rarity, by now it is a part of American mythology/history - many Americans know of it, etc.)and scarcity is only one of those factors. Does it have any competition for its position as the holy grail of the hobby? No. Will it in the foreseeable future, if ever? No.
The question is an interesting one, but the lack of a clear runner up only underscores the status of the Wagner.
There are a number of cards that would vie for the position if the T206 Wagner did not exist. To me, some of the possibilities are: N172 Anson in uniform, Just So Kelly, Just So Cy Young, T206 Plank, T210 Joe Jackson, Baltimore News Ruth, 1933 Goudey Lajoie, and '52 Topps Mantle come to mind immediately. The first three are probably too rare to ever achieve holy grail status. I think a card needs to have enough examples out there to at least be a possibility - to be somewhat attainable. Cards with only one, two or four known examples, all tucked away in old collections don't circulate enough to be on most collector's radars. The holy grail must be widely known. It must be rare, but not too rare.
JimB
Last edited by E93; 11-22-2010 at 09:33 AM.
Reason: Edited to add T210 Joe Jackson as a possibility
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