Wagner was a heck of a player, so was the Babe. In this case though, the status is derived from it's issue. I feel the T206 Wagner is "the holy grail" specifically because its the most famous card in the most famous set.
It was interesting to hear from guy who surveyed his wife about names she'd heard of (I try that all the time to justify my purchases turns out baseball isn't everybody's national pastime)
You could try to ask the average sports enthusiast (non collectors of course) to name the vintage sets they've heard of. You'd probably hear about T206 and 52 Topps. Perhaps, to a lesser extent Goudey.
Therefore, in absence of Wagner, your grails are Plank, Lajoie, and Mantle. Secondary criteria being a well known HOFer with a back story as to why the card is difficult. Primary criteria being a "Big 3" issue.
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