December auctions - T206 Honus Wagner cards PSA 4 and PSA 1

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Posted By: Art M.

A couple of genuine T206 Honus Wagner cards coming up for auction in the month of December. Both of these cards have been sold in the past; they are not "new" finds:

December 2, 2004 Sotheby's auction
T206 Honus Wagner PSA 4
Previously sold in the July 1999 Sportscards Plus auction (in the same PSA4 holder)

http://search.sothebys.com/jsps/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=4BXPD


December 8, 2004 Lelands auction
T206 Honus Wagner PSA 1
Previously sold in the 1998 Oregon Trail sports auction (ungraded)

http://www.lelands.com/bid.aspx?lot=1418&auction=412

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Can you tell us what they went for then?

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Posted By: JimB

The PSA 4 SportscardsPlus Wagner sold for $325,000 in 1999. It was a private sale, not an auction. I don't know what the Leland's PSA 1 went for before. It is currently over 53K plus juice.
JimB

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Posted By: Chris

Any guesses as to what the PSA 4 will sell for? I'll throw out a wild guess of 650k

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Posted By: HW

I do not not know if I still have my catalog or prices realized, but I believe this card was sold at Christies in 1998 or 1999. I believe that it went for $200,000 plus whatever their buyer's premium was at the time. I do not know where it originated.

I do not think that SportCards Plus ever auctioned the card after they got it from the Christies auction. I think that they sold it privately for around $300,000. I do remember that they had it advertised in SCD for quite a while.

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Posted By: JimB

I believe it was sold in that Christie's auction for around 225k to Bill Mastro who sold it to SportscardsPlus. They then sold it privately for 325K. They were advertising it for a few weeks in SCD back then. I believe they were asking 350k.
JimB

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Posted By: JimB

Chris, I would bet your guess is in the ballpark. There are not many Wagners in very nice condition.
JimB

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Posted By: Chris

Should definately be interesting. I would imagine the bidding will be quite spirited. I often wonder why people sell these things. Do they initially buy it as investment only? Or do they need the money? Have they already gotten their enjoyment out of owning it? Or are the just curious to see what it sells for? I can't imagine I would ever sell that card if I had it. As my son and I say, it would be one of those things that stayed in the family.

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Posted By: Gary B.

the nicest known one besides the Gretzky card?

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Posted By: JimB

I often wonder why people would sell a card like that too if they don't need/want the money - but maybe that is the reason.

That card is the third best graded example. There is also a PSA 5. From what I have heard there are two or three other unslabbed examples in the ex to ex/mt range including the Harper example which was sold to the Hall of Fame.
JimB

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Posted By: Steve Dawson

According to the PSA Population Report, There's the one PSA 8, a PSA 5, 4 PSA3/4's (including the one in SCP's/Sotheby's auction) and 19 PSA 1/2's. So that makes this one the 3rd finest (graded) currently known.

Steve

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Posted By: Marc S.

Is that Mastro owns the PSA 5 example.

And that the PSA 4 was owned by Pacific CEO Mike Cramer.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Hey, you "big shots" all go bid on the PSA 4...

I'll take the PSA 1 that the rat ate most of!!