T206 Honus Wagner-Piedmont

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Posted By: William Heitman

I was shocked to see in Joe's posting that Capital company chose to hi-jack the name I gave to T206 on the cover of my 1980 book--T206 The Monster. Now on point. I have been paid some pretty good money and been flown to far away places to authenticate a "Wagner." One such trip yielded a Wagner, Boston AL! I even spotted a fake at a dealer's table at a show, which he immediately took off his table and returned to the person he bought it from who gladly accepted it back "only after I talk to Heitman." Of the 20 to 25 that I have been asked to authenticate, only one was real. It is impossible to authenticate a Wagner without seeing it in person and examining it. But I will say that a picture can reveal a fake. I have been shown pictures of what purported to be a Wagner along with an offer to fly me somewhere to examine the card. Many times I have told the owner of a reprint that he need not bother to pay me to be told that his card is not an original. Having said this, let me add that the pictures I've seen of this card reveal just what it really is.