Jumbo Wags back up for sale...the history of the card.

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by TCMA

I know for a fact he definitely did not buy any other cards from the woman other than the Jumbo. It could be that she was mistaken about what the other cards were but I'm not convinced of that. She knew enough to know that the Wagner, Plank, Lajoie were the coveted cards.

Just speculating here but based on what she claimed was in her collection I wonder if it's possible her grandfather worked in one of the factories. During the 1909 - 1911 period her father would have been just a kid.

Anything is possible, but I would doubt this. The grandfather had no way of predicting what the cards mentioned in the letter would turn out to be - and although we haven't and will not see images of the Plank, and we don't know if she had any other T206s, judging by the Jumbo it doesn't look like scrap. Nor, a few decades later how the Lajoie would turn out. It's possible he was in touch with other private collectors in the late 50s or sixties, or when brief hobby mimeographs began circulating and also the trade pubs were beginning to come out(?). Would be nice to know the family's surname. Did the letter happen to come in an envelope with a return address?

Anyway, it's a great mystery and thanks for sharing the story!