The biggest one you let get away?

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Posted By: Tom Hufford

In the early 1970s, while I was in college, I bought T206s from the legendary Wirt Gammon, of Chattanooga. He charged me 35 cents each, regardless of player. I'd send him some money, he'd put the cards in one of those old metal Band-Aid containers, and send me the appropriate number of cards. If there were any that were duplicates of cards I already had, I'd send them back, and Wirt just sent some more. I completed the entire T206 set, except for about 6-7 cards this way.

Midway through my T206 quest, Wirt told me that he had one of the T206 Honus Wagner cards that he would sell me if I were interested. His price - $500! That was more than I made in a year at my part-time job, and was more than a year's college tuition, (and that $500 would have bought a lot more 35 cent cards) so I passed. Wirt then offered the card to my good friend Bill Haber, and since Bill had a job and an income (he worked for Topps), he grabbed it, and completed his set. After Bill's death in 1995, I know his collection was sold, and I have no idea where that card is today. If anyone out there has it and is interested in selling, I'll be glad to pay at least double the old $500 price!