Stunning Honus Wagner Card Fetches $26K at Auction as Ruth, Aaron Sell for Thousands
Collect baseball cards for more than a minute and you're bound to be familiar with the Hobby's Holy Grail, known simply as the Wagner, or if you're not into the whole brevity thing, the 1909-11 American Tobacco Company "White Borders" T206 card of Honus Wagner. Even apart from its multimillion dollar price tag and the lore surrounding it's rarity, the Wagner is also, by the way, a card of the Deadball Era's greatest all-around player from the Hobby's most storied set.
Though it's Hobby heresy to say so, the truth is that the Wagner is really just one of many incredible cards of the legendary Pirates shortstop, two of which just sold in the REA June 2025 auction. The first, an E90-2 American Caramel from 1910, set a record for its grade (PSA 1) at $30,000. The second, which boasts a lower PSA population than the T206 and also happens to be one of the Flying Dutchman's most stunning cards, went for $26,200.
For those unfamiliar with the extremely difficult but drop dead gorgeous 1911 M110 issue, the cards are considerably larger than today's cards and particularly so compared to the more common tobacco cards of the era. Measuring 5-5/8" x 7-1/2" these cards compare in size to a framed (or matted) 5" x 7" photo. Of course, the cards (referred to as "cabinets") are not photos at all but exquisitely rendered art of the highest caliber. One only needs to zoom in on the details of Wagner's cleats or the texture of the dirt to see that no effort was spared in creating this masterpiece.
But what about rarity? Well, how about these numbers? To date, PSA has graded the T206 Honus Wagner 36 times and this M110 Wagner only 19. Oh, and how the heck did this card get graded a 2? Certainly this is one of those cases where eye appeal far exceeds the technical grade. All things considered, that $26,200 price tag might have been quite a bargain for the buyer. What's that saying? Collect the card, not the slab?
Of course some collectors are happy to attach quite a premium to the number on the slab, and they may not have believed their eyes when this incredible, pack fresh 1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth hit the auction block. If the corners were any sharper on this card, you'd have to declare it at TSA. Not surprisingly, the card commanded just south of $50K.
Other items hitting five figures in the REA Spring Auction included two of the biggest names in baseball history and a Super Bowl champion quarterback.
- 1953 Topps #244 Willie Mays PSA NM 7 - $24,000
- 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron Rookie PSA NM 7 - $16,800
- 2020 Panini Prizm Football #343 Jalen Hurts Rookie Gold Vinyl #1/5 PSA MINT 9 - $12,600
Reflecting on the strong showing of the company's June auction, REA President Bryan Dwyer noted that the event had "some very exciting results in several areas of the hobby and set the tone for the much-anticipated Summer Catalog Auction next month.” It may not quite be time to break out those Kevin Maas rookie cards you've been saving since 1990, but the Hobby looks to be strong as ever!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.