I collect baseball “stuff.” I especially collect baseball cards. New cards. Old cards. Cards in between. I also collect baseball pictures, pencils with baseball players on them, and even bats and balls.
I think that’s why the following story caught my eye. An Arkansas man bought a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card for $1.62 million at a memorabilia auction in Chicago.
The record price for a baseball card is $2.8 million—paid in 2007 for a near-mint condition Wagner card released in 1909 by the American Tobacco Company.
John Rogers, 35, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, said his winning bid for the T206 Wagner card is the realization of a decades-long dream. “I call this the holy grail of baseball cards,” Rogers said. “I’ve looked at a number of other specimens, sat in a few other Wagner auctions. But this is the one that makes collecting worth while.”
Rogers has collected baseball cards since he was 6. When he was in the second grade, he said he cut out a copy of a Wagner card and carried it around in his pocket.
Bidders at the Friday night auction also spent $42,000 on Ken Griffey, Jr.'s 600th home run ball and $240,000 for a 1938 Lou Gehrig Yankees road jersey.
The T206 cards are from a series issued between 1909 and 1911. Allen said the card was in excellent condition, and said the next highest bid, $1.3 million, was placed on behalf of a client who wished to remain anonymous.
Wagner’s card was among the first of hundreds of cards of major league players produced by the American Tobacco Co. and included in packages of cigarettes. Unlike other players, however, Wagner quickly demanded that his card be withdrawn. A nonsmoker, the Pittsburgh shortstop was arguably the second-greatest baseball player of his era, behind Ty Cobb. Wagner hit .344 during his rookie year of 1897, and batted over .300 for 17 consecutive seasons, winning eight National League batting titles.
One of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Wagner retired in 1917 with more hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, triples and steals than any NL player.
Why can’t I have a card like this one? Why can’t I be that fortunate, to pull something so valuable and collectable. Then again, I started collecting when I was 6 or 7 and those valuable cards from those days probably wound up attached with a clothes pin to my bicycle spokes. That’s just my luck.
A rookie Nolan Ryan. A mint Brooks Robinson. A Jackie Robinson first year card! Probably all wound up flapping in the breeze on my bike.
Maybe I can teach my son better!
Hey Steve! Been there done that also with my cards. I can remember playing "Flip" with them. Man, if only I had been smart enough to look into a crystal ball. To make you really sick: I came home one day and asked my mom where all my baseball cards were that were in the attic. She said, and I quote, "I threw them away yesterday. I found them while cleaning and didn't want them around." I LOVE MY MOM But.... Now I just watch baseball. I do have a few momentos but you wouldn't want them-they are Pirates when VanSlyke played. As for the collector: I can get out my crayons and color him a card if he has money enough to throw away.
ReplyDeleteBill...I never knew Dick Van Dyke played for the Pirates...or was that his brother that played for them?
ReplyDeleteI gave up on the Pirates after Willie Stargel and Dave Parker played...those were the good days for the Pirates!
Funny funny Steve. Don't quit your day job! Either that or get some glasses. I said VanSlyke as in Andy VanSlyke. As for giving up...not yet. There is always next year.
ReplyDeleteI know what you said and who you meant...in 13 season, had a .274 batting average, was drafted by St. Louis in the 1st round of the 1979 amateur draft...
ReplyDeleteLighten up Bill...it is okay for me to poke fun at your beloved Pirates. It really is!