Artist Turns 1980’s Commons into Unique Tribute to the “Holy Grail” of Baseball Cards
You would be very hard pressed to find a collector who knows nothing about Honus Wagner's famous 1909 T-206 tobacco card. Even most non-collectors recognize what is easily the most famous baseball card ever made. Thought to have been limited to as few as 50 copies, the 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner sells for anywhere from several hundred-thousand to several million dollars per card, depending on the condition of the cards.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the production of the "Holy Grail" of sports cards, artist Tim Carroll set out to create a fitting tribute to the world's most recognizable card. It is the first in a new series of his that focuses on sports cards.
"Because of the 100th anniversary, I decided to start a new series involving sports cards." Explained Carroll. "Here's the theme: What is the one thing that most collectors strive to do? What is the overall gist of collecting? I used those questions to fuel the fire for this project. To me, the fun of collecting is taking unwanted cards in the collection and trading them for cards you desire."
"Here's the question I asked myself: If I could trade my no-good, worthless, late 1980's commons for the most popular, most expensive card of all time...would I do it? Sure - who wouldn't!!!" Continued Carroll. "Obviously, finding someone to trade you a 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner for 997 common cards from 1985-1990 is not going to happen...but through the world of art, anything is possible!"
Thus began the challenging task of turning trash into treasure. After a little over 40 hours of work, 11 professional quality glue sticks, and the following 997 late 80's / early 90's commons, he had done just that:
- (49) 1985 Topps
- (83) 1986 Topps
- (296) 1987 Topps {for frame only}
- (86) 1988 Topps
- (88) 1986 Fleer
- (342) 1989 Fleer
- (53) 1990 Score {for lettering and black line framing only}
Using only the aforementioned baseball cards, Carroll constructed an incredibly realistic 36" x 26" tribute to Honus Wagner's famed T-206 tobacco card.
Carroll says he plans to have 100 serial numbered prints made, signed, and available to the public in the near future. Check back often for more information. For more information on ordering a print, or to take a look at the process that went into creating this sports card masterpiece, visit Tim Carroll's website.
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