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Timeline of the PSA 8 T206 Honus Wagner, the World's Most Valuable Baseball Card

Timeline of the PSA 8 T206 Honus Wagner, the World’s Most Valuable Baseball Card

The well-documented story of The Card, a Near Mint T206 Honus Wagner, is a tale of intrigue, high-finance, corruption and fraud. Forever cemented in hobby lexicon, the chain of ownership of this cardboard treasure is documented here in an easy-to-understand timeline.

One of the characteristics the PSA 8 T206 Honus Wagner has carried throughout its history is the fact that it has increased in value every time it has changed hands. This dates back to its original acquisition by the former CEO of MastroNet Auctions, Bill Mastro in 1985. For years, The Card, as it has long be referred to by collectors in the hobby, has been a headline-making machine in mainstream news outlets across America.

The lore of the card's existence is one of rumor, speculation and innuendo. Some believe that the relatively rare card was pulled from production over a rights dispute with Mr. Wagner and the tobacco company that produced the card. Others prefer to believe the more altruistic tale of his scorn for tobacco. Whatever side of the story one chooses to believe, there is no denying that the T206 Honus Wagner card is what cardboard legends are made of. Much like a cherished family story, it is a tale that's passed down from one generation to the next, getting bigger every time.

The tale of the PSA8 T206 Honus Wagner is a story that continues to be written. Not by hobby professionals -- graders, dealers, authenticators -- or collectors but instead lawyers and court reporters. The near pristine condition of the card may not be all that it appears. Recent events and court proceedings regarding the business dealings of Bill Mastro have created new questions regarding The Card. The answers, unfortunately, bring more questions, further contributing toΒ the seemingly never-ending saga of this piece of hobby history.

PSA 8 T206 Honus Wagner Timeline

Click on the image for a full-size view.

Timeline of the PSA 8 T206 Honus Wagner, the World's Most Valuable Baseball Card 1

Timeline of the PSA 8 T206 Honus Wagner, the World's Most Valuable Baseball Card 2Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission
Rob is a former member of The Cardboard Connection Writing Staff and co-host of Cardboard Connection Radio.He is an avid collector with over 20 years of active experience in the hobby.

User Comments

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I have something very interested to share, i am 41 yrs old and I leave in south Texas well i know this place family owned were they sell stuff that is send from other states storage units. They buy the storage and have everything put in trucks pulling cargo trailers and send to their store in south Texas straight from storage. Ok! well i once bought boxes of different sports cards. different eras and auto graphs and no new sports cards from the 1990s 1980s 1970s few of 1960s and very few of cards in some soft plastics as i pulled them out i saw a honus wagner tobacco card and some other ones its a set of five cards what i dont understand is that instead of having a back side of sweet caporal,or any other tobacco company it says a short discription of a price and the explaining of why only 20 went to circulation. the confused part is that i read what experts have to say and well no back of tobacco brand its not a card of value, but then why are my cards stained with tobacco marks and the honus wagner card has a tiny tobacco leaf dot, and i took a picture ofn the wagner in the sun and then in zoom the painting is un pattern dots. Plz keep in touch in further info.

1) Even though it happens to have a serial-number of “00000001,” it was NOT the very first card ever graded by PSA.

2) Before he went to prison in 1994, McNall sold his 50% share of The Card to Gretzky.

3) Gretzky sold The Card to Wal-Mart sometime in late ’94/early ’95 for $500,000.

4) Gidwitz bought The Card for $640,500.

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