The record for the most expensive sports collector’s card of all-time is now a Honus Wagner baseball card.
The T206 card sold for $6.606 million on Monday morning, at a 20% buyer’s premium. That number shatters the previous record – which was a tie between a LeBron James-Upper Deck autographed rookie jersey card (set in April) and a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.
The seller of the Wagner card is an “East Coast collector.” Both the seller and buyer have remained anonymous.
Robert Edward Auctions President Brian Dwyer said in a public statement Monday: “This is an incredible result that speaks to this card’s status as one of the world’s most iconic collectibles. The rarity and the legend of the T206 Honus Wagner, coupled with the quality of this example, excited bidders who recognized it may be a very long time before an opportunity like this came around again.”
The card, printed in between 1909 to 1911, was on display at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, in July when nearly 100,000 people were in attendance.
Wagner’s lore stems from the fact that he was one of, if not the first pro athletes, to pioneer endorsement deals. He sponsored Louisville Slugger and also had deals for gum, soda, gunpowder, razors and cigars.
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