Despite a final bid of $4,148,000 (including buyers’ premium), a rare copy of the iconic T206 Honus Wagner card didn’t meet its reserve at Goldin Auctions on Saturday night, meaning it ultimately went unsold.
The Wagner grail is one of the most iconic and valuable sports cards of all time, with an interesting backstory and only around 50-60 copies estimated to exist.
The highest bid would’ve set a new record for any PSA 1 graded T206 Wagner and marked the third-highest price ever paid for the card across all grades.
This particular copy, referred to as “Connecticut Wagner,” would’ve ranked as the 12th most expensive sports card ever sold had there been no reserve price.
Goldin noted that the same Wagner changed hands privately in 2020 for an undisclosed price, while its last public sale came in 2010, when it fetched $282,000.
Earlier this year, a different Wagner—graded PSA Authentic and considered less visually appealing—sold for $1.98 million. While that card did bring in more than its last purchase, it was a relatively modest appreciation for the iconic card, which typically trends upward in value.
Interestingly, 2024 was the first year in three decades that no T206 Wagner appeared in a public sale.
The Story Behind the “Connecticut Wagner”
This PSA 1 T206 Honus Wagner boasts well-documented hobby history. It first appeared publicly in 1985, when a collector brought it to a local card show in Connecticut as part of a near-complete T206 set (missing only the ultra-rare Doyle variation).
A father-and-son duo purchased the card, and the nickname “Connecticut Wagner” was born.
They held the card for approximately 25 years before consigning it to a 2010 auction, where it sold for $282,000—a significant sum at the time, though well below today’s multimillion-dollar valuations.
The buyer, another dedicated collector who had also completed the full T206 set, later exhibited it at the Detroit Institute of Art. About a decade later, it changed hands in a private sale to the current owner.
The 3 Highest Previous T206 Wagner Sales
3. $3,751,500 – PSA 2 – 2021
2. $6,606,296 – SGC 3 – 2021
1. $7,500,000 – SGC 2 – 2022
