Original Honus Wagner Expected to Rake In $500,000 USD at Auction

An original T206 Honus Wagner baseball card has surfed at California’s SCP Auctions, and it isn’t expected to go cheap. According to reports, the card is expected to rake in somewhere around $500,000 USD, making it one of the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia ever. With around 60 copies of the card known to be in existence, the card has now increased its value tenfold, beating its last estimated value of $48,500 USD last time a Honus Wagner card was auctioned in 1996.

Originally distributed by the American Tobacco company in 1911, Wagner demanded the production of his card be stopped, as experts suggest that he didn’t want to influence his young fans to buy cigarettes. It’s estimated that only 200 copies of the card were ever made before Wagner asked production to halt. In a span of 21 years from 1897 to 1917, Wagner was cemented as one of Major League Baseball’s finest, with over 2,700 games played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and earning a career batting average of .328. The SCP Auctions are taking place online from May 24 through June 10 on their website, where you’ll be able to see many different sports cards and other collectibles.