Proof – That T206 life

The Mysterious T206 “Wagner Strip”

Luke April 21, 2018 April 22, 2018

I touched on this piece in last week’s article. It’s the closest thing we have to an uncut T206 sheet. Clearly it’s significance goes well beyond that fact though. It’s hard to believe that such an item exists given how rare the T206 Wagner is to begin with. In my opinion, this “card” is the most desirable T206 (or related item) out there. Some people might prefer a Wagner or the Collins With Bat Proof, but I’d take this strip every day of the week.

Legend has it that this card was found in the attic of a home that Wagner had once owned. The attic contained many of Wagner’s personal items including baseball gear and uniforms. In fact, this card is said to have been found in the back pocket of a pair of uniform pants. The generally accepted theory is the strip was given to Wagner in an attempt to secure his permission to use his likeness.

As you can see, there are many differences between the way the cards in the strip look and the ultimate finished product. These differences are not too surprising given that this piece was a “Proof” which was given to Wagner before all of the details were ironed out. The lines between the cards caused quite a discussion on net54baseball.com back in 2010. The lines are odd because, as we know, T206 sheets were ultimately not printed with lines between them. There was a bit of back-and-forth between people who had viewed the card in person and were confident that it was one continuous strip of paper, and a vocal minority who theorized that the strip was made up of 5 individual cards which were carefully pasted together. In this theory, the lines between the cards was actually a seam. Ultimately, it seems that the people who held this viewpoint had not viewed the card in person (at least for the most part) and just couldn’t accept that the lines were printed on the cards. However, there were many differences between the strip and the ultimate finished product, so it doesn’t really make sense to make such a determination based on the printed lines. Lots of minor details were changed between the time this strip was printed and the time the first T206 cards were released in cigarette packs. On June 12th 2010, Wayne Varner made this post on net54:

Ted Z and others, I can shed a little light on this proof strip. Back in 1978 Bill Zimpleman, Mike Wheat, Ken Blazek, and myself, Wayne Varner were on a buying trip in the Pittsburgh area and we purchased this strip from a gentleman who had purchased Wagner’s house. We bought a number of items he found in the house. I cannot remember all the details, but after we purchased the strip, we had a drawing, and I won the strip. I sold it in 1980 to Barry Helper, who to my knowledge owned the strip until he passed away*. I can tell you from holding the strip many times, it is not cards pasted together. Could that have been done at the factory and then potographed to send to Wagner, possibly, but not likely. However it was done, it was definitely done at the factory, and has the proof lines like all the proof cards I have ever seen. I have seen the strip on several occasions since Barry passed away and it is in the same orginial condition as when I owned it from 1978 until 1980. There is no question it is orginial and unaltered no matter what anyone says. Hope this helps a little.

Wayne Varner
SHOEBOX CARDS

Mr. Varner was the first collector/dealer to own the card. He mentions that the thought Halper owned the strip until his death, but actually, Sotheby’s auctioned off the Barry Halper collection in 1999, 6 years before Halper passed away (in 2005). The next few years after the Sotheby’s auction were quite eventful.

Sotheby’s auctioned off the strip in 1999, as part of the Barry Halper Collection. It sold for $85,000.

In late 2000, the strip sold for $93,000 in a Steve Verkman Cards and Memorabilia auction.

The winning bid was placed by the “Shop at Home Television Network”. They bought it with plans to feature it as a prize in an upcoming giveaway they were doing. It was won by a 15 year-old from California named Jordan Marquez. Unfortunately, Jordan was hit with a hefty tax bill as a result of winning the strip, and was forced to sell it. It was consigned with Mastro Net in 2002, where it sold for $78,665.

After that busy three year stretch, the strip stayed out of the spotlight for a while. However, it wasn’t too long before it surfaced again. In May of 2010, the Wagner Strip was on display at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia to promote it’s inclusion in the upcoming Hunt Auction, which took place at the All Star Fanfest. The winning bid of $316,250 (after the juice) was placed by SCP Auctions on behalf of one of their clients.

The Wagner Strip has not sold publicly since 2010. The T206 market has been quite strong in the intervening eight years. I imagine the strip would sell for quite a bit more if it were to hit the auction block in the near future.

Sources:
http://www.t206museum.com/page/periodical_32.html
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=123958
https://www.huntauctions.com/live/imageviewer.cfm?auction_num=27&lot_num=242&lot_qual=
http://www.t206museum.com/page/periodical_13.html

The T206 Eddie Collins With Bat Proof

Luke July 15, 2017 July 16, 2017

The Collins Proof above is probably my favorite T206. This unique card walked into a card show in New York in the 1970’s. It was brought to the show by a relative of someone who worked directly with proof production for the T206 and T3 sets. No one knows why this pose didn’t make it into T206 production. The Portrait is an iconic pose, but this With Bat pose would have been a great complement to it.

A copy of the 1994 REA catalog which featured the Collins Proof – The first time it had been offered publicly

The card speaks for itself, but the story of who has owned it over the years adds to its mystique. Rob Lifson, who went on to run Robert Edwards Auctions (REA) purchased it and sold it soon after to Bill Mastro at a different show. Mastro recognized that it was an unissued pose and jumped at the chance to buy it for $17. He told Lifson that it was unissued only after he had bought it. Realizing the significance of the card, Lifson decided to re-acquire it. He had to give Mastro $2,000 in trade, but he left the show with it. He then sold the proof to high profile collector Barry Halper for $2,500 when he got home.

In 1994, Halper consigned the Collins Proof to Lifson to sell in REA’s January Auction. The minimum bid was set at $50,000 and the lot received just one bid, selling for a post-juice $56,000. The new owner was none other than actor Charlie Sheen.

The two legendary baseball card collectors who have owned the Collins Proof

In 2000, Leland’s auctioned off the card, and it sold for $24,930. This time, it was purchased by Keith Olbermann, and it resides in his collection to this day. In 2011, Olbermann wrote the following in his MLB blog:

“I’d like to thank him (Charlie Sheen) belatedly for the T206 Collins Proof card, by the way.”

In the below issue of The Trader Speaks, the question of whether the Collins Proof was a more significant card that the T206 Honus Wagner was posed. Today most collectors would opt for the Wagner if given the choice, but there are a few who would prefer the Collins.

There’s no way to know for sure what the Collins Proof would sell for in today’s market, but it would not shock me at all if it sold for low-to-mid six figures.

I’d like to thank Keith Olbermann and t206resource.com and for the use his/their scanas well as info used from the article entitled “The Olbermann Proofs” and Rob Lifson for his summary of the history of the Collins Proof, which can be read on the Full Count Vintage Baseball Card Forum here.

Auction Report: REA Spring 2017

Luke May 4, 2017

Another incredible REA auction is in the books. As usual, I’ll be focusing on the T206s that were sold, but they were just a tiny percentage of the amazing offerings in the auction. This auction had a little something for almost everyone. There were pristine Cobbs and rare backs for the high-rollers, and lower grade rarities for the collector-grade folks. In this wrap-up, I’ll try to spotlight a selection from both ends of the spectrum.

Cobb Bat Off Shoulder Uzit PSA 6 Sells for $108,000
This card is absolutely stunning. A high-grade copy of one of the toughest and most sought after rare backs.

Cobb Green Portrait SGC 60 Sells for $9,000
Yet another mid-grade Green Cobb hit the market and did quite well. This one is a beauty.

Four 150-350 Series Proofs Sell for $7,200 – $8,400

Bates $8,400
Alperman $8,400
Jacklitsch $7,800
Wagner $7,200

I was a little surprised that the Alperman didn’t sell for more than the other three. As the only one of the quartet to not feature a name caption, it has much more appeal to me personally. Apparently the guys who actually have the money to bid on these don’t feel the same.

Magie Error PSA A Sells for $5,400
A nice looking card with a slight trim from top-to-bottom.

Cobb Green Portrait PSA 2 Sells for $5,400
Quite the strong price for this one. It’s either a case of someone buying the card, rather than the holder, or someone thinking they can remove the tape residue on the back of the card and elevate the grade to a 3.5 or 4.

Bell Lenox SGC 50 Sells for $3,600
A beautiful example, this one sold for about what you’d expect.

Arellanes Broad Leaf 350 SGC 50 Sells for $3,300
This card is amazing. Love the baby blue background and the back is clean and looks great.

Pelty Horizontal Hindu PSA 5 Sells for $2,700

Stovall with Bat Lenox SGC 30 Sells for $1,920
Another tough Lenox back, this one has great eye appeal for the grade. The only flaws are the spots of paper loss on the back. Luckily, they don’t affect any of the text.

Young Portrait El Principe De Gales PSA 3 Sells for $2,280
This is very strong “3” and it sold for a strong price. Seeing this result makes me wonder what a nice PSA 3 Old Mill or Hindu would fetch at auction.

Dougherty Portrait Hindu SGC 60 Sells for $1,560
Waddell Portrait SGC 40 Sells for $1,320
Walsh Hindu SGC 40 Sells for $1200
Tinker Hands on Knees Hindu SGC 20 Sells for $1,080
I thought these Hindus were a nice value for the new owners. All are really solid examples with great eye appeal.

Magee with Bat Red Hindu Sells for $1,440
This was the only Red Hindu in the auction, and it’s a beauty. I personally value cards of guys like Magee who were stars at the time more than a similar card of a player who had a less notable career. This card seems to have gone for a strong price, and I wonder if his status as a guy who just barely missed the Hall of Fame might have something to do with it.

Brown Chicago on Shirt Piedmont Factory 42 Sells for $840
This was one of my personal favorites in the auction. It’s a great looking “3” and it’s not every day you can find this pose with a tough back.

The T206 Wildfire Schulte front view “Chicago” Proof

Luke March 26, 2017

The Schulte Chicago Proof is one of my favorite cards. I referenced this card in an earlier post titled “Examining the T206 Joe Tinker Hands on Knees “Chicago” Variation”. That article is worth a read, but the gist of it is that a few copies of Tinker hands on knees have been found with “CHICAGO” printed across his chest, and “CUBS” printed over “CHICAGO”. When the Tinker was discovered, the Schulte Chicago Proof was already known to the hobby.

In 1997, Keith Olbermann wrote an article for the Vintage & Classic Baseball Collector magazine entitled “How Many Cards in the T206 Set?”. The article included a scan of the Schulte Proof, which Mr. Olbermann owns. The article is available online courtesy of t206resource.com. You can read it here. The existence of the Schulte lent legitimacy to the Tinker when collectors were initially skeptical of it.

This is the first Tinker “Chicago” that was discovered in 2011

Schulte front view has always been a favorite of T206 collectors, as evidenced by the premium paid for it over other “commons”. I use quotations around that word because Schulte was an incredible ballplayer. He was one of the elite sluggers of the era and his 1911 season is the stuff of legend. He scored 105 runs to go along with 30 doubles, 21 triples, 21 home runs. He knocked in 107 runs and posted an OPS of .918.

To me, Schulte front view has quite a bit of mystique due to the fact that there are two different 1-of-1s featuring Schulte. The proof is the only one in existence, but it may not even be the most famous Schulte front view front/back combo. One of the biggest mysteries of the T206 set is the Piedmont 350 Schulte Front View. For a long time, it was assumed that Schulte was a 150-Only Subject. When the lone Piedmont 350 was found, it threw that idea out the window. That card is probably the biggest head-scratcher in the entire set in my opinion. It doesn’t fit any pattern, and it’s crazy that only one survived. I wrote an article about that card, titled “T206 Wildfire Schulte Front View Piedmont 350 – Is It a 1 of 1?” which can be read here.

The proof and Piedmont 350 are out of reach for most of us, but we can settle for trying to find a Schulte front view with Hindu or Sovereign 150 backs. Both are quite tough to find, but by no means impossible.