If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
As much as collectors yearn to unearth their very own flea-market treasure, picking out a grail card from a heap and buying it for pennies on the dollar, when it comes to cards such as the famed T206 Honus Wagner, the likelihood of such a discovery is essentially zero.
Yet, it appears some bidders on the Goodwill auction site are willing to take a shot, as bidding for a lot of eight cards, including one purporting to be a T206 Wagner, has reached $15,000 with four days remaining.
Now, it shouldn’t require much investigation to realize the card is not, in fact, genuine. After all, with prices for the card in the millions — particularly for those in the condition apparently exhibited by the Goodwill example — why would anyone opt to sell it anywhere other than a major auction house?
Not to mention the fact the discovery of a new T206 Wagner, previously unseen, would be headline news.
But, if one were to look closer, a number of details on the card betray its true identity. The easiest detail? The card back, which appears to come from the rare Tolstoi variation. No Wagner is believed to appear with any card-back other than Piedmont or Sweet Caporal.
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This is not to say Goodwill is liable for this auction. After all, the second-chance retailer offers a clear disclaimer in the item description: “Unless specifically stated, items have NOT been appraised, certified, or authenticated.”
Interestingly, the title of the lot specifically calls out the “1909 W555 Honus Wagner Hand Cut Card,” which, while far less famous than the T206, is still a valuable card. One sold for nearly $5,000 in 2023. The tell-tale signs of fraudulent examples of this card, which is even rarer than the T206, are not as well known, so it isn’t as simple to dismiss the Goodwill example as a fake, but context helps.
Other cards in the lot purport to be a 1903 E107 Breisch Williams Honus Wagner, which has sold for as much as $312,000 in SGC 1.5 condition, a 1909 Croft's Cocoa Wagner, which has sold for more than $10,000 in PSA 3 condition and a 1910 E98 "Set of 30" Wagner, the top sale of which came in at $239,000 in a PSA 10 (from the Black Swamp Find).
Could one of these cards be authentic? There’s always a chance. And at least a few bidders believe there could be hidden treasure in the lot. But when in doubt, it’s likely safe to assume any T206 Wagner found in the Wild West of the Goodwill auction site is worth second-guessing.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.