Bidding for Legendary 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner Certified by CGC Already Exceeds $1 Million at Auction

Recently, one of the most iconic sports cards of all-time hit the road alongside other grails of the hobby when they were put on display at the CGC Cards booth at Fanatics Fest and The National. Now, the same 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner certified CGC Authentic - Restored is being offered in a sale presented by Love of the Game Auctions.

Online bidding is already underway for the Summer 2026 Premier Auction, which will be held Saturday, August 8, 2026. As of Monday, August 3, bidding has already exceeded $1.1 million for the legendary card with a fascinating backstory. To read more about the iconic Wagner card and its journey over the decades, go here.

For much of the last century, the hobby has considered the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner to be the holy grail of all sports cards. Produced in much smaller dimensions than modern cards so they could easily fit inside cigarette packs of the day, the card features a basic portrait of the shortstop in his collared Pittsburgh Pirates jersey. These incredible vintage tobacco cards are relics of a bygone era, exceedingly rare, and incredibly hard to find in high grades.

For decades, the Wagner card has broken sports card sales records, including being the first-ever sports card to realize more than $1 million, while also having the honor of being the most expensive card in the hobby at times. This particular 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner was entrusted to CGC experts for certification and encapsulation by award-winning media personality Keith Olbermann, earning the designation of CGC Authentic – Restored. High-end collectors only get so many opportunities to add a card of this magnitude to their collection, and this example is the first certified by CGC.

The T206 is arguably the most popular and important vintage sports card set ever produced, showcasing several early MLB Hall of Famers including Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Christy Mathewson, Ed Walsh, and more. However, the gem of the set is the ultra-rare 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner. Created by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) between 1909 and 1911, the T206 set was inserted into the brand's cigarette packs. The 524-card set features both major and minor league players of the era, each with varying rarity, but none more so than Wagner's card.

The Hall of Famer's T206 issue is extremely rare because it was removed from production almost immediately after the set was released. Since ATC pulled the Wagner card early on, experts estimate that the production run distributed to the public was likely in the low hundreds, with perhaps only 200 printed. Today, less than 100 are known to exist in the world and only a little more than 50 examples have been certified across all third-party grading services, making the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner one of the most coveted rarities in the entire hobby.

Although shortstops are not always known for their offensive skillset, Wagner was one of the best all-around shortstops in MLB history. Nicknamed the Flying Dutchman, he finished his 21-season career with a .328 batting average, 3,420 hits, 1,732 RBIs, and 723 stolen bases. The longtime Pittsburgh Pirate won eight National League batting titles, led the NL in stolen bases five times, and led the NL in RBIs four times. Wagner was a 1909 World Series champion and was inducted as part of the Baseball Hall of Fame's inaugural class of 1936.

Related Links:

• Counterfeit Card Alert: 1940 R335 Play Ball #168 Honus Wagner
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• The Most Expensive Sports Cards Ever Sold