(LOT 446)
1915 Cracker Jack #68 Honus Wagner (SGC Good 2)
This awe-inspiring SGC "Good 2" 1915 Cracker Jack Honus Wagner stands as one of his most coveted cardboard relics, with its desirability and value continuously rising with the force of an uncontrollable tsunami. Cracker Jack cards inserted into boxes of caramel corn currently reside as one of the hobby's most exalted pre-War issues due to the significant number of "dead ball" era baseball immortals included in the set such as Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Joe Jackson, and the incomparable Honus Wagner. The "Flying Dutchman", his popular nickname, is highly regarded as the greatest shortstop in baseball history. Wagner accumulated over 3,400 hits, batted over .300 for 17 consecutive seasons, won 8 National League batting titles, and was one of the original 5 charter members elected to baseball's illustrious Hall of Fame in 1936. Yet, amazing as it may seem, his statistical attributes are not the compelling force behind his remarkable influence in the card bobby.

That hallowed distinction is due to his appearance on the world-renowned T206 Wagner, the most valuable card on the planet and the unequivocal "Holy Grail" of the card hobby. Because of his T206 example, all Wagner cards are ultra-desirable with collectors avidly seeking his most precious early 20th century artifacts. Wagner's timeless portrait image is perfectly registered and depicts the finest facial details you will ever encounter on a century+ old baseball card. The classic "fire engine" red background is certainly imposing, framed by somewhat clean borders and a perimeter consisting of four evenly worn corners that exhibit a fine eye pleasing uniformity. The image exhibits relatively fine centering, with a modest favoritism towards the right edge, yet most significantly, there is no glaring "tilt" that is a typical stigma of the Wagner Cracker jack subject.

No obtrusive creasing is evident with the few light stray wrinkles barely visible to the naked eye. While the aforementioned corner wear and faint wrinkles account for the grade, most would agree the stellar "VG+" aesthetics present itself beyond the technical assessment, with no glaring caramel stains accompanying this plaguing this superb memento. Legendary manager John McGraw always insisted that Honus Wagner was the greatest "all-around" baseball player he ever saw, and this grand offering resides as the perfect opportunity to capture one of the all-time shortstop's most revered cardboard heirlooms!

MIN BID $1,000
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