(LOT 187)
1910 T213 Coupon Cigarettes Type 1 Ty Cobb SGC 4 VG-EX – POP 1; Highest Graded Example on Any Professional Grading Pop Chart!
RARE WAGNER PORTRAIT!!! It is Memory Lane's distinct pleasure to present arguably the rarest of all Honus Wagner cardboard issues boasting his iconic T206 Carl Horner portrait pose—the near-impossible to find 1910 E104-2 Nadja Caramel Blank Back scarcity in an eye-pleasing PSA 2 holder. One of only two PSA copies and the highest graded of those two, its elusive standing places it as a significantly more obscure issue than Wagner's 1909 T206 Sweet Caporal, 1903-11 W600 Type 3 & 4 Sporting Life Cabinets, 1910 E103 Williams Caramel, 1910 D322 Tip Top Bread (also presented in this auction), and 1911 M116 Sporting Life subjects, all revealing Horner's classic portrait pose. The 1910 Nadja Caramel 11-card set was regionally distributed in the Steel City to commemorate the Pirates 1909 world championship when the Flying Dutchman totally outplayed Ty Cobb in their first and only head-to-head matchup, with Pittsburgh winning the Fall Classic in a captivating seven games. The remaining 10 cards are also being sold in this auction as a single group lot, with our consignor ultimately deciding to have the Wagner offered as a separate lot.

One of Wagner's rarest cards, regardless of the pose, this particular offering includes a blank verso, with several of the SGC encapsulated copies including a Nadja ad back (SGC has graded a mere six total examples). The T206 Honus Wagner will forever reside as the hobby's "Holy Grail", and while every cardboard collector fantasizes about owning this card, "beater" examples now require nearly $3 million budgets. Indeed, capturing a T206 Wagner has evolved into a near-impossible conquest, justifying why recent prices for similar pre-WWI Wagner issues portraying the same Carl Horner portrait image are likewise surging like a roaring tsunami. Undervalued for the longest time, the floodgates have officially opened with regard to their soaring values. Dating back to early 2023, several Tip Top Wagner's have fetched $156K (3 VG) and $144K (Off-centered 4 VG-EX) price tags, two M116 blue background Wagner's nailed down $75K (5 EX) and $52K (3 VG), with Memory Lane realizing a record $117K for a highly coveted PSA 5 EX E90-2 Wagner. There appears to be no end in sight for these tsunami-like pricing upticks, with this E104-2 Nadja Wagner being one of the hobby's most miraculous cardboard collectibles and a Honus subject boasting a fractional existence versus its T206 Wagner brethren.

Tantamount to the other aforementioned portrait Wagners, its unparalleled paucity level, immortal Carl Horner lithographic Wagner illustration, and stellar aesthetics combine to create a resounding trifecta for even the most advanced collectors. Of course, like so many other turn of the century candy cards, it is subjected to extreme condition sensitivity, with this time-defying marvel proudly emanating fine aesthetics. Of utmost significance, the relatively well-centered legendary Honus pose is superb, portraying vibrant facial hues, fine clarity and a somewhat bold blue background. Similar to a handful of other known examples, there are a few light horizontal print lines situated in the upper region, and some border chipping/soiling is evident near the upper right corner as well as along the upper left edge. A few faint wrinkles (barely visible to the naked eye) do not compromise the enthralling central image, and the blank flipside depicts a few areas of negligible soiling. To reiterate, the combined PSA/SGC Pop Charts list only eight total E104-2 Wagner's versus some 60-70 known examples of the T206 "Holy Grail", with a T206 SGC 2 T206 Wagner fetching $7.2 million in a 2023 private sale. That said, it is clearly obvious that any of the previously mentioned portrait Wagner subjects are immensely undervalued as opposed to the mega million-dollar price tags associated with its T206 counterpart.

Now consider that this exalted Nadja heirloom reflects only eight documented graded specimens, with its sheer existence representing a fractional 11-13% of the renowned T206 Wagner population. The future prosperity of the T206 Wagner is a sure thing, and likewise, its strikingly similar portrait peers may not have even touched the tip of the iceberg with regard to their unlimited investment potential. Equally impressive is the unwavering presence of any Wagner portrait subject standing tall as a cornerstone of America's favorite pastime, effectively transcending the avid fan back in time when the great Pirates shortstop was embarking on a career that would eventually place him as one of baseball's five original 1936 HOF charter members. Indeed, this Cooperstown worthy offering is DeWolf Hopper's "Casey at the Bat" and Jack Norworth's "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"; it is our "Star Spangled Banner" National Anthem; it is the embodiment of an avid young baseball fan scrambling to the local mom and pop store to open a pack of baseball cards; it conjures up visions of Ty Cobb violently sliding into third base with his sharpened spikes pointed upwards; or Babe Ruth walloping another majestic home run into the grandstands; it is all of these captivating visions and so much more. Wagner's place in baseball history is forever solidified by his status as the game's greatest shortstop, and the exalted Honus portrait image affixed to this ultra-scarce E104-2 offering serves as a truly inspiring revelation of the T206 Wagner's unwavering eminence!

MIN BID $10,000
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