How much would you pay for a baseball card? A man in New Jersey just won an auction for a rare 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card. His winning bid? $1.2 million.
Bill Goodwin, a St. Louis collectibles dealer who ran the online auction, said that 14 bids were placed on the rare baseball card. Goodwin said:
“We’re thrilled with the outcome. There’s been so much media attention surrounding this card, and the final price proved this card was worth watching.”
ESPN reports that Wagner was 0ne of the first people inducted into the Hall of Fame. He played shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was nicknamed “The Flying Dutchman,” and won eight batting titles and hitting a career .327.
The Honus Wagner card was originally sold with packs of cigarettes from 1909 to 1911. Wagner pulled his card from the series after two years. Some say that Wagner didn’t want to promote cigarettes to kids, while others argue that Wagner just wanted to be paid for his likeness. Regardless, Wagner’s decision to pull the card meant that only about 20o cards were ever issued. Experts believe that only about 60 still exist.
The $1.2 million paid for this Honus Wagner is a hefty price for a baseball card, but it doesn’t come close to what Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick paid in 2011, when Kendrick bought a mint condition Wagner for $2.8 million.
