Memory Lane to break virtually complete, high-grade set of T206 cards in special auction

Highlighted by the famed Honus Wagner, the set includes 523 of the 524 cards in the “master set” with 499 of them grading PSA 6 or higher.

One of the finest T206 (1909-1911) baseball card sets ever offered is being broken up and sold by Memory Lane Inc. in a special catalog auction that began April 22.

Pieced together by an avid collector over more than 10 years, the T206 Set Break Auction includes three of the set’s four extreme rarities: a PSA 2 (Good) Honus Wagner, a PSA 4 (VG-EX) Eddie Plank, and a PSA 5 (EX) Sherry Magie error card. Only the ultra-scarce Joe Doyle “NY Nat’l” variation is missing from the 524-card master set that has challenged collectors for generations.

The cards are expected to fetch well into seven figures before the auction closes May 6 with the Wagner leading the way. Bidding on the “holy grail” of baseball cards opens at $100,000. Another PSA 2 Wagner sold for $777,000 in 2016 – an increase of 164 percent in just ten years.

The remainder of the set stands as perhaps the best T206 collection ever broken at public auction with 406 of the 523 cards rating at least PSA 6 and several dozen even higher. The group includes a rare Ty Cobb (Bat Off Shoulder) with an Old Mill Tobacco back that stands as one of only six PSA 6 examples in existence (none higher) and a Cobb (Bat On Shoulder) with a Sovereign Tobacco back that is the lone PSA 6 example (one higher).

There are also multiple PSA 6 and 7 examples of Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Tris Speaker, among other Hall of Famers. Overall, the set carries a weighted GPA of 5.90 and an unweighted grade of 6.03.

Each card will be sold individually. The T206 Set Break will be conducted concurrently with Memory Lane’s annual Spring Auction but a special catalog is being produced to showcase all 523 cards.

Spring Auction highlights:

• PSA 8 (NM/MT) 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, with a starting bid of $125,000.

• PSA 8 examples of the 1951 Bowman rookie cards of Mantle and Willie Mays and the 1953 Topps Mantle headline a huge grouping of post-War Hall of Famers being offered.

• Entering the hobby market for the first time is a baseball signed 72 years ago by Babe Ruth during a visit to Comiskey Park.

• Ruth is also the subject of several Type 1 photos being offered in the auction including one from the 1927 World Series. He appears on a few of the photos with Lou Gehrig, who also has a prominent place in the photo section.

• A signed John Wodden coaching sweater gifted many years ago to a female friend of the coach’s grandson. The “UCLA Staff” sweater comes with a letter from the consignor as well as a testimonial video.

• The second best 1948 Bowman basketball set on PSA’s Registry will be broken up.

• The hobby’s highest graded 1950-51 Toleteros Josh Gibson, a PSA 8 example that carries a $25,000 opening bid.

The William Toppi Wax Pack Collection includes dozens of vintage packs from every sport including a PSA 8 example of the ‘holy grail’ 1952 Topps baseball pack, 1953 Bowman Color, 1953 and 1954 Topps, 1948 Bowman basketball and even a 1937 OPC hockey pack. Each will be sold separately. The auction also includes a group of 14 unopened 1960 Topps baseball packs offered as one lot.

To receive catalogs and register for bidding, contact Memory Lane via memorylaneinc.com or call 877-606-LANE (5263).