Ty Cobb
Hobby heroes Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb hold strong value among vintage card collectors
A trio of hot sellers on our Top 10 chart and “next 10” list reflect an ongoing appreciation for vintage cards.
Vintage? Heck, you can call these antiques. The industry-wide standard for an object to be considered antique is 100 years old. Let’s take a closer look at our charting century-old cards. Two of them feature Honus Wagner, and they sold for prices north of $30,000.
One of them was a 1910 Wagner card originally packaged in a box of American Caramel candy. It sold for $35,600 on 60 bids. The 1910 American Caramel set was cataloged as E90-2 by Jefferson Burdick (1900–1963), the man known as the Father of Card Collecting.
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The image of Wagner on his E90-2 card is similar to that on his iconic T206 card. Wagner is wearing a buttoned-up light jersey with long, dark collars, but it bears a “P” emblem vs. “Pittsburg” on his T206. It also features a stoic-looking Wagner, although unlike the T206, he’s looking to his right.
The other Wagner to chart is a 1910 card issued by Tip Top Bread. A real rarity, it inspired 89 bids and a final price of $31,200—even though it was ungraded and deemed by PSA to have been altered. Unlike the E90-2 Wagner, this one features the exact image made famous by his T206.
Speaking of T206 cards, one of four Cobb variations in that series showed up on eBay in January. This example features a close-up portrait of Cobb against a green background and a Piedmont ad on the reverse. It sold for $20,763 on 44 bids, helped along by an impressive grade of SGC 5.
About the variations in the T206 set: One of them shows the same portrait but with a red background. And two others show Cobb in a batting pose—one with his bat on his shoulder, the other with his bat off his shoulder.
TOP 10 CHART
1. $43,900 on 84 bids: 2015-16 Upper Deck The Cup Connor McDavid, #83/99, auto patch (BGS 9)
2. $40,300 on 80 bids: 2008-09 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant Gold Refractor, #42/50 (BGS 9.5)
3. $35,600 on 60 bids: 1910 E90-2 American Caramel Honus Wagner (SGC 1)
4. $31,300 on 89 bids: 1910 Tip Top Bread Honus Wagner (ungraded; PSA authenticated; altered)
5. $30,099 on 59 bids: 2008-09 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett Quad Signatures, #5/8, four autos (BGS 9)
6. $25,500 on 35 bids: 2003-04 Topps Chrome LeBron James Refractor (PSA 10)
7. $25,433 on 54 bids: 2014-15 Panini Noir Kobe Bryant Spotlight Signatures Gold Ink, #15/25, auto (ungraded)
8. $22,988 on 43 bids: 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Refractor (PSA 8)
9. $23,099 on 45 bids: 2023-24 Panini Prizms Victor Wembanyama Blue Prizm (BGS 10)
10. $22,600 on 60 bids: 2000 Fleer E-X Tom Brady Essential Credentials Future, #15/45 (PSA 4)
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
These were the highest-selling cards outside our Top 10 chart:
• $21,288 on 98 bids: 2005-06 Topps Finest Kobe Bryant White Superfractor, #1/1 (PSA 6)
• $21,100 on 124 bids: 2018-19 Panini Flawless Luka Doncic, #10/25, auto patch (BGS 9)
• $20,866 on 70 bids: 2018-19 Panini National Treasures Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, #69/99, auto patch (PSA 8)
• $20,763 on 44 bids: 1910 T206 Piedmont Ty Cobb, green background (SGC 5)
• $20,555 on 66 bids: 2003-04 Upper Deck SP Signature Edition LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady Triple Authentic Signatures, #10/25, autos (PSA 8, autos PSA/DNA-authenticated)
• $19,700 on 82 bids: 1985 Topps WWF Wrestling Hulk Hogan (PSA 10)
• $19,500 on 50 bids: 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski (PSA 2)
• $19,099 on 88 bids: 2018 Donruss Optic Josh Allen Rated Rookie Gold, #5/10, auto (PSA 10)
• $18,988 on 55 bids: 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Shaquille O’Neal Colossal Logoman, #1/1, patch (NBA shield) (BGS 9)
• $18,600 on 51 bids: 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection LeBron James Inscriptions, #10/25, auto signed “The Chosen One” (BGS 8)
