Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/19/2014
Graded by PSA VG-EX 4. The T206 Eddie Plank baseball card is known as one of the original “Big 3” individual baseball cards in the hobby. Together with the famous T206 Honus Wagner and even the less-famous, but still very rare 1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie, these three cards are considered the Holy Grail of card collecting, representing scarcity, intrigue and desirability. In the book “Collecting Sports Legends” written by PSA President Joe Orlando, the T206 Eddie Plank card is ranked as the fourth most important sports card of all time!
The T206 Plank, as well as many important cards including the aforementioned Wagner and Lajoie, has select stories surrounding its scarcity, and it is these stories or theories if you will, which lend to the intrigue and desirability of these relics. Plank was one of the game’s premier pitchers of his day, and by the time in 1909 when the T206 set was being manufactured and distributed; he had already won 167 games eventually winning 326 games. The original theory of scarcity was a broken printing plate, which has been dismissed since Plank cards were issued in 1909 and 1910, and with different backs - both Series 150 and Series 350. (This Series 350 reverse Plank was most likely produced and distributed in 1910.) However, the more plausible explanation is that Plank, like Wagner, was not compensated for his likeness on these cards, or was averse to his likeness being distributed with tobacco products. Plank and Wagner are in all the candy sets of that era, but are missing in all the major tobacco sets of the same period. No matter the reason, the T206 Plank is universally recognized as one of the scarcest and most desirable of all baseball cards.
THE CARD
The method which certain rare or high grade vintage cards originate also lends to the history, and oftentimes, the value and desirability of these cards. This particular T206 Plank example also has a great story behind its original surfacing in the hobby. In 1985 a father and son set up at a small Connecticut sports card show, and the duo usually bought and sold cards to help finance their growing vintage card collection. At this small show, an elderly gentleman arrived with the goal of selling his T206 complete set, and as the advanced collector put it, “with the Wagner.” The collector explained he collected this set with his father, when the cards were originally distributed. Talk about an original find! The princely sum for this original complete set? A robust $10,000…. “with the Wagner.” But also with the Plank. In 2010, years after their small show purchase, the father/son collecting team decided to sell at auction what is now known as “The Connecticut Wagner,” and a year later sold at auction the corresponding Plank card. This is that T206 Eddie Plank card, originally sold at part of a complete T206 set by an elderly collector back in 1985, and sold publicly for the first time at auction in 2011. This is now the third time this card has been publicly sold at auction, exchanging hands in May 2011, and then selling again in May 2012. This example is simply beautiful, maintaining tremendous eye appeal more advanced than its assigned grade. It displays a bright and clean appearance, perfectly centered with light to moderate even rounding on all four corners, and a solid dark blue background. Running straight from the top of Plank’s head to the north edge is a light half-inch crease, which is also visible on the reverse. The reverse is exceptionally well printed, with a bold red “Sweet Caporal 350 Subjects” stamp from “Factory No. 30.”
In the world of rare and highly desirable baseball cards, this example of the famed T206 Plank card is considered “high grade.” The reason is simply the law of supply. If there were 200 examples produced of the T206 Plank (or Wagner for that matter), but all other issued cards were issued in far greater abundance, then it is safe to conclude there are more opportunities for a T206 common to be found in high grade. Only 13 examples of the T206 Plank card grade higher than this offered piece, most residing in very advanced collections. This is one of the most intriguing and magnificent examples of the very rare T206 Eddie Plank card, only the third time this particular card has been offered at public auction. Graded by PSA VG-EX 4.
This lot has a Reserve Price that has not been met.