.avif)
.png)
.avif)
Content
Restored T206 Honus Wagner Sells for $1,982,500 at Heritage
A 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner with a Sweet Caporal back, graded PSA Authentic (Restored), sold for $1,982,500 in Heritage's Fall Sports Catalog Auction, which closed October 23 to 25, 2026, per PostWarCards. SI Collectibles ranked it the No. 3 sports card sale of its week at $1.98 million. Card Ladder data cited by SI shows the same slab sold for $1,980,000 at its previous sale, so the price barely moved.
The Card
What it is
- 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner, Sweet Caporal 150/25 back, per Heritage's lot listing
Grade
- PSA Authentic (Restored), certificate 50025597 on the holder in Heritage's image. PSA authenticated it as genuine without a number grade, and the label notes it as restored
Sale
- Heritage Fall Sports Catalog Auction #50088, lot 80145, in Session 1, which went to extended bidding at 10 p.m. Central on October 23, 2026, per Auction Report. SI dates the sale October 24
- Final price: $1,982,500, per PostWarCards on October 27, 2026
- On October 13, with more than 11 days left, the bid stood at $1,025,000, per SI
"The T206 Wagner is the foundational trophy of baseball card collecting," Heritage's Director of Sports Auctions Chris Ivy said in Heritage's auction preview, as published by Auction Report on October 24, 2026.
Four Sales of the Same Slab
Card Ladder tracks this card by its PSA serial number, and SI listed its earlier sales on October 13, 2026:
- November 2021: $1,102,806 at SCP Auctions
- September 2023: $1,968,000 at Mile High Auctions
- April 2025: $1,980,000, again at Mile High Auctions, also reported by SI on April 28, 2025
- October 2026: $1,982,500 at Heritage
After jumping about 78% between 2021 and 2023, the price has stayed within $14,500 across three sales.
Where It Sits Among Wagners
The number-graded copies are the fairest comparison:
- February 2026: a PSA 1 copy sold for $5,124,000, per SI and MLB.com
- August 2022: an SGC 2 sold for $7.25 million in a private sale announced by Goldin, per ESPN, which put the number of surviving copies at 50 to 60. It was still the most expensive Wagner sold as of February 2026, per MLB.com
- August 2026: a Piedmont-back Wagner, one of three known with that back, sold for $5,856,000 at Heritage, as our Piedmont Wagner report covers. It has no number grade either (SGC Authentic), and SI noted signs of trimming, so its rare back carried the price
Our take: the PSA 1 sold for about 2.6 times this card's price, and the restoration label is the clearest difference between them, though eye appeal and timing play a part too. Before buying any high-end vintage card, check the label and the certificate, and use our guide on how to verify a graded card.
Other Top Lots in the Same Auction
Per PostWarCards on October 27, 2026, Heritage also sold:
- 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle #350, PSA 9: $329,400
- 1980 Topps Bird, Erving and Magic Johnson Scoring Leaders, SGC 10 Gold Label: $329,400
- 1963 Topps Mickey Mantle #200, PSA 9: $317,200
- 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle #280, PSA 10: $237,900
For the biggest baseball sales of all time, see our most expensive baseball cards list.
Where to Go From Here
A restored grail still costs close to $2 million, and its price has held steady since 2023. If you want to collect real, vaulted cards, the Polkastarter marketplace gives you a free mystery pack when you sign up, and every Lootbox lists its contents, values, and chances before you open.
Details checked October 28, 2026. Prices are past results as reported by the sources linked. Auction prices include buyer's premium, and the $7.25 million figure was a private sale. Nothing here is financial advice. Polkastarter is not affiliated with Heritage Auctions, PSA, SGC, Goldin, MLB or the other companies named.
Sources
- Heritage Auctions: 1909-11 T206 White Border Sweet Caporal 150/25 Honus Wagner PSA Authentic (Restored), lot 80145, auction #50088, closed October 2026
- PostWarCards: The Post War Cards Newsletter #420, published October 27, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026
- SI Collectibles: weekly top 5 sports card sales (Ohtani leads, Wagner No. 3), published October 26, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026
- SI Collectibles: Restored T206 Honus Wagner crosses $1 million at Heritage Auctions, published October 13, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026
- Auction Report: Heritage Auctions sports catalog auction ends October 23 to 25, 2026, published October 24, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026
- MLB.com: Honus Wagner card originally pulled 117 years ago sells for over $5 million, published February 22, 2026, accessed October 28, 2026
- SI: Pittsburgh Pirates Honus Wagner rare card sells for $1.98 million, published April 28, 2025, accessed October 28, 2026
- ESPN: Rare T206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for record $7.25 million in private sale, published August 4, 2022, accessed October 28, 2026
- Heritage Auctions: 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle #350 PSA 9, auction #50088, closed October 2026
- Heritage Auctions: 1980 Topps Bird, Erving, Magic Johnson Scoring Leaders SGC 10, auction #50088, closed October 2026
- Heritage Auctions: 1963 Topps Mickey Mantle #200 PSA 9, auction #50088, closed October 2026
- Heritage Auctions: 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle #280 PSA 10, auction #50088, closed October 2026
.png)
Ilknur Gubel is a social media manager at Polkastarter. Ilknur has spent the past four years working as a project manager, marketing manager, and social media strategist across Web3. She has held marketing and project management positions at several crypto companies, including Polygen, Nitro League, Kaizen.Finance, and ChainPort.
At Polkastarter she has covered trading card releases, collectible market pricing, and how token holders can spend crypto on real cards and videogames.
Based in Istanbul, Ilknur earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Istanbul Aydın University.
You can connect with her on LinkedIn for more information.