This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/6/2016
If the image of Honus Wagner on this W600 Sporting Life cabinet card looks familiar, that's because it's the creation of noted photographer Carl Horner, and it, along with most of the photos from the W600 collection, were used to design the T206 series. Other than some minor changes to the uniform for the tobacco cards, this is the very same portrait that resides on the most famous baseball card ever produced, but much larger. Distributed individually as a redemption prize for a purchase from 1902-1911, it's surprising how few from this series have been graded by PSA and SGC. Even more shocking is that only about 10 Wagners have been evaluated by the two grading companies combined, especially since customers were given a choice of what player they wanted and Wagner was at the height of his career, batting .343 while capturing seven National League batting titles and averaging 44 stolen bases per season while the W600 series was produced. The tendered masterpiece ranks among the finest in existence, offering a thoroughly untainted image of "The Flying Dutchman" in his legendary pose, perfectly framed and surrounded by edges and endpoints that show moderate wear but rate superior to the grade, retrained slightly by a minor stain in the lower left corner, which is visible on the otherwise bright and clean blank back. Save for the T206, there isn't a better issue featuring the great Honus Wagner than this W600 Sporting Life cabinet, and none surpasses this one in overall quality as well!