On March 29 a fortunate collector will join an exclusive club, by adding one of the three finest T206 Honus Wagner baseball cards in existence to his collection. Goldin Auctions has announced that bidding for the Wagner, graded EX 5 (MC) (serial number 15385994) by PSA, will begin at $500,000 with no reserve in the Goldin Auctions 2013 Winter Auction, from February 25-March 29, 2013. A preview of the 850 lot auction will be available online at www.GoldinAuctions.com beginning February 22.

Issued by the American Tobacco Company, from 1909-11 as part of the T206 series, less than 200 Wagner cards were ever issued. Production of the card was halted after Wagner, the Pittsburgh Pirates star shortstop, requested the tobacco company to stop including his image in the cigarette packs. As a result, there have been less than 60 authentic Wagner cards submitted for authentication and/or grading by the major card grading companies.

“With less than 60 authenticated Wagner cards out there, the opportunity to purchase one does not come around very often. The few owners recognize the investment potential of these ultra-rare, highly sought after collectibles and rarely sell them,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions. “This high-grade Wagner is in a class with just two others that have ever been graded a ’5′ or better. With a starting bid of just $500,000 and no reserve, on March 29 someone new will own this investment grade piece of baseball and American history.”

The T206 Honus Wagner up for auction has been referred to as “The Jumbo Wagner” by many in the world of sports collectibles due to its unusually ample borders. These dimensions, exceeding by far the standard size for a T206 baseball card, have virtually preserved a Near Mint example within its boundaries, elevating this example to an even higher and possibly unprecedented level in terms of condition. This card’s very existence, along with its condition, have defied virtually all odds to provide one fortunate collector the bragging rights of a superb example of the most coveted card in the arena of sports collectibles.

Based upon the current environment and historical price increases, it is quite possible for this sale to set a new overall record price for a T206 Wagner. In 2012, a Wagner graded VG 3 sold for over $1.2 million – a 76% increase over what another VG 3 Wagner sold for just four years earlier. The only known public sale of an EX 5 Wagner was, for this very card back in 2008, for $1.62 million.

The Goldin Auctions Winter 2013 Auction offers 850 lots including: 1909-11 E90-1 Joe Jackson Rookie Card (VG-EX PSA 4); 1933 Nap Lajoie NR MT+ (SGC7.5); 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie graded NR-MT-MT+ (SGC 8.5); 1970′s Earl Monroe and Bill Bradley game used NY Knicks jerseys; Michael Jordan’s Gold VISA Card; 1959 Stan Musial game-used bat with provenance from a Cardinals employee; Roberto Clemente game used bat; 2002 Greg Maddux Rawlings Gold Glove Award; 2012 World Series game used items from World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval and regular season MVP Buster Posey; 2001 Derek Jeter World Series game used bat; 1949 Norm Van Brocklin College All Star game worn uniform; Christian Laettner’s 1992 Dream Team uniform; a pair of exquisite signed baseballs from Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner, and so much more.

For more information, or to register for a free catalog, visit www.GoldinAuctions.com. All collectors, investors or agents bidding on their behalf must be pre-approved to bid on the Wagner by contacting Ken Goldin at Ken@goldinauctions.com or 856-767-8550.

About Goldin Auctions
Sports memorabilia impresario Ken Goldin has sold more than $600 million in memorabilia from many of the biggest names in sports, history and pop culture and was the pioneer of using the medium of television to sell sports memorabilia. With the launch of Goldin Auctions in 2012, he continues to break new ground and offer collectors the best in collectible treasures up for auction in the marketplace. Goldin Auctions offers an industry low 10% buyers’ premium; all game worn or autographed items come with team, player, league or additional LOA from industry leading authenticators; and collectors can bid with confidence that their proxy/ceiling bids remain confidential. For more information, visit www.goldinauctions.com.