Later tonight, an example of the baseball card commonly referred to as the 'Holy Grail' of the collecting hobby is going under a virtual hammer: a T206 Honus Wagner card. Only 60 are believed to exist.
A mint condition copy of the card sold for a World Record $2.8m in 2007, and a slightly tattered and creased Honus Wagner card sold for $262,000 near the end of 2010, benefiting charitable causes funded by nuns.
Rated at Good 2 by the PSA, the item is expected to sell for $850,000. It is considered by most to be the most important sports collectible in the world. The auctioneer Memory Lane speaks with the voice of committed enthusiasts everywhere:
"Here is the item that has inspired the industry from its earliest days, and the artifact which continues to be the ultimate goal for every enthusiast. Honus Wagner's presence elevates any collection like no other force on the planet."
 Worth far more than its weight in gold: the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card |
Another possibility for a six-figure sale at the auction is a Babe Ruth Pitcher (Boston Red Sox) card. Described reasonably by the auctioneer as the 'ultimate rookie card', the card's front, a magnificent image of the future legend reveals his pitching follow-through.
The 20-year old Ruth had just pitched in his first full season in 1915, and was yet to define baseball. Memory Lane has listed the card at $100,000. The auction will accept its last bid at 6.30pm, California time.
Babe Ruth memorabilia is certainly valuable. We sold a signed photo of the star for £7,500 ($12,375) a while ago. Keep checking out our sports memorabilia for sale section and be the first to make an offer the next time we have some of Ruth's memorabilia in.
