This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/23/2009
Superb high-grade example of the T206 Eddie Plank, one of card collecting's most legendary rarities. "Wagner, Plank, and Lajoie" are the three baseball card rarities that have long been referred to as "The Big Three." These three baseball cards, Wagner and Plank from the T206 series, and Nap Lajoie from 1933 Goudey, have traditionally represented the height of rarity, desirability, and value in the baseball card world. When the first published American Card Catalog came out in the 1930s, the T206 Wagner was listed as the most valuable baseball card in the world at a then-incredible $50. Plank was the second most valuable card, listed at $10. Over the years, since that inaugural publication was published, other cards have come to be universally recognized as among collecting's most desirable cards, but "Wagner, Plank, and Lajoie" will always be the first members of this elite club, and the three cards that purists among baseball card collectors will always recognize as the ultimate symbols of rarity and desirability. It is unclear the reason for the rarity of the T206 Plank card, however; one popular explanation, which appears to have no basis in fact, is that the printing plate broke. It is far more likely that Plank, like "Wagner", objected to having his picture packaged with cigarettes. Plank is featured in all the candy card sets of the era but does not appear in any of the primary tobacco card sets issued during this same time period, such as T3, T201, T202, T205, or T207. Since Plank was one of baseball's premiere stars of the day, it is unlikely that the tobacco companies simply forgot to include him in all these sets. It is far more likely that there is a common link to his objection over tobacco use. This is a magnificent example of T206 Plank, crisp and clean, with perfect printing registration, a flawless, even, deep blue background, no creases, and with just a hint of wear to the corners. The reverse features an advertisement for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes (350 Subjects, Factory No. 30). It is particularly rare to find such a problem-free example of this card. Like all T206s, including Wagner, a very large percentage survive in lower grades, and very few in higher grades. Among the more common cards in the set, which include virtually all, the law of averages allows for a much greater possibility of a given card being found in high grade, but the pool of survivors of the extreme rarities such as Wagner and Plank make high-grade examples far rarer and more desirable than a simple numerical PSA grade might suggest. The PSA population report has catalogued that only fifty-five T206 Plank's and that thirty-one T206 Wagner's have been graded to date by PSA. With only twenty-four PSA graded cards separating these two rarities, the Plank card represents a significant value to the collector. Considering that the latest realized price on a PSA 5 Wagner was just over the 1.6 million dollar mark. This is an outstanding example of the T206 Eddie Plank, one of the nicest in existence and one of card collecting's most significant rarities.