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Darren J. DuetWhat has kept Wagner alive more than his on field accomplishments(which you and I know all too well)is the T206 card and its hype and aura. If it were not for his T206 card, how many casual baseball fans would know his name. His card transcends the player he was(rightfully or wrongfully).
How many current day baseball fans(or Joe Public for that matter)know who Christy Mathewson was, what team he played for, his meaning to history? Give it time, and if we get a regular dosing of his 1914 CJ card in major auctions(at least once every 2-3 yrs)his name and accomplishments will live forever in the public domain. His popularity will grow(so will his card prices) and less than baseball experts will know all about him.
Thanks to the world getting smaller(internet), we know more about cards;and we'll know more next year! The Wagner card was the first iconic card with a perceived scarcity--long before there was an internet for mass communication. It will always hold that title as the first. Just because it was the first doesn't necessarily equate to it being the best(that's subjective).
The card powers that be have identified 1)scarcer 2)older 3)desirable cards of players who were just as good, if not better than Wagner(eg Cobb, Ruth, Young, Jackson, etc.). Certainly a T206 Wagner has everthing going for it, but in time so will the Baltimore Ruth, CJ Matty, T210 Young, Just So Young<Cy Young Award>, 4BH Kelly, OJ Anson, Cobb/Cobb rev. etc.).
The next million dollar card will be the next high grade version of the aforementioned cards to come to market......if there are any?