Wagner Bought on eBay for under $200 (video)
 

I couldn't view the video...but congrats to the winner...you're rich! Way to go...shrewd purchase...only $170...what a deal!

This is newsworthy huh. Anyone know a tribe on a remote island far far away from civilization looking for a new hunterer gatherer...please let me know...i'll send my resume!

I would say buying a 350k+ card for $170 is newsworthy. The guy seems like a real nice guy in the video too.

anyone have the auction link? I heard the seller listed it as a repro.

Listing
 

I believe this to be the listing (note that it was listed as a reprint):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171439808784

which doesn't jive with the quote:
"I was just stressed, stressed going, 'Okay, this could be a reprint, this could be something different, this could be not what he saying,'" said Mars. "When I opened up the package open real slow like this and went, 'Oh my God, it is the real one. It's the real deal.'"

If this is the auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...p2047675.l2557

It was listed as a reprint.

The seller has a new one for sale now too:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...item54103ac0b9

Card stock looks too thick, perfectly rounded corners, doesn't look right . . .

screen grab from the video
 

screen grab from the video:

Thanks for posting the links guys, something about the story isn't adding up.

It adds up for me: 1 + 1 = 2.....reprints

That's sad. I used to work in Sparks and there are a lot of desperate "down on your luck" people there. Over 15% unemployment and crippling underemployment. Still don't understand why this is newsworthy.

And the story wouldn't be complete without three local experts looking at it and telling him it's real.

The news would have been better off waiting until it was confirmed by a reputable source instead of reporting on it without having a expert look at it. The guy didn't even have a single prewar card in any of the shots of his "50,000 cards" collection. What makes him the expert that it is real?

+1. Just doesn't look right. He's also selling a Sporting News Ruth, Sports Kings Ruth and a Fleer Jordan Rookie...

From the article:

The next step for Mars is getting the card verified by a professional service, which he will do in about a week


The horse....the cart

The forger who sold/made this card has got to be proud. Nothing like giving a crook a real boost of self confidence.

Stupid media people are stupid.

Tom C

Leon, do you think it's not a reprint?

I posted that comment ONLY from seeing the video and not a close up of the card. On further inspection after the links were posted, I don't think it's going to be a happy ending for the buyer. I hope I am wrong though.

another screen grab
 

another screen grab:

I hope that the publicity from this dose not cause folks to think that the Ruth Rookie "could be real" and overbid on that reprint as well. But seller can always point to the fact that he said it was a reprint. Caveat Emptor

He got to be on TV for $170 bucks. I know some people who would take that offer. Anyway, maybe he gets a job offer from the media exposure. Maybe PSA is hiring.

Don't be surprised if we find out that the ebay seller and the winning bidder are one in the same, or at least, know each other.

As bigfanNYStadium points out, the media exposure could boost the price of his other reprints. Sounds like a calculated plan to me.

[QUOTE=Leon;1322678]I would say buying a 350k+ card for $170 is newsworthy. The guy seems like a real nice guy in the video too.[/QUO

I would say that buying a t206 wagner reprint is not newsworthy...just stupidworthy!

Here are a couple of other listings from the source of the "find"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Goudey-...item27ebaa9dd3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...item54103a93b7

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...item54103ac0b9

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Goudey-...item541064d3cf

Yikes !!

Beautifully matching rounded corners all the way around... -_-

Ricky Y

"Fool your friends! Fool your neighbors! Fool the local TV station!"

Tom C

It would be a pretty cool story if it were real.

It's not a horrible reprint though... Fake, but not blatant. Had it been a $15 common or even a $50 minor HOFer, it fools 9/10 people I think.

Brendan, once it's under a loupe, it's a fake in 3 seconds. If 9 out of 10 people don't use loupes for lithograph items that, if real, are quite valuable, then not only will 9 out of people be fooled, but 9 out of 10 people are fools.

If these two experts say it's real, then that's good enough for me.

http://www.blacknews.com/images/t206...agner_card.jpg

What do you mean ?

Scott, please RE-READ my post. You just said "quite valuable" while I referenced a common or a minor HOFer. Not everyone uses a loop to purchase a $15 Dots Miller common (for instance). I'm sure many people use a loop to purchase high end items though.

ouch!

Attachment 160863

I never used one on ebay before - I admit it. The ability of N54 members to pick out a fake is far greater than the general public's ability.
N54 members vs TPG's now....I don't know!

I have never used a loupe on ebay before either...most fakes are very easy to deduce. This one looks netter than most...but is still discernible as fake without extra magnification.

I have a friend who is a buyer of gold/silver and stones...and she carries a loupe on her keychain everywhere she goes. I'm considering doing the same...I may have to buy a man purse!

It's not a purse, it's European,

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1...0/seinfeld.jpg

Exactly!

national news now
 

made it's way to the NBCNews homepage:

http://www.nbcnews.com/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...rd-200-n204511

No need, I actually quoted it. My post was an extension of your thoughts...I thought.

Has anyone contacted the seller and asked if he personally made the reprint? I was going to but then realized he may have already had that question many times by now.

I don't know. I'd guess if the seller sees the story, he just let out an "uh-oh!", because he knows the sh*tstorm that's about to follow will probably not treat him kindly.

I know you guys are all brilliant, but even if you think you have eagle-eyes like Paul's, if you are thinking about buying a valuable card and you have any doubt whatsoever, my own personal opinion is that you should take out your loupe and waste 3 seconds verifying the veracity of your peepers. With lithos it's a very easy test.

I doubt anyone here would buy a Wagner without seeing it in person, so my loupe idea is probably do-able. The guy who won this Wagner obviously didn't have that option, but the card was advertised as a 'reprint'. That was enough for me to move on when I saw the listing - since the scan looked like a real card, I assumed that the seller had printed off a photo of a real Wagner and roughed it up. I still think that's what he did - it would take some work, but it wouldn't be too hard to glue good front and back photos to a thin piece of cardboard and rough it up.

Spending $177 on that card was like buying a lottery ticket for a lottery that was over.

the seller did nothing wrong...he/she said it was fake!

Here's hoping the guy who bought this and the two guys from Cincinnati never meet.

do any of the news stories mention the card was advertised as a reprint?

Not that I have seen. They are all recycled versions of the original.

My only point was: Had this guy used the same quality reprints, and posted them on the BST board, and listed them for $12, he sells them all day. At first glance it was a pretty good reprint. Only because it was a Wagner did we all look closer.

because then there'd be no story!

I may be inclined to agree with you, but looking at all his closed auctions shows a pretty devious pattern of the guy sneaking in reprint stuff with legit stuff. I'd forgive the seller more if he was using the phrase "Reprint" in the title, rather then just the description.

Doesn't let the buyer off the hook, but he didn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, and probably just looked at the title and didn't read the description.

Love the news guy's pronunciation of Honus as "Hannus". Super sad story all around with the down on his luck guy thinking he won the lottery. He's probably already spent the money in his mind a hundred times over....

Looking at closed auctions, it's amazing how much more these knuckleheads will bid a beat to sh*t reprint up to, compared to a decent condition reprint.

:D

It may just be my cynicism but here is my hypothesis of what happened.

The guy bought a reprint. Knew it was a reprint as it stated so and he put in a lot of bids to know that it was a reprint. He put it on craigslist (as referenced at the end of the article) to scam someone. The news picked up the story that someone in town had a Wagner. The News sought out more information and the guy was stuck having to come up with how he got it and why he believes it is real.

Just like the Edwards Cobb the news just takes the owner's claim that it is real as gospel and runs with it.

I just sold some stock today at a few G loss...I gambled...I lost too! Someone call fox news!!!

Maybe he sells them, but when the buyer opens the package they should have some sort of gut feeling, even if it's very tiny, that the item has an issue. They can then magnify it and they will know immediately.

True, for an ebay common you aren't going to question it; however, a seller is also unlikely to create a $12 forgery. We could argue all day about that, but it's my opinion. Also, when you take it out of the package you will notice something amiss, even if it's just a tiny bit of discomfort. At that point you get out the loupe. If you don't, that's your business. In all likelihood it's the only $12 forgery you'll ever buy anyway.

There is a big difference between a T206 reprint and a T206 forgery (like this one), when you are dealing with internet scans. You can spot a beat-up card from a reprint set quickly.

I have a couple cars to sell that guy .

Real Sweet Cap back + reproduction Wagner front + arts and crafts techniques + a lot of free time + uneducated buyer + lazy journalism = $0.0 (that's zero point zero dollars for all you Animal House fans out there).

I have trouble detecting sarcasm on the Internet, so please forgive me if I missed it.

Hearing a mass media talking head pronounce Wagner's first name properly was pretty impressive to me, too.

After all, his name was Johannes.

Best regards,

Eric

Lol nbc... Ugh

The buyer user account looks to be very active over the past day.
He must be searching for all of the hard to find 1987 Topps.

Anyone know where they came up with the specific number (57) of known Wagners? Plucked from the sky, perhaps?

+++1. The guy seems like a really great guy, but I would be amazed if the real deal was sold through ebay, rather than via REA, Goodwin, etc. who's going to let a real one go for just $170???

Best of luck to the gentleman, however. It would be wonderful to think that fate could smile so tremendously upon him!

Larry

Hey maybe YOU could be the next! Lol

http://www.ebay.com/itm/honus-wagner...item1c46334acb


30 bids

as a collector....
 

seeking Wagner my whole life....this is another "ark":)........

What's the deal with feebay guidelines forcing him to list as a reprint? Do they have a special rule in place for Wagner cards?

I think its just a way of protecting himself from any claims of him selling it as an authentic Wagner.

He knows its a worthless reprint, but he gives the illusion of the possibility of it being authentic saying he's not sure, but not guaranteeing it.

If you list as a reprint, clearly and straight forward, card does nothing. If instead you say that ebay forces you to list it as a reprint, suckers think it might actually be real and place bids. Also happens with Jordan rookies and certain other cards.


Got molina'd

To my knowledge ,The Wagner is one of the cards that must be graded to sell on ebay. If not listed somewhere as a reprint, it would have to be yanked (in theory).

The guy is a real gem too. says he won it last month when he won it on the 8th. Then in one post he says
Jason Mars Yeah reprints are sold online but unless you have held an authentic Wagner then don't comment...trust me...been collecting 35 years and have hundreds of t206 cards...I know what a reprint is!!!have u spent 300 hours researching and mag ifying this card and printing and everythih...please don't comment unless u know....not what u think u know...only true way is to have card in your hand a d do all the test period!
Like · Reply · 6 hours ago

and he is also saying he was a card grader

Jason Mars Honestly why would u even comment.....couple hundred t206 cards 35 years experience and you make a judgment from a picture....only way to authentic it is lots of test...you judge when u don't even know....did u know I was a card grader??????????hmmmmmm.....

He is also claiming alot of "big time" collectors were bidding on it so that shows it is real. If they thought it was real wouldnt they bid more than 200 bucks lol.
Thank you Benjamin...I do want to say one thing I could buy 100 reprints for 10...why would I pay 200 for this card if I could buy a reprint for a dollar...I was bidding against olot of big time collectors....so. if they were bidding they saw something to.....no one in there right mind would pay 200 for a reprint if they can buy it for a dollar.....this 100 percent real....the people who are saying it is fake doesn't have the card in front of them and foesny know who I talked to......thank you Benjamin for they comment and you will see its real...I appreciate your nice comment.

Update: It was an old man just wanting to get rid of it. He didn't care about money:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152454916018043

I would stick this guy on your "internet ignore list", along with the Cincinnati boys. This is about as interesting as your t.v. being stuck on the Hallmark channel.

This exact same card was SOLD on eBay, closing on July 6, 2014, for $100.00
It was listed in the Title as REPRINT.

I was reading through this thread... I'm feelin' a bit bettur taday, I'm able to follow it all the way thru. So, I started ta think that If this Gentleman tried to Sell these Reprints on the BST, Everyone hear would Race to Start a Thread oN "What A Knucklehead" this Gentleman iS! (Then I came across the added quote...)

As fir the quoted text... I do believe that You are am Extreme Optimist!
Most folk here are Well versed... And the ones that aren't, Well... they Truly have the Grand Ability Ask Any & All Questions... Some of these Gals & fellr's are Like Natural Ocean Sponges. They pick Everythin uP Very Quickly!

My next thought was... After All this "PUBLISITY", Will All of the Other Tree~nuts Come Swingin' Out to Claim Their Once iN a Life ~ Time Holy Grail?

Can You Imagine if This Gentlemen's Sales Actually Went uP :rolleyes:

As Always my Friends...

yes...this jason mars guy seems like a really nice, knowledgable guy!

Too funny...... now the real wagners are multiplying and coming out of the woodwork. There must be a stack of them somewhere. All of these people must be really fortunate!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/honus-wagner...3D271545408277




.

I'd figured it was a computer print front maybe printed on a skinned common. Then I saw the closeup of the back on the extra footage. The entire thing is fake.

I must admit I once took a chance on a couple "goudeys" that were listed as reprints. Seller had others that had sold as real, cards didn't have obvious reprint things. In hand they weren't even out of the plastic before I knew they were reprints. Good looking ones, but still reprints. Since they were sold as reprints and were only ten bucks I figure I'll make a display piece out of them someday.

And of course while they were in transit the feedback came in on the others that had sold as real.........Yep, all reprints.

Steve B

It is hard for me to believe he has ever dealt with a t206 based off the video. The video has him going through a binder of newer "shiney" cards and then stops to point out a card that is "40 years old", if he gets excited to point out a 70's card than I doubt he sees, let alone owns, any pre war cards.

I see that the news did an update piece last night where they indicate that many people claim it is a reprint:

http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/st...lftAbmPiQ.cspx

"Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake."