Some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the most famous card in the hobby.

[benjulmag]

Originally Posted by G1911

Now this would be a plot twist. I have never seen an actually high quality image of the card.

If the old rumors of the original plates/stones reprint operation should be true, an image probably would not be telling and the card would need to be cracked out for proper examination, which it might pass even then. If the Wagner was worth enough to do this in the fifties, I would think those plates/stones would have been kept. This operation seems unlikely, too perfect to be true, a kind of old wives tale for hobbyists that floats around in every little world and never really checks out but constructed to be almost impossible to disprove. I would not assume the card is authentic though, and suspect that eventually our hobby will be ruined by correct ink and correct stock reprints.

Fake or not, this testimony would seem to confirm Sevchuks story has not really changed on the origin. Which does not make it true, but it is testimony from a key primary source with direct knowledge, which is better than nothing. I am eager to see this research that this was a lie and the card was discovered in NY.

Greg,

Please understand that to us old-time collectors, whose obsessions have nothing to do with the monetary value of the cards, the worth of the cards was not any motivating factor in our collecting actions. I vividly reminder as a kid in the 60s voraciously gobbling up reprints and reissues (e.g., 1960 and 1961 Fleers) and being beyond thrilled. So the notion that any such collectors, who had the opportunity to create their own fantasy reprints from original printing plates, needed to be motivated by financial gain IMO is totally inaccurate.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

Greg,

Please understand that to us old-time collectors, whose obsessions have nothing to do with the monetary value of the cards, the worth of the cards was not any motivating factor in our collecting actions. I vividly reminder as a kid in the 60s voraciously gobbling up reprints and reissues (e.g., 1960 and 1961 Fleers) and being beyond thrilled. So the notion that any such collectors, who had the opportunity to create their own fantasy reprints from original printing plates, needed to be motivated by financial gain IMO is totally inaccurate.

I do not think that is an age based mindset. I’m in the group who hopes the market completely collapses so I can put together my sets cheaper.

Alright, we will remove the financial aspect of faking T206 Wagners (which had value already). It still leaves the problem, that it is an old wives type tale that is present in every hobby and every group, without any real evidence that has ever surfaced for it. I’ve heard stories of these perfect old reprints for near 20 years, but never an attribution, much less evidence. To believe one of these gossip tales, of the ‘perfect crime’, without any evidence or even source for the origin of the long standing tale, would not be reasonable of me. It would be markedly unreasonable. I have always found that reason is a better guide than hearsay.