New Wagner Find

[Archive]

Posted By: Bruce Babcock

I know I should find better things to do but I find this whole thing fascinating.

Mr. Connelly states he is an "appraiser," not an authenticator. Isn't the most basic task of the appraiser to determine if the item in question is in fact genuine?

If you HAVE a million dollar card why would you submit it to testing which involves removing "fibers" from two corners of the card?

The best case scenario here is that they have some "old" paper, which is a long way from a genuine Wagner. And this presumes that you believe their paper expert.

How good can the paper expert be if he can't correctly spell the names of the schools he attended?

Why would you take the chance of tarnishing your company name over an item which has been judged a fake by so many when it would be so simple to have it graded?

This story and these owners have been around for years now. If this item were actually a Wagner that was new to the hobby every auction house in the business would have contacted the owners in hopes of putting the card in one of their auctions. Every trade publication would be fighting for the story and interviews with the owners. Instead, people like me (NOT a T206 expert) have determined that the card is a fake simply by looking at an internet scan for a couple of seconds, and have conveyed this opinion to the auction house. Unlike Barry & Dan, I have not gotten a response.

And why would any buyer pay five or six figures for ANY card without a return privilege pending authentication by PSA, SGC or GAI?

Even if ebay dumps this auction I imagine Connelly will continue his own auction. Can't wait to see what happens next.