Baseball’s ‘Holy Grail’: T206 Honus Wagner Steps Up to the Plate in Heritage Fall Sports Catalog Auction

Rare 1903 World Series ticket, signed Michael Jordan jersey cards and unique Shohei Ohtani rookie autograph also among Oct. 23-25 event highlights DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (Oct. 5, 2026) — A card widely considered the Holy Grail of baseball cards and featuring one of the greatest players in the history of the game will race into the spotlight when it is offered in the Heritage Fall Sports Catalog Auction Oct. 23–25. No card has captivated collectors like the 1909-11 T206 White Border Sweet Caporal 150/25 Honus Wagner PSA Authentic (Restored) that is in play in this auction. This card, featuring the Hall of Famer known as “The Old Dutchman,” appeared briefly in 1909, but production quickly stopped, adding a measure of rarity that launched it into the top tier of desirability. The card offered in this auction is just the sixth ever offered at Heritage Auctions, the world’s leading sports auctioneer, which sold a 1909-11 T206 Piedmont Honus Wagner SGC Authentic, one of just three known with the prized Piedmont advertising back, for $5,856,000 — the highest price ever paid for any Wagner card graded Authentic. “The T206 Wagner is the foundational trophy of baseball card collecting,” says Chris Ivy, Heritage’s Director of Sports Auctions. “His status as one of the greatest players in the history of the game is beyond debate, and the fact that the production of the card was so brief makes it an absolute must-have for the most serious of collectors. The past results for the card at Heritage Auctions have underscored what has been known throughout the collecting community for generations: that the chance to acquire a T206 Wagner is an opportunity that simply can not be missed.” Basketball’s most coveted star is Michael Jordan, who appears in 148 lots in this auction. Among that group is a selection of five 1998 Upper Deck cards with patches from game-worn Jordan jerseys. Upper Deck made six varieties of the card; each of these five cards — they are being offered individually, in separate lots — represents a different one. The sixth variety, a 1998 Upper Deck Ovation Michael Jordan (UD Game Jersey-Autograph) #OV-GJ PSA EX-MT 6, PSA/DNA Auto 10 - #’d 19/23 - MBA Gold, sold at Heritage for $219,600 in September. In addition to the uniform patch, each of the five varieties offered in this auction includes a Jordan autograph and different headshots and action photos. LeBron James also is a prized star from the hardwood, represented in 27 lots. Among them is a 2024 Finest Masters Autographs LeBron James #MALBJ (Superfractors) BGS Gem Mint 9.5, Beckett Auto 10 - #’d 1/1 - MBA Silver that arrived when James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists … at 40 years old. The card’s Superfractor design alone makes it a coveted prize among collectors, but the autograph transforms it into the definitive Masters Autographs representation of the hoops legend whose career will continue this season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Topps identifies the card as a certified autograph issue, while the reverse states that the signing was witnessed by a company representative. Also in play is a unique 2025 Topps Now LeBron James “50K Points” Inscription Patch Auto #12AA - #’d 1/1 that celebrates his becoming the first player in basketball history to eclipse this previously unreachable scoring plateau. The card features a prominent patch paired with James’ autograph and milestone-specific “50K Points” inscription, creating a direct written acknowledgement of the achievement. The only example produced, the card occupies a level of exclusivity unavailable in any numbered parallel or conventional autograph issue. Its 1/1 designation ensures that no duplicate can enter the marketplace or another collection. A third card representing the NBA’s all-time scoring leader also features the Logoman design that has been enormously popular and made headlines around the globe when a 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant #DL-KM Signed PSA EX-MT 6 sold at Heritage in August 2025 for $12.932 million. The example in this auction goes beyond prowess on the hardwood to become a family affair, in the form of a 2024 Panini Flawless Dual Logoman LeBron James/Bronny James #DLM-LBJ BGS Mint 9 - MBA Silver that depicts the first father and son ever to play on the same team at the same time. Bronny James was not born until a year after his father’s NBA career started, but the pair made history in October 2024 when they checked into the game together with four minutes to go in the second quarter of the Lakers’ season opener. One sports collectible genre that has enjoyed a huge surge of popularity is game tickets, and the auction features one of the finest ever to reach the collecting market: one of just two known examples of a 1903 World Series Game 1 Ticket. Considered by many to be the pinnacle of World Series tickets, it comes from the first of the 707 World Series games played prior to the current postseason. The game, which began the series featuring the Boston Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds, drew an announced crowd of 16,242. The ticket is not in a PSA holder because PSA does not encapsulate certain tickets of such advanced vintage. Rarity alone would place it among the most coveted of all baseball tickets, and its association with the first game, first victory and first home run of World Series competition only elevates its collecting appeal. On the other end of the baseball timeline is the game’s biggest current star, Shohei Ohtani, who is represented in 97 lots, including signed cards, baseballs, photographs and tickets. Among his top cards in the auction is a unique 2018 Topps Transcendent Japan Autographs (Red) Shohei Ohtani Rookie #TASO12 BGS Gem Mint 9.5 Beckett Auto 10 - #’d 1/1 - MBA Silver. Topps built its 2018 Transcendent Collection Japan Edition around the extraordinary connection between Japanese baseball and the major leagues, focusing entirely on Ohtani and Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki. Production was restricted to only 50 boxes, each loaded with premium autographs, a complete base set, Ohtani memorabilia and access to an exclusive Transcendent event. Within that already rarefied release, the gold-framed Transcendent Collection Autographs stood as centerpieces. Standard autograph cards were limited to five examples, with Emerald parallels numbered to three. Topps created only one Platinum and one Red parallel for each card in the autograph checklist. This is the unique Red parallel of Ohtani’s rookie-year #TASO12. The card has earned a BGS Gem Mint 9.5 grade, while Ohtani’s autograph received a perfect Beckett Auto 10. Other top offerings from the Dodgers’ two-star who has been called the “Modern Babe Ruth” include, but are not limited to: • A 2018 Topps Chrome Rookie Autograph Shohei Ohtani (Gold Wave Refractor) #RA-SO PSA Gem Mint 10, PSA/DNA Auto 10 - #’d 50/50 - Pop Five - MBA Gold • A 2018 Finest Autographs Gold Refractor Shohei Ohtani Rookie #FASO BGS Gem Mint 9.5, Beckett Auto 10 - #’d 5/50 • A 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani (Rookie Autograph) #BCRA-SO PSA Mint 9, PSA/DNA Auto 10 Heritage has seen championship-level results for numerous wrestling collectibles, including the 1985 Hulk Hogan Match-Worn & Signed Boots that were photo-matched to Wrestlemania I that sold at Heritage in February for $1.037 million — the most ever paid for any piece of wrestling memorabilia. Heritage will get back into the ring when a 1985-88 Intercontinental Championship Belt Owned by Tito Santana, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat & The Honky Tonk Man - Also a Part of the Famous Savage vs. Steamboat WrestleMania III Match crosses the block in this auction. Worn from 1985-88, the belt heads to auction for the first time nearly four decades after Steamboat defeated Savage in WrestleMania III. The belt, designed by former wrestler-turned-engraver Reggie Parks, comes to auction from the collection of former wrestling promoter, broadcaster and podcast host Conrad Thompson. Other wrestling lots in the auction include, but are not limited to: • A 1950s Gorgeous George Match Worn Robe Originally On Display at Slammers Museum • A Circa 1999 Stone Cold Steve Austin Match-Worn & Signed Knee Brace with WWE Letter Signed by Linda McMahon A fixture since the inception of sports collecting, Babe Ruth remains among the most significant stars in all sports to the collecting community. Among his top offerings in this auction is a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA EX-MT 6 - MBA Silver — one of four cards the company created in 1933 of the legendary slugger. The card belongs to Goudey’s celebrated 1933 “Big League Chewing Gum” production, one of the foundational releases of the gum-card era. The four Ruth cards form the heart of the set, with No. 144 remaining the only member of the quartet to picture him from head to toe. Although double-printed, the issue is notably difficult to locate in elevated condition; PSA notes that high-grade examples are scarcer than those of the Green Ruth, card No. 181. The offered card has earned a PSA EX-MT 6 assessment, an impressive grade for an issue now more than 90 years old. “The Sultan of Swat” also appears in the auction in a 1920 Babe Ruth Original Photograph by Paul Thompson, PSA/DNA Type 1 in an image that was used for a 1926 W512 Strip Card. Two of the greatest practitioners of their respective fields join forces to create a masterpiece from the dawning of the Live Ball Era in this razor-sharp image of “The Babe.” This image captures Ruth in his first season as a member of the Yankees, after he spent six seasons with the Boston Red Sox. While nowhere near as famous as Ruth, Thompson is revered among the greatest of all baseball photographers. Also in play is a 1946-47 Babe Ruth Single Signed Baseball, PSA/DNA NM 7 that comes from the final chapter of Ruth’s life — in late 1946, his health declined sharply as he battled the cancer from which he died in 1948. The autograph itself is the reason this example commands immediate attention. Ruth’s black fountain pen ink signature is positioned in his standard sweet spot location. PSA/DNA awarded grades of 6/10 for the ball, 7/10 for the autograph and +0.5 for eye appeal for an overall grades of NM 7/10. Among the more unique lots in the auction are a selection of six “promotional nodders”. The figurines, all from the 1960-61 NFL season, could be construed as precursors to the modern bobbleheads, sturdy bodies topped by wobbling heads and all standing 14 inches tall. Among them is a 1960-61 Washington Redskins Oversized Promotional Nodder that has been ranked third-rarest among the 14 in the promotional series, trailing only those representing the Cowboys and Steelers. This papier-mache retail sentinel attracted customers to the smaller wood-base nodders offered for sale. It also bridges two chapters of Washington football history, as the club played at Griffith Stadium in 1960 before moving to District of Columbia Stadium in 1961. Because these fragile giants served as working displays rather than boxed souvenirs, attrition was inevitable and survival exceptional. Other nodders offered in the auction include, but are not limited to: • A 1960-61 Chicago Bears Oversized Promotional Nodder • A 1960-61 Green Bay Packers Oversized Promotional Nodder Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/50088. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Geneva, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet’s most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2,000,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of more than 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter. Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Steve Lansdale, Senior Public Relations Specialist 214-409-1699; SteveL@HA.com