Honus Wagner T206 Baseball Cards

Cooperstown, N.Y. - One view is that Honus Wagner halted the production of T206 Wagner baseball cards because he wanted more money for his likeness. Another is that he didn't want to be associated with smoking and the cards were distributed in cigarette packs.

But whatever the reason, the results are the same: The Wagner T206 card is among the most treasured in all of collecting. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated that legacy in Cooperstown. Although not entirely sure why production on the card was halted, Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson, authors of the book The Card: Collectors, Con Men and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card, believe both those views are myths.

"It is a really beautiful card in a really popular series," said O'Keeffe. "Only between 30 to 60 are believed to be in existence."

Two Wagner T206 cards from the Hall of Fame's collection were on displayed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the card's production in 1909. O'Keeffe dispelled both popular myths by research he began when one of the cards sold at an auction in 1999.

According to O'Keeffe, when Wagner told the American Tobacco Company's representative to halt his card's production, he began to feel bad that the man wouldn't make his commission, a seeming contradiction to the myth that he was holding out for more money.

"A few weeks later, he sent the man a check for $10 dollars, which in 1909 was a lot of money," O'Keeffe said. "The average salary was $400. We know this because the man framed the check and kept it for years."

The second myth about tobacco is more plausible.

"Wagner was a terrific guy. He loved kids, loved playing with kids and loved being around kids," O'Keeffe said. "He also had two influential men in his life during his time in Pittsburgh: Fred Clarke who was the player/manager for the Pirates, and Barney Dreyfuss, the owner of the Pirates, who hated smoking."

This myth broke down, however, once it was discovered that Wagner was a lifetime smoker.

Despite the fact that research has proven these theories false, the card is still the most desired by collectors as well as Museum visitors. Hundreds of fans visited the Museum on Thursday to hear O'Keeffe's presentation and participate in interactive activities.

"Wagner's fame, the card's scarcity and the folklore surrounding it means it has become a sports treasure with nearly unparalleled fame, the 'Holy Grail' of card collecting," said Erik Strohl, the Hall's senior director of exhibits and collections.