Major League Baseball

Honus Wagner baseball card sells privately for $1.2 million

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:40 p.m. ET

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — A Honus Wagner baseball card has been sold privately for $1.2 million.

SCP Auctions in Southern California says the 1909-11 T206 card was graded in Good 2 condition on a scale of 1 to 10 by Professional Sports Authenticator. The auction house says this example of the Wagner card sold twice before at auction, garnering $657,250 in 2014 and $776,750 in 2016.

SCP Auctions president David Kohler says it's "a truly remarkable amount" for a card rated as Good 2 condition. He says it's "only a matter of time" before any graded card in even lower condition will bring $1 million.

Wagner, a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the turn of the 20th century, was said to be upset about his likeness being used on a tobacco product. He refused American Tobacco Co.'s request for permission to use his image, which led the company to end production of his card almost as soon as it started.

Only a few dozen examples of the famed Wagner card are known to exist and just six have ever been graded higher by PSA than the one that sold this week.