Benchmark Set for Disclosed Restoration as High Demand for Vintage Sports Collectibles Persists
The Restored Die-Cut T206 Honus Wagner
KINGSTON, N.Y., Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Love of the Game Auctions achieved the highest-grossing auction in the company’s 14-year history with the closing of its Summer Premier auction on Aug. 8. The event was anchored by the high-profile Restored “Die-Cut” T206 Honus Wagner, which sold for $1.3 million and arguably established the hobby investment market’s appetite for openly disclosed restoration in high-end sports cards.
“This Wagner will be remembered as the first sold with full disclosure of its restoration,” said Al Crisafulli, LOTG founder and auction director. “There is, essentially, no meaningful historical comparison, so successfully achieving a seven-figure market value is significant. It shows that honest disclosure can still produce an outstanding result. That’s game-changing.”
Crisafulli credits the card’s consignor, sports and political commentator Keith Olbermann, for his willingness to share the card’s extraordinary story. “We took a card that nobody knew existed and in just six weeks traced its history and told its story in a way that created a huge amount of buzz,” Crisafulli noted. “We enjoyed following and contributing to the conversation as proponents and critics alike weighed in with their opinions. In many cases, they were very strong opinions.”
A dedicated resource page on the LOTG website was central in marketing the CGC-graded “Authentic-Restored” card, and it will remain a permanent fixture for researchers and history buffs, according to Crisafulli. It traces the card’s provenance back to the early 1970s and includes images, media coverage and a narrative by Olbermann. Visitors will also find historic details of the T206 Wagner and the “cigarette card craze” of the early 1900s.
Crisafulli noted that while the Wagner sale certainly boosted the top line for LOTG’s Summer Premier Auction, the company-record overall performance reflects continued high demand for the types of vintage and rarely seen items for which LOTG is known. The auction had nearly 1,400 lots including baseball cards from as early as 1886, historically significant photographs across a variety of sports, and a range of interesting and remarkable sports memorabilia.
The auction’s notable and record sales included, among others:
- 1910 Tip Top Bread Honus Wagner: $106,800
- 1915 Shoeless Joe Jackson AL Player’s Contract: $48,000
- Signed 1950s Hank Aaron original photo: $40,800*
- 1947 Jackie Robinson Type I photo: $39,600
- 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle PSA 4: $37,800*
- 1911 Grover Cleveland Alexander Type I photo: $30,600
- 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson PSA 2.5: $29,400*
- 1937 O-Pee-Chee Joe DiMaggio PSA 3: $24,000*
*Record price for like-item and/or grade
Founded in 2012 by longtime hobbyist Crisafulli, Hudson Valley, N.Y.-based LOTG specializes in sports memorabilia and cards, with an emphasis on pre-World War II material. Love of the Game facilitates sales ranging from world-class collections to individual inheritance pieces – and everything in between. LOTG holds three major annual auctions, as well as specialty sales. For more information, visit loveofthegameauctions.com.
About Love of the Game Auctions
PO Box 3931, Kingston, NY
Follow Love of the Game Auctions on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky
Media Contacts:
Maxine Aviles/Sandy Crisafulli
Caryl Communications
201-796-7788
[email protected] / [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c18b5ba-8d7d-4bd1-8a89-d58f7618e4ef
