The most expensive baseball card was once oversized and trimmed
Rumour #1:
On Issue # 7 of VCBC, there's an article written by Dennis Purdy (Editor & Publisher of VCBC)
about an interview with Daniel Paul (Owner of Rags to Riches Restorations). The following
is part of their convensations.
VCBC: I've received reports that even cards that have sold for $451,000 were
once oversized and trimmed down.
DP: I have heard the same story. Personally, as a collector,
I don't know how I would feel about that particular card because of the money involved.
A lot would have to depend on the motive of the buyer of that particular card.
Rumour #2:
Refering a posting from a discussion newsgroup during the time "that card" was available
on public auction again and targetting for at least one million dollar.
"Keith Olberman (an avid card collector and apparently has a world-class collection,
he is also a Fox and formerly ESPN broadcaster) did a piece on the
history of that card a while back. The most interesting part about it is an
assertion by a former owner that the card at one time (before it was slabbed)
was oversized and had fairly rough edges...."
Rumour #3:
From a newsletter "The Old Judge" written by Lew Lipset in 1991 after he attended
the Jim Copeland Sotheby's Auction.
"It was not until late that evening that the news started filtering out that
the winning bidder was the team of Wayne Gretzky and Los Angeles King owner
Bruce McNall. McNall is also the majority owner of the Superior Stamp & Coin Company in
Beverly Hills. Almost immediately, the following day, reports circulated that
the Wagner card was being returned because it was trimmed and/or restored.
If it was a rumor it was remarkably well circulated. An inquiry to the Kings?
offices brought denials but the story persisted that the card was returned
but possibly a deal was being worked out. It wasn't until a week
later that a reliable source told me that the card was not returned but, and it
was a big but, that a representative of the buyers
indicated he knew the card was altered."
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