Only a few dozen T206 Wagners are known to still exist, having been released in limited numbers just after the turn of the twentieth century. Most, with their creases and stains, look like they've been around for nearly one hundred years. But one—The Card—appears to have defied the travails of time. Its sharp corners and still-crisp portrait make it the single-most famous—and most desired—baseball card on the planet, valued today at more than two million dollars. It has transformed a simple hobby into a billion-dollar industry that is at times as lawless as the Wild West. Everything about The Card, which has made men wealthy as well as poisoned lifelong relationships, is fraught with controversy—from its uncertain origins to the nagging possibility that it might not be exactly as it seems.
In this intriguing, eye-opening, and groundbreaking look at a uniquely American obsession, award-winning investigative reporters Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson follow The Card's trail from a Florida flea market to the hands of the world's most prominent collectors. The Card sheds a fascinating new light on a world of counterfeiters, con men, and the people who profit from what used to be a pastime for kids.
Only a few dozen T206 Wagners are known to still exist, having been released in limited numbers just after the turn of the twentieth century. Most, with their creases and stains, look like they've been around for nearly one hundred years. But one—The Card—appears to have defied the travails of time. Its sharp corners and still-crisp portrait make it the single-most famous—and most desired—baseball card on the planet, valued today at more than two million dollars. It has transformed a simple hobby into a billion-dollar industry that is at times as lawless as the Wild West. Everything about The Card, which has made men wealthy as well as poisoned lifelong relationships, is fraught with controversy—from its uncertain origins to the nagging possibility that it might not be exactly as it seems.
In this intriguing, eye-opening, and groundbreaking look at a uniquely American obsession, award-winning investigative reporters Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson follow The Card's trail from a Florida flea market to the hands of the world's most prominent collectors. The Card sheds a fascinating new light on a world of counterfeiters, con men, and the people who profit from what used to be a pastime for kids.
The Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card
272The Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card
272Paperback(Reprint)
Related collections and offers
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780061123931 |
---|---|
Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
Publication date: | 06/17/2008 |
Edition description: | Reprint |
Pages: | 272 |
Sales rank: | 297,360 |
Product dimensions: | 5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Explore More Items
It's not just the upcoming O.W.L.
This undated weekly planner notepad features iconic anime style imagery of beloved Harry Potter and
There was a turning point in Michael Lewis's life, in a baseball game when he was fourteen years old. The irascible and often
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an
This edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has a gorgeous new cover illustration by Kazu Kibuishi. Inside is the full text of the original novel, with decorations by Mary
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak