With the heavily anticipated sale of lot #1, the 1905 Honus Wagner game used bat, our consignor felt the momentum created from the sale would benefit our T206 Honus Wagner. Originally from the Irv Lerner collection, this card has undergone complete and total professional restoration (full report to follow) and is now offered in our April sale.
For collectors that don't mind professional restoration, the card in its current condition clearly benefited. Aesthetically, the color of the background, registration of the Wagner portrait, and overall look appears vibrant, with special attention to the background color. Professional restoration is accepted in the field of furniture, automobiles and fine artwork. In many cases, the values of these items are not affected by professional restoration.
On 5/6/09 this card was submitted to the Graphic Conservation Company for restoration. A copy of the condition report with restoration appears as:
All four corners are badly worn and rounded
Edges are worn with fiber and ink loss. Surface dirt, unknown staining, and accretions.
Top and side edges of card have been trimmed. The white borders and printed dark line have been trimmed off unevenly on front and design on back is missing at top and side edges.
Large loss of printed orange
Crease at lower right with loose fragment
Scratches with abrasions.
Verso (back)
Old paper fragment adhered with unknown adhesive
Pressure sensitive at center from old hinging.
Scrapbook paper was removed during treatment.
In order to address the original concerns, the following treatments have been done. They include:
Dry clean overall lightly to reduce superficial dirt
Remove accretions
Reduce Adhesive
Reattach loose fragment at lower right
Add fiber to top of card
Create template of Wagner card to prepare for trimming fill cards. The fills to sides and top will be approximately 1/8”
Trim center section from fill cards using template of Wagner card.
Alter color on borders
Fill losses at join and verso of fill cards
Apply orange fill using starch paste
Apply fills to back of card
Inpaint media losses
Overall, 18 detailed steps of restoration was done. The cost of the restoration totaled $9,000. “Good as new” is the term best describes the card in its current condition. For the collector comfortable with the process of restoration wanted a ultra rare with great eye appeal, the MEARS April Honus Wagner may be the card for you.
NOTE: There is a reserve on this lot. The estimate for this lot is between $190,000-$225,000+. The reserve is below that estimate.