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Make a Date with Baseball's Greats: Visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame

By , About.com Guide

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The World's Most Valuable Baseball Card
Most Valuable Baseball Card - Honus Wagner Card 1909

It's the most valuable baseball card of all time, and the Honus Wagner card from 1909 is part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's collection of 130,000 baseball cards.

© 2005 Kim Knox Beckius, licensed to About.com
Honus Wagner, who played shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was one of the five original inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Wagner batted over .300 in 17 consecutive seasons and was the National League batting champion eight times.

Why is the 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card so valuable? The earliest baseball cards were produced and distributed by tobacco companies, and according to legend, the Honus Wagner card was pulled from the American Tobacco Company's 1909 set due to Wagner's objection to the use of his image for the promotion of tobacco products. It is estimated that only 50 to 100 of these cards exist today, and one was sold in 2007 for a record $2.8 million.

You'll see a Honus Wagner card among the baseball cards exhibited on the second floor of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

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