The proof strip that produced the most valuable baseball card in history is up for sale in an auction attached to MLB’s All-Star Game. The pictures in the proof strip were used for the T-206 card series, issued by the American Tobacco Co. from 1909 through 1911. The Honus Wagner card, the most expensive card in existence, has fetched as much as $2.8 million. The strip features Honus Wagner along with Hall-of-Famers Mordecai Brown and Cy Young, along with Frank Bowerman and Johnny Kling.

It is listed at $121,000 on-line by Hunt Auctions and will be sold on July 13 at a live auction during the All-Star FanFest in Anaheim, California.

David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said in an interview that the strip should sell for around $250,000. The proofs were discovered among the Wagner family estate and co-signed to the auction from a private collection. It has been certified after being professionally graded by Sportscard Guaranty, a New Jersey-based company which authenticates and grades sports memorabilia.

Wagner was an eight-time National League batting champion, who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 through 1917. The Wagner card itself has become an item of rarity because it was recalled after very limited production. One theory is that the card was recalled because Wagner objected to the use of his photograph in selling cigarettes. Other theories involve him not being impressed with how much money he received in return for his picture being used. There are between 50 and 100 T-206 Wagner cards in existence.

“Amazingly, it’s remained very, very stable throughout our market during this entire economic situation,” he said. “I think that’s a testament to sports in general. If you think about sports, whether there’s wars, tough economic times, there’s still sports. Do I think it would have brought more? I don’t.”