The Official Anything "T-206 Thread"

TheCARDKid

Any opinions on the huge number of high grade T206's in the latest Heritage auction? It's been awhile since I've seen that many cards in a single auction.



What a great action shot...

262Runner

WOW, what a great set this is.... my first T206....



Thanks for this thread.... I'm hooked!


262

yawie99

Great start, dude. I've been hoping for a Magee for awhile now, but they typically fetch a decent premium relative to other common portraits.

RayBShotz

262 - Nice Magee; I find myself particularly drawn to those olive green backround portraits.

I picked up this PSA 1 card this week. Paid a couple dollars more than the typical PSA 1; can't beat the eye appeal on it though. Sorta looks like a 3. Has a pretty clean Polar Bear back as well.



Like I said in the very beginning of this thread; slow semi regular progress will have you waking up one day to a pile of good looking low grade cards from this set. It's been a 2 card week for me this week and I am very happy with that.
RayB

RayBShotz

McGraw Portrait No Cap scan as promised. As I have tried to build this arguement for enjoying the low grade angle, I've tried also to show that anything PSa 3 and below still has great potential for sparkling eye appeal. This McGraw is just another example of a well centered, blazing color, and sweet image low grader.
Enjoy.
Anyone have anything (T-206) new this week to share?



RayB

MikeyLikesIt

Great scans. I just finished rewatching the Ken Burns Baseball documentaries and it was great watching the first couple of discs (through 1920) and hearing the stories of the some of the T206 players. Makes them seem more personable and less like "old dead guys on cardboard". Particularly liked hearing about the nuttiness of Rube Wadell and nervouseness of Johnny Evers. There were some real characters playing ball back then. For those that haven't seen the films in a while, I highly recommend giving it another look.

Mike

JonB

Speaking of good looking lower grade cards, this has got to be the nicest PSA 3 Cobb red I have ever seen...

ebay link

RayBShotz

Jon,
For whatever reason, PSA seems to be particularly tough on Polar Bear Backs. Spots of tobacco staining/residue are often evident especially on the back, but I would agree. That Cobb is a blazer.
I expect it will be bid up accordingly.
RayB

jgarci11

When will we have a thread on the 1997 Pinnacle Press Plate Preview 1 of 1's - the other Utimate set?
Anyhow you T206's all rock !!!

262Runner

Just in todays mail... my next addition.

milbroco

OK Here is my contribution. I have had this for several years and paid minimal for it.

yawie99

I had a fantastic T206 week...

My first Cobb:


A Lajoie portrait:


An admittedly rough, but nonetheless coveted Hindu Waddell:


A couple other cards for my St. Louis front-back collection:



Can't forget the Matty:


And a card in terrible technical condition, but which still looks really nice:


Oh yeah, and another American Beauty back, which is one of my favorites - probably the Grateful Dead association:


And I'm actually still waiting on the week's marquee card. Hopefully it comes tomorrow.

gosteelers

Great stuff, guys. Nice Tinker, 262! Nice job on all those tough backs, Steve! Two recent pickups below for me. I purchased the McLean off of Steve. Thanks again!

2dueces

MajorDanby

yawie...wow! nice...must have been an expensive week.

Got this from Steve Hart.

MajorDanby

anyone know how shorter piedmont back cards can be?

mkg809

That Clarke looks better than a 2.
Paper loss on the back?

yawie99

Costly indeed, but much of it was in trade, which is always nice. Of course, my E92 Dockman effort has officially bit the dust. Just as well, I guess, since E93's are my main caramel focus, plus the E92 images can be found on lots of different caramel series.

MikeyLikesIt

Finally was able to scan in some of the first cards I've picked up for my "set".




-Mike

bengineno9

A few of my scraps from last week.

RayBShotz

Great bunch of cards guys! More solid proof that the low grade cards can look astoundingly attractive!

I was fortunate enough to pick up a Bender Portrait and Tinker Bat On last night. (Scans will be added here when I get them in). This allows me to break through the 50% barrier on the HOF content in my set. (Separate Set in the Registry available for those that were not aware of it).

RayB

qualitycards

RAY - congrats on passing the 50% level of the Hall Of Famers, thats pretty impressive...jay

MajorDanby

nice, Ray. congrats on the card collecting feat.

nice cards, everyone.


if anyone wants to do a trade, ive got a griffith portrait i want to move. psa 3 (mk). PM me if interested. only trades. thanks

Archaninator

For Sale: 1909 T206 Ty Cobb Bat Off Shoulder Tolstoi Reverse (rare) PSA 3 VG

SOLD

rounding3rd

Hi Guys!

I love looking at all of your cards and thought I would add my two to the mix:



Although collecting T206s isn't on the top of my list, I still keep an eye open for Cardinals/Browns players. While my "loyalty" is to PSA, I really like how these cards display in SGC slabs. I guess I will have to decide if I want to cross one over to the other someday. The Howell has some minor paper loss on the back but is amazing on the front (it was an Ebay purchase from Yawie a while back).

Enjoy!

-Mike

262Runner

This came in yesterdays mail.



Card has an amazing front, some staining and minor paper loss on the back. I think this is a great way to build this set with great looking cards. I try not concern myself with the backs, Its the front of the card that I'm most interested in.

262

RipublicaninMass

FWIW I like that SGC put the proper manufacturer on the flip, makes it easier to tell rare backs if there is no scan of the back.

gosteelers

Wow, the Howell, Byrne, and Davis look VERY nice for the grades given...

Wabittwax

I have some more T206 cards and after looking at these, it reminded me of this thread in regards to a card looking nicer than the grade. PSA is too brutal on back paper loss. This PSA 1 has paper loss and the PSA 2 doesn't. Which would you rather own? Also, my cards are mostly Peidmont backs and I have 1 Carolina Brights back and 1 Polar Bear back. Which is the rarest and do they sell for a premium?

RayBShotz

Welp,
I got in these two cards over the weekend to officially update my Base Set to 39.31% and my HOF set to that magical 50% plateau!
It is all still sort of eerie to me to have achieved these levels with this set. I am humbled, for sure.




It all proves to me what a patient low grader pursuit of nice cards can produce if you can widen your horizons, reduce your expectations and not let the overall enormity of it deter you.
Enjoy!

RayB

ToneD

Here is my contribution. I've had the card for a while now, but can attest to how some low grade examples can be outstanding. The card has glue residue in the back but can barely be seen unless you tilt the card directy under a light. No creases or wrinkles anywhere. The card currently resides in an SGC 2 holder. Great thread and I hate to think of how many great cards I passed on just because of the grade. Never again.

P.S. I hope I attached the file correctly. My first time attempting this.

RayBShotz

That's a sweet looking Green Cobb! Tone D, you should be proud of that one! That's a lifetime keeper.
RayB

djspann

<< <i>I have some more T206 cards and after looking at these, it reminded me of this thread in regards to a card looking nicer than the grade. PSA is too brutal on back paper loss. This PSA 1 has paper loss and the PSA 2 doesn't. Which would you rather own? Also, my cards are mostly Peidmont backs and I have 1 Carolina Brights back and 1 Polar Bear back. Which is the rarest and do they sell for a premium?
>>



There's a lot of good information here:

T206 Museum


Short answer:
Piedmont backs are the most common of all backs. The only rare Piedmonts are from the 350-460 series, Factory 42.
Polar Bear backs are also very common, but usually sell for a slight premium -- maybe 10-20% more. Polar Bear are the only backs that were packaged with scrap tobacco, so they were often stained.
Carolina Brights are the rarest of the backs that you mention. They do sell for a premium. The T206 Museum says 2X. I cannot verify this, as I have not been pursuing these. There are other backs that are even tougher than the Carolina Brights. For example, Lenox, Broadleaf 460, Drum, Uzit and Ty Cobb.


Doug

mikeschmidt

As for the Carolina Brights back, the premium I think tends to also be a function of the grade. A PSA 7 Carolina Brights back will *not* sell for double a PSA 7 Sweet Cap back. But a PSA 2/3 Carolina Brights back very well may sell for double a PSA 2/3 Sweet Cap Back.

There are some players on the Carolina Brights back checklist that seem to be harder than others [for those players for whom a Carolina Brights back is possible], so there can be specific premiums paid for certain player.

That said - if your Carolina Brights back is a Philadelphia Nationals player, please let me know, as I would love to buy it.

RayBShotz

The Abbott was last weeks eBay pick up.
The other five cards are self submitted. Nice raw cards I picked up over the last 2-3 months on the Bay (The Leach was cracked out of a GAI 3 holder; crossed nicely; also has an Old Mill Back). All of the cards graded out as expected. A pleasing result all in all. Enjoy!








RayB

yawie99

That Donovan portrait is one of my favorites in the set.

Here's my recent pick-ups. The first two aren't too exciting, though it's always nice to add to the St. Louis and EPDG collections...




Then there's my major addition of probably the last few months, an O'Hara St. Louis variation. It's not in the Doyle-Wagner-Plank ballpark, but it's still a pretty tough card.



And I apologize to those who frequent N54 for posting the same card on two different message boards - I don't know why, but that bugs me - but I'm pretty excited about this card. Now if I can just find a Demmitt (St. Louis).

MikeyLikesIt

Excellent cards Ray and Yawie.

Ray, interesting that you would happen to show the Leach now. I'm currently reading Lawrence Ritter's book, "The Glory of Their Times" and just finished Tommy Leach's chapter. It's only the second chapter but I can safely say that this is BY FAR the best baseball book I've ever read. Highly recommend.

-Mike

RayBShotz

Mike,
I read "Glory...", a few months ago and found it miraculous that Ritter was able to still be able to sit down and chat with so many of these guys, so many years later. It really gave me a personal attachment to some of the guys in the set. Read on, you're gonna love it.

Steve,
Congrats on that O'Hara (St. Louis), it's a key variation non the less. There is a Demmitt on eBay now with clipped corners in a GAI AUT holder if you can stomach that sort of thing. Best of luck acquiring that one at some point too.
I love the EPDG backs. I have a few and would like to get some more.

RayB

yawie99

Yeah, I see that Demmitt for sale from time to time, but I'm trying to avoid merely "authentic" cards. Obviously that one was clipped long ago and wasn't intended to deceive modern collectors, but I'll hold out for a 1.5/2 kinda card. I figure the O'Hara would probably get a 2 because of light surface wear - maybe a bit better with GAI, which seems to be a bit more lenient at the low end of the scale, though I have noticed some grade inflation across the industry.

And, yes, The Glory of Their Times is an absolute must read for pre-WWI collectors. One of these days, I'll get the CD companion set.

MajorDanby

nice cards, everyone

i just acquired this. i have a psa 3 version of this card....and they look practically the same. so, i decided i could save 30 dollars by going down a grade but not lose absolutely anything in aesthetics. gotta love this market!

RayBShotz

Major,
Sweet Jennings!
PM sent.
RayB

262Runner

Todays mail..... WOW was I excited to get this. My First Cobb, Ever! This card looks just as nice in person. The color is amazing for a 3.




More to come.

262

2dueces

Sweet cards guys. I'm broke and jealous!!!!

MajorDanby

262...my first cobb was the red portrait as well. actually, that was my first t206....reason why i got into the set.

are you going after the entire set? or just a subset of it?

thanks

262Runner

I plan on slowly trying to put together the entire set.... one card at a time. No hurry, if it takes me 10 years or more, that would be fine with me.

262

Bunker

After reading this thread I was inspired, and so I did some reading and clicked on every link that was provided here and tried to learn as much as I could before I made my first purchase.

I don't make the big bucks so I am going for low grade and high eye appeal. After getting beat down on ebay several times, I finally was able to purchase my first card. I may have made a mistake and paid to much, but at least I have my first card under my belt. I bid $24.95 plus $2.50 for shipping for a PSA 1, but the scan of the card looked like it met the criteria.

Please let me know what you think and please be honest. If I made a mistake I don't want to continue making the same one over and over. Anyway here is the card:

yawie99

Ya done good. I'm sure paper loss is a deal breaker for a lot of collectors, but I think the front looks fantastic and the paper loss on back isn't all that obtrusive.

RayBShotz

I agree with Yawie - The color on the front is dynamic, the image appears to have good registration. The paper loss (main reason this card received a PSA 1) on the back is minimal and doesn't materially destroy the beauty of the text on the back. I also agree that back damage will chase a lot of folks off a card and yield an opportunity.
As a low grade collector, something's gotta give. We have to expect and overlook certain flaws to both be able to afford cards in this set and still get cards with nice eye appeal.
It's quite ironic really that one's first T-206 card should be "Bliss"!
Congratulations!
RayB

Bunker

<< <i>It's quite ironic really that one's first T-206 card should be "Bliss"! >>

I didn't think about that

I like the look of the card and I think the color and the corners look good for a PSA 1. If I could purchase cards that look like this I would be very satisfied. I am by know means an expert at grading, but I do think that the front has the "look" of a higher grade card.

I can live with the small amount of paper loss on the back. Thank you for your comments.

Rick

RayBShotz

Bunker - That card (based on the small scan) looks like it has PSA 5/6 corners. I'm actually a little surprised, even with the paper loss, that PSA didn't squeeze that into a PSA 2 holder based on eye appeal.
You should, almost never, expect to see corners that good on a PSA 1, but it's mostly about image. If the image is really sound I think that's what makes up a nice low grade addition.
I also think you are really going to enjoy this journey. You will pinch yourself after you've accumulated some cards and say" I can't believe I own these"! It really is magical "bliss".
RayB