Present To Self: A 'T' Card - Suggestions?
 

Need a T-card in the collection. Love the aesthetics (and enduring popularity/demand, if God-forbid ever need to resell) of the classic images (i.e., Cobb bat off, Matty dark cap, etc.)...

For me, the issue with going after one of these has always been this initial fork in the road:

"Higher-condition + more common back VS. lower-grade + rarer back?"

I'm personally a rarity guy over condition-rarity all the way, but at the same time don't want that principle to lead me astray in this specific case.

So where do fellow collectors stand on that fundamental trade-off, and in the 5-7.5k-ish range, what would be your pick of a T-card?

My last T card pick up....pretty much sums it up. Mid grade, nice aesthetics, blue chip card as far as value goes....and filled my T3 hole.

Turkey Red Cobb

lol posted 1 as I was typing too funny

Great minds.... :D

I'd go with a t214 victory...or maybe t215 in nice shape common or hof'er...depending on budget.

Leon,

Anatomically which hole is closest to the T3 hole? Trust me, I'm a doctor.:D

Leon that is definitely a classic blue chip!

Are there any of the T206-size specimens you would put in that card's league? I just get a bit spun around on that whole rare back vs better condition choice, which is what makes the T3 an appealing, straightforward choice.

Pretty funny about the T3 hole!

I think a very clean T206, T213 or T215 HOF with a top 15 listed back is always a smart choice.

There will be a few very nice mid grade T206 HOF with Cycle 460 backs in the next Goodwin auction. I'm not the consigner.

If anything like hockey,
 

it would be the one that lands right in your hand....

<a href="http://s150.photobucket.com/user/T206ster/media/goalie_zpsf2da415c.gif.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/T206ster/goalie_zpsf2da415c.gif" border="0" alt="Goalie photo goalie_zpsf2da415c.gif"/></a>

T206 Cobb portrait (Red or Green depending on taste) in mid grade.

Red Cobby is classic.....but a nice T214 would be great too...and it would be hard to beat a T205 Cobby, always a fave of mine..There are so many options it's really up to what you like the best. If you stay with a HOF'er or top tier HOF'er there will always be demand if you ever have to sell.

http://luckeycards.com/pt205cobby80sgc.jpg

http://luckeycards.com/pt214jennings2a.jpg

Cy Young....a T206 Portrait or a T205 . Go for a sharp, nicely centered example. The T205 is actually a difficult card to find centered. Good luck. I wish I had your dilemma. :)

Some suggestions in no particular order:

(1) T206 Red Cobb w/ tougher back
(2) T204 Ramly Walter Johnson
(3) T227 Cobb
(4) T202 Cobb/Jennings w/ "Cobb Steals Third"
(5) T206 Magie error

T214 would be my pick. If I could ever land a T214 Evers I might just quit.
Although, aesthetically it doesn't get much better than T213-2 Coupons in my opinion.

http://photos.imageevent.com/mhgt/ho...0bat%20off.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/mhgt/ho...0Mathewson.jpg

for me...
 

I bought a Reulbach T206 Factory 42 SGC 55. A late Hanukkah gift.

really Mike!!!!

In order of set preferences, it probably looks like this:

T214
T213-1 or T215-1
T213-2 or T215-2
T213-3
T206 rare back

In terms of the player, I'd want a top tier HOFer and price and availability would dictate which player and which set.


Either way, good luck!

Richard.

Nice list there, Gary. I was also going to suggest the T227 Cobb, although 2 drawbacks would be the fact that they rarely show up at auction and, when they do, they are OC and very low grade. They do retain eye appeal at lower grades, though, and it is simply a bad ass card with a unique Cobb pose. Damn... I want one. :(

Others that come to mind... T3 Walter Johnson, Tris Speaker, or Mr. Cobb, T216 Wagner. The T204 Johnson and any nice T213 HOFer would be cool as well.

And once you get the T card, you have to go for an E card..... ;)

Come on Pete, I'm agreeing with you.

I am in complete agreement with Pete - I'll take rarity over non-rarity-with-nice-condition every day! If I were in your shoes, this nice-looking-for-the-grade T214 Jennings (different pose than Leon's Jennings) that has been an eBay BIN for quite some time (so perhaps the seller would be open to a reasonable offer) would appeal to me: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221332161038...84.m1438.l2649

Val

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/calvindog/2909241541/" title="1911 Series of Champions T227 by calvindog65, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3122/2909241541_c8d99e3bb0_o.jpg" width="450" height="761" alt="1911 Series of Champions T227"></a>

You've got a great collection, by the way. I would go after a nice T206 Plank.