T206 question: How does back damage affect grade and value?
 

My question is based on this card:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I'm wondering how back damage like this affects the value and the technical grade of the card. I wasn't sure what to bid on this one because I certainly liked the card, but didn't want to overbid and make it hard to recoup my investment if I decided to sell later. I'm guessing there's no simple answer, but if anyone has some examples or rules of thumb on how to gauge the value of a card that looks great on the front but has back damage, I would love to hear it. Thanks.

Luke

In terms of a third-party grade, that's almost assuredly a 1, but it's a bit harder to establish a value on a card like that. Some collectors would rather submit to a sulfuric acid eye wash than own a card with that much paper loss, while others love scooping up cards with strong fronts but grade-killing flaws on the reverse. With the Johnson, I think the damage is bad enough and the card widely available enough that even those in the latter camp might shy away from this particular copy. With a tougher card or with less obtrusive wear on back, you'd probably see a premium over the typical 1 price.

w j
 

My good friend Steve Yawitz(glad to see you around,buddy) is quite correct in his analysis of things.
Unequivocally, the card is a 1.
I must say that the front is a real beaut and because the angelic portrait of
Johnson is my favorite T206 card, I think it would be quite a card for a collector to own for a decent price.
As far as its value as an investment, i would think of it as a Johnson portrait
sgc 10 and expect to receive the monies a Johnson sgc 10 would bring.
The back would make me think that little or no extra monies would apply here.

best,
barry

Keep in mind...
 

...that it was really easy to keep the fronts of your T206s in great shape, with sharp corners and everything, if you were willing to glue the back into a scrap book. The reason the SGC 60s are so nice is because they survived the 100 year trip to today without the aid of glue (or at least glue that was not easily dissolved).

I personally would pay a premium for a T206 that I wanted for my collection that displayed a beautiful front with nice square corners but may have a flaw on the back such as slight glue residue etc from being mounted in a photo album. As long as the paper loss & residue is at a minimum it's all fine by me. The Johnson you show imo has to much paper loss though for my liking to warrant adding a premium to it. Pretty card none the less. Below is an example of a Johnson portrait I own which I did pay a premium for that may give you a better idea of at least what my criteria is for paying up. Card has a NM front but has a small paper tick in the 2nd "E" in the word Sweet, and a little disturbance in between the "A" and 'R" in the word cigarettes on the reverse. Hope this helps.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a95...ohnsonport.jpg http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a95...portback-1.jpg