Quote:
Originally Posted by Bored5000
I guess it just surprises me that the Roberts card sells for 10 times that of a huge Phillies rarity of the same era like a Lummis Peanut Butter Richie Ashburn card. Of course, it could be the aesthetics of the Topps All-Stars card that makes it a $60,000 item.  |
Eddie, I internalize this with the "Honus Wagner" theory. The T206 Honus Wagner is neither the most scarce in supply nor the most aesthetically pleasing Honus Wagner card. However, it is nearly orders of magnitude more in demand than other Wagners, thus the six figure price tags for deplorable examples.
It's all about Supply and Demand. I can name a handful of collectors whose entire collecting focus is Topps cards from 1951 through the modern era (wherever you'd like to define that cutoff). The Stanky, Roberts and Konstanty cards have been known, reported on and discussed throughout the hobby for many decades, thus increasing their sex appeal.
You're absolutely right about the Lummis Peanut Butter Ashburn card. However, it's a curious use case: 1) Some collectors eschew the set because they look identical to the Sealtest, but for the card backs 2) They're so rare to find, set "completion" is a fairy tale for all but a handful of collectors and 3) there are many other Ashburn cards that are much more plentiful, but cost must more $$$ because of the many collectors who want the card.
If the Ashburn Lummis ever becomes a hot commodity worth $60k, I'll be the first to sell
I've only ever seen a single example - and was happy to purchase it a number of years ago