The allure of T206's

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Posted By: Dustan Hedlin

Hey guys, I don't post on here very often, but am going to start posting a little more as I'm getting more into T206's. I am slowly selling off my modern card collection and turning it into a few select T206's. I had dabbled in these beginning about 6-8 months ago, just buying a few commons and low end HOFers. Everyone had said how I would be hooked, and how there's nothing like these cards. I picked up 10 cards, and while I enjoyed them, it was nowhere near the excitement I was told.

Well, that changed a few days ago. I purchased a Ty Cobb Red Portrait PSA 3 as the first "big" card for my collection. While I know this card is readily available, I absolutely love it. The minute I had it in hand, I had no regrets about selling the majority of my modern collection. The bad thing is that I can't wait to get another one. I've got my sights set on a few other cards, and will hopefully add a few more similar to the Cobb in the next few months.

I don't have the budget of some of the collectors on here, but I do ok with what I've got. I'm 25, and out of college for 2 years, so I can't buy anything and everything out there, but what I can afford will allow me the opportunity to upgrade at a later date, and keep improving my collection over the years. Right now I'm focused on a few players, but might expand to rare backs or variations later on.

I think I'm hooked.

For those who are reading this, when did you know that this was the card to collect for you? First purchase? First HOFer? First rare back?

Thanks for the long read, and I look forward to contributing much more to this board. A lot of great information here.

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Posted By: Dave F

Dustan...
I've always been pretty interested in T206's. Just the history behind them and the completely different ways to go about the set is great.

I kind of went the same route you did...low grade commons and HOFers in PSA 1-3's. Just recently sold off all of those to focus on the more rare backs for the moment...then I'll jump in again later once I've acquired what I need to with the rare backs.

By the way...I believe I sold you an Evers SGC 40 probably 6 months ago...

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Posted By: peter chao

I traded some modern cards and money for a T206 Matty White Cap a couple of years ago. Around 6 months ago I purchased a Matty Dark Cap to go with it, now I'm pretty much hooked.

Peter

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Posted By: Bill K@sel

Congratulations Dustin! That is a really nice Cobb you picked up. I caught the bug back in 2000 when I tired of the umteen million different shiny sets and inserts that were coming out. I started with a few beat up Polar Bear back, and my collection steadily grew. As my interests changes I would sell and buy as I felt. I'm not collecting right now, but I do know I'll be back when $$$ is more plentiful and I have more time. I will still always follow the NW54 board and pick up a card here or there until I can devote more time to collecting.

Best of luck!

Bill

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Posted By: barry arnold

Great Cobb, Dustin.
Sounds like you're a true T206 lover; it's great to have you on board!
I got my first 206s around '82 but didn't really get singleminded about it
until 5 or 6 years ago.
I'm at 510 different 206s now and absolutely love it.
I have been doing the backs a wee bit lately, picking up a Lenox,Broadleaf,
Carolina, and a few brown Hindus(particularly the SLs with hindu back).
Stay with the Monster, Dustin; you won't regret it.
And remember the Monster will want you to quit.
Don't listen to it.

best,

barry

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Posted By: david Poses

i can relate to this story, having gotten rid of all my modern cards in favor of t206. i started with a fairly scattered approach of just getting as many cards as i could, not too concerned with specific player, back, etc. after about a year, i noticed prices going up a bit too much for my budget and sold off my collection (about 50 cards at the time) so i could focus on 1952 bowmans, which were more abundant, less expensive, and nice to look at. after a few months, the nagging feeling to get back my beloved t206 cards couldn't be ignored. i'm back into it with such veracity, but i am definitely much more focused than when i started. there are so many ways to approach this set, the artwork is so beautiful, the history, so much to appreciate. even this board and the conversations that happen here. so in answer to your question, the minute i got my first t206 card, which was a bill abstein, i was hooked.

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Posted By: Jason Carota

My first purchase occurred in early November of last year. It was Johnny Bates. Once I held the card, the history behind it, the history of baseball, and, the card's aesthetic appeal had me hooked. The first HOF'er I picked up was Chief Bender (trees in background.) The first truly rare back I picked up was an EPDG. I say truly because I acquired a couple of Polar Bears (my favorite back) and a non-SL Old Mill back before the EPDG.

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Posted By: Turner Engle

I became hooked when I was actually focused on the newer stuff. About 3 years ago, I attended a small show and noticed a very bright green color catch my eye.

It was a T206 Cobby green with heavy back damage. I was amazed by the color, and asked how much? He said $200. The rest is history.

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Posted By: T206Collector

I bought two back in 1997 (Matty White Cap & Bender Portrait), but not another one until sometime in 1999 or 2000, after the advent of eBay made the chase a lot easier. I started buying bulk lots for maybe $5 per card and then selling my doubles back on ebay. Before long I had 80-100 of them and started thinking about completing the set, which I did earlier this year (minus Wagner, Doyle, Plank and Magie). Then I sold off a few to purchase my Magie .... and then I took a real plunge, selling off about 80% of them to purchase Lionel Carter's Plank.

As it turns out, my plunge has gotten worse as I have sold even more to fund my autographed T206 purchases. For me it has almost gotten so bad that I only want a T206 card if it has been autographed -- now that's a tough way to collect. There is just something sensational about owning an autographed T206 card.

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Posted By: Rick McQuillan

The thing that fascinates me is the history (or lack of history) of these cards. Where have these cards been for the last 98 years? Who was the original owner? How many times have they changed hands? How did they survive for so long? Why weren't they thrown out during spring cleaning or during a move? Why is a certain card creased a certain way? From a back pocket? Was it creased while still in the original tobacco container?

We will never know the answers to these questions, but it is fun to speculate about these things.

I have picked up 130 T206's and 50 T205's in the last 18 months, so I guess you can say that my addiction is severe. Good luck with your quest.

Rick

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

1988, I think, maybe 1987... Tinker swinging that bat was the first HOFer.

I get mixed up on the exact numbers, but there's about 389 different players depicted in T206, and about 391 major league cards, give or take a few. I just grabbed what I could for a while, then I started focusing on the southern leaguers, 'cause you need to get them when you find 'em, as I learned. Then, I got all of the minor leaguers. Next, I shot for at least one card of each of the major leaguers (excepting Plank and Wagner). Then I pushed on toward 500. Now I lack the big 4, O'Hara, 2 Cobbs (red and green), 2 Lajoies, 2 Youngs, and Mathewson's portrait. My last pickup of ones I lack was Johnson's portrait, from Ted Z, a saint of a fellow, and card maven. If I can patiently pick up one of these every 5 or 6 months, then getting "done enough" is within reach.

Patience and perseverance are keys.

Good luck with them, and thanks for the post.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

good question...

1993, mall show in PA.

elberfeld, ny
devlin
kroh

i got them all for $20.

i have 2 of the 3 still...they are framed sitting on my dresser. from the first moment i saw them, i was magically (sorry to be so sappy) drawn to them and instantly hooked. the nostalgic look they possesed, and the cool "advertisements" on the back kept me going back for more.

as far as rare backs go...as i started buying more and more cards, i was getting some rare backs (cycle, sovereign, old mill, etc), but it took years for me to find & acquire the real tuff ones (uzit, drum, etc)...

best of luck, glad to see another collector get into the game.

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Posted By: Joe Drouillard

Interesting to read the posts and note how many collectors are new to the T addiction. Addicted--I guess I fall into that class. Although I've been buying and selling vintage cards for about four years, my first T-206 was a McGraw (glove on hip). I bought it in a mixed lot with a bunch of 1970 cards about two years ago. I hated the card because someone drew a beard on the Hall-of-Famer and someone else tried to erase it. Pretty much destroyed the player's face. I put it for sale on eBay expecting to get $5 or $6 bucks for it. I was shocked when the T brought 10X that much. I thought it odd that in a hobby where condition is everything, how a poor specimen could be worth so much.

I thought about the McGraw often; the weird think was that I actually missed the card. I didn't buy another T for at least a year, but then one day when I was scrolling down the listings on eBay I saw another McGraw. A nice ungraded card without any creases or paper-loss. I placed a $80 dollar bid and for some reason won the auction. That was about a year ago and I've been collecting Ts ever since. I own over fifty cards now-about six Hall-of-Famers, mostly ungraded. I try to only buy cards that are not creased and have clean backs, but lately I've been thinking about concentrating on more expensive rare backs and Hall-of-Famers.

Sounds strange to call a hobby an addiction, but I think in my case the description is accurate. As soon as I get a card there is that itch to own another. My wife tells me that there are worse addictions, I could be chasing women, or betting on the ponies, but I . . . I don't know if I will be selling all of my 1952 Bowmans and Topps to buy a Red Cobb, but I'm thinking about it.

Best wishes,

Joe

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Posted By: Paul S

When I was a kid it just felt special that I could actually own a card from the days when the player played, and at that time a kid could save up to buy it (with help from mom.) My first was the Cobb bat-on. That expression, the colors, that dusky yellow-to-orange sunset above the green grass horizon. I was the envy of my few collector friends. When I told them I had a Cobb I already knew they wouldn't believe me, so we went back to my house where I had already calculatingly put it on the mantle above the fireplace. Wasn't soon before they had their own T206s, and more for me too.

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Posted By: nbrazil

Dustan

I'm the same age as you! I took the natural break from the hobby at the age of 15 or so. I came back a few years ago. I mainly collected post war cards but then stumbled across the T206's. I bought a red portrait cobb 2.5 years ago...and since then ive been hooked. It is time, energy and financially consuming...so, ive had to hold back on a lot of collecting ventures. But, it's been a great ride so far. Just know that you'll have a strong network of T206 collectors to rely on.