T205: Newbie Thread

[mintacular]

Hi folks, as you may or may not know, I am almost brand new to pre-war collecting and my first obsession are the T205s gold borders. I guess my post relates to the popularity of this issue compared to other pre-war ones. Is this one considered a "classic" or no more so than others? What about rarity, especially compared to T206s? In short, any thoughts about this set compared to other pre-war ones I would appreciate reading and learning about. Thanks!

[marcdelpercio]

The T205 set is definitely one of my favorites. I would certainly call it a classic set. To me it has the best of all worlds. It has a unique look, totally unlike any other set. It has player bios and stats on the back, which sets it apart from the T206 and caramel sets.

It is large enough to be a genuine challenge to complete but small enough that you will not be overwhelmed. With the exception of 3-4 cards, most any card in the set can be found relatively easily and for reasonable prices compared to many other contemporary sets. The multiple back advertisements of different scarcity offer another challenge to those who are interested in that.

With a few notable exceptions, the player selection is excellent with many Hall of Famers and stars as well as a good distribution by team (and even a few Minor Leaguers thrown in). While some strongly disagree, I like the look of the set. Although I must concede that there are a few really ugly cards in the set, I find the artwork to be very attractive on the vast majority of the cards.

Overall, I think no matter what your collecting style or goal, there is much to enjoy with the T205 set.

[mintacular]

So why is the T206 so much more sought-after? Is it the Wagner? More variations/backs, etc? From a purely aesthetic point of view, I think the T205has much more appeal. Again, I am a newbie so I know almost nothing on this subject...

[marcdelpercio]

I think that the mystique and value of the Wagner (and even Plank and Magie) card does cause the T206 set to be more sought after. People who have never touched a baseball card in their lives know about the Honus Wagner T206. There really is no card in any other set (with the possible exception of the '52 Topps Mantle) or maybe ANY collectible at all which comes close to that notoriety. Even though few will ever own a Wagner, it is still quite appealing to collect THE set.

The T206's are really the benchmark by which all other pre-war sets will probably be judged. The size of the set, generally outstanding artwork, multiple levels of scarcity on both front and back designs, massive player and team selection and widespread availability of the T206's have rightfully made it the monster that it is.

That said, I also like the T205's more, for many of the reasons I listed in my first post. They are certainly scarcer than the T206's (especially the tougher backs) yet sell for similar prices. I think that they are slowly gaining in popularity as people realize the quality, challenge and value that the set presents. While I don't expect that it will ever rival the T206's as far as popularity, I think by any standard it is one of the top 5 pre-war sets and undoubtedly the easiest to complete.

[mintacular]

How much to complete the set in VG condition w/o the big four (?), and how much with them?

[fkw]

Couple way to look at it...

Id consider both the T206 and T205s as "Classic Sets" but I dont like them much nowadays because they are way to common overall.

I got over 50% complete on both sets when I first got into vintage 25+ years ago, but then got bored and sold them off within a year, they were way too easy. I liked the rarer stuff early on so seaked out the much tougher related or similar sets...

Some collectors like (to collect) cards that others dont have, or are very tough overall ie T204, T208, T209, T211, T212-1, T213-1, T213-3, T214, etc. But now these will cost a lot even in low grade..... back then cards from these other sets often sold for only slightly more than the common tobacco cards (T205, T206, T207).

Thats just me

Originally Posted by mintacular

How much to complete the set in VG condition w/o the big four (?), and how much with them?

I am guessing that the T205 set is what you are asking about. A normall set without the biggins will probably run you $20K in VG. Depends how you go about collecting. I am well over that mark but I ended up getting side tracked with a backs collection also to break the monotny. Stay away from books unless you are using them for a guide and not pricing. I am sure you will enjoy this set as much as we all have. I went the more challenging way and set a goal of all VG-EX and higher in the master set and now I have 2-3 cards I want with specific backs. Just missed my Joss Cycle but had to pay bills first. I hope you walk the race and not run like I did. I have only been on this set for about a yr