Are some cards too rare for their own good?

[steve B]

I suppose it depends on where you draw the line for "rare" If you use a card like the Wagner as the benchmark chances are you already own a rare card. I'd guess that every OJ and certainly every OJ cabinet are more rare. Figuring it as < around 60 known. I probably forget a couple, but I'm probably at a bit over 20 baseball cards that are tougher than a Wagner, a bit under 20 if OJs don't count. And I'm not counting modern numbered inserts at all.

Add in non-sports and that is at least 20 cards more.

Collect long enough and with little enough focus besides going for the strange and likely under appreciated and you'll get there pretty easily. Taken all together there's got to be thousands of rare cards to be had.

I don't think the rarity is in any way "bad" in any way other than financially. As others have said, without the buzz and popularity they just aren't as valuable as the stuff with better PR value.

What if .......... the Wagner was a common? I think our entire hobby would be very different. Maybe the Plank takes over as the driving force to popularity? Maybe not, the old story of a broken plate isn't as glamorous as the story of a player refusing because of kids and Tobacco. Even if neither is true.

Other than the sheer number of modern numbered cards, I don't buy the manufactured rarity argument. Or, maybe I should........Yeah, send me all those cheap manufactured rarities - Ivy Andrews R300, 33 Goudey Lajoie. (HEY very interesting parallel for another thread) The US Caramel Lindstrom (And McKinley) They're obviously all junk


Steve B

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Hi Leon,

First of all, this is a really interesting topic, I think. I've never considered whether super scarcity could potentially be a negative, but here's where I come down on the topic at hand after a little reflection.

I think I'm closer to the "no" side on this issue. I don't think there's anything inherently bad about the existence of some cards with incredibly low populations. While it's true that the super scare cards may sit permanently in somebody's private collection, and never see the light of day, that doesn't necessarily preclude those cards from being discussed here, or on any hobby-oriented website.

In a way, there's something romantic about cards that are so scarce that the chance of ever seeing one in person, let along owning a copy, are slim to none. Obviously, I don't mean romantic in the most commonly used sense of the word. But I don't think there's anything wrong with pining for that white whale card that would take one's collection to a level that was previously considered unattainable. Suffice it to say that some of the greatest collections ever assembled are owned by current Net 54 members. I can completely understand the reluctance these people might have to discuss their most valuable pieces. Not everything has to be on display for the world to see. I've been told in no certain terms that some of the pieces I don't know about would blow my mind. And, I'm ok with not knowing. Who knows, maybe some point down the road, many years from now, perhaps one of these collectors will contact me to show me some of their most prized possessions. If I will have earned their trust, then I will be happily browse through whatever they have to offer.

Leon, I would also think some of these rarer pieces would fuel collectors like yourself. I'll own some really nice cards in my life, but I don't know how many truly rare pieces my collection will ever include. However, for an advanced collector such as yourself, would these pieces drive you more? I would expect pursuing that kind of a card would be an entirely different exercise, one that required the help from other friends and contacts within the hobby. Maybe I'm off base here, but I would expect the thrill of the hunt for that rare card would be pretty exhilarating.



Barry, I cannot speak for anybody else on the forum, but I can say that if I'm not talking about those rarer cards, it's due to a lack of knowledge. I think I just don't know they exist. I would certainly be game for discussing anything rare. I'm always willing to learn!