Not a Flordia Find

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Posted By: Dave

My Mother-In-Law just move west from Virgina. As we helped unpack her here, she grabbed a notebook and said that her late husband (died about 5 years ago) had gathered some BB cards from several cousins, and I could have them. There are 571 cards, mostly T206, with some T205 and T210 cards. Here's a summary:

Main collection:
T206 Cards
523 T206 Total

416 cards in main collection

310 Majors
82 Minors
24 Southern


107 duplicate cards

62 Majors
31 Minors
2 Southern

T205
47 Cards

T210
15 Cards, all Series 2 - Virginia League

One final card is not included above, it makes me want to cry: It is from a Hassan triple folder, "Birmingham Goes to Third" which should include picture of Johnson and Street, with a BW action scene. My card only has Johnson, with a fairly "clean" tear between Johnson and the action scene. In other words, I have only a card of Johnson. I have no idea how this happened, but it's too bad. The card of Johnson is in very good shape, one dog-eared corner, but otherwise looks about 10 years old.

My plans are to sit on this set for quite a while. Originally, I got this to sell off. But, after researching this, I don't think of these cards as a collection; they are art. At some point in time, I will probably start to sell off the duplicates individually (on ebay?), and try to fill out the set. I do have limits, I don't envision ever getting this one completely.

I should mention that this is missing all the really scarce cards - I don't have a Honus Wagner, for instance. I do have 5 Ty Cobb cards, missing the Bat off Shoulder, but including two red back portrait and two bat on shoulder cards.

None of the cards have been officially graded, my viewing of PSA cards on ebay suggest that most of my T206 cards would grade as PSA 4, some 5, maybe a few 6, maybe a few 3. The duplicates may be a little lower. In the main collection, there may be one or two with a crease, but not many. Virtually all are Piedmont backs, a few Old Mill. The T205 and T210 cards are not quite so good, but not bad. Some creases, particularly in the T205 cards.

I would love to get advice from this board on where to go with this. I have never collected any type of card in the past; this is really a windfall. I have spent quite a bit of time on the web doing research, as well as getting a recent Beckett book. There seems to be quite a difference between buy and sell with a dealer. Grading seems to raise the value by more than the fee for grading, but the comments at this site about the grading companies (particularly PSA) make me want to hold off, at least until I'm ready to start trading.

Looking forward to your comments.

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Posted By: TBob

I think you would do better by selling off your duplicates indivdually rather than in groups because a lot of collectors scour ebay looking for a particular T206 card for their collection and might not bid as highly if it is coupled with others. On the grading situation, although I believe PSA to be more inconsistent these days in grading and while I am leary of their grading cards I believe "troublesome" (possible alterations etc), there is no denying that PSA cards still bring the highest dollar amounts when you are selling graded vg, vg/ex and ex cards. I wouldn't be in any great hurry to get those vg, vgex and ex cards graded as they'll sell fine on ebay provided you sell them with a front and back scan of each card. A lot of time and trouble but worth it in your return. If you have some cards which look near mint or mintish, by all means get them graded. Cards with carry a PSA 7, 8 or even a 9 are going out of sight.
As far as the T205s go, I wouldn't recommend trying to complete that set unless some of that lot of cards you have contain HOFers or tough cards or minor leaguers. Prices for exish and above 205s has started to climb as well. Although 205s are generally going to be available on ebay, trying to find Rowan, Joss and some of the boys is a real task, unlike the 206s in which you can always find the cards in the set (minus the Big 4 plus O'Hara and Demmitt variations) on ebay with some patience and searching.
Good luck!
TBob

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Posted By: warshawlaw

First of all, congratulations on obtaining what sounds like an amazing lot of cards. Get the Standard Catalogue of Baseball Cards (Krause Publications) and Lew Lipset's encyclopedia of baseball cards (Vintage & Classic Baseball Collector) to learn about the nuances of the sets, especially the back branding and factory stuff. In the interim, go to any local card shop and buy several hundred Card Savers and for heaven's sake put the cards into protectors. Also, flip over every card and look for imprints on tbe back of players (these are called ghosts and are valuable). Also, there is a very good web site called the T206 Museum where you can find lots of info on that set.

If you are going to grade them, send them to Sportscard Guaranty (SGCl sgccard.com). In Parsippany NJ. Call first and ask for Sean Skeffington and explain your situation. They are really good at customer service and offer bulk submission discounts.

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Posted By: Mrc32

Just wondering:
How were the cards affixed in the "notebook"?

In other words if the cards were "in the notebook" with glue or tape or any other type of adhesive, then you will find prices you get to be much less then if they were all laying in there untouched.

Either way congratulations. I would love to have a find like this.

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Posted By: Dave

Thanks for the replies, the cards are in vinyl protector sheets, 9 pockets per sheet. I haven't even taken a single card out, I don't want to touch them for fear of causing wear. The corners show only slight rounding, a very definite point, but not sharp.

I'm not all that interested in expanding the T205 or T210's mostly the T206. I think someone here called collection T210's as masochism.

Attached is a nice card; I took a picture through the vinyl sheet using room light and a flash. I need to figure out how to make this work better, the vertical lines are not on the card, but come from the plastic.

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Posted By: Paul

Wow! That must something else to look at.

Paul

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Posted By: shemp

Great find..please let us know what your ebay ID will be so I can look for your dups when they come up!

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Posted By: Harry

Congratulations on the wonderful collection. Be sure to put a link in the Buy/Sell thread when you are ready to sell.