T206 Set Collectors

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Posted By: daviddbreadman

Those here collecting T206 sets, do you have a grade preference? If using grading services, what are most of your cards graded? Especially those almost done. I noticed in another thread that T206collector was 10 shy of his set and it got me wondering what he and others are doing?

I myself have about 50 cards mostly graded PSA 5/SGC 60. The ungraded cards are lesser quality probably about a 3.



edited to change from 'graded set collectors' to all T206.

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Posted By: JimB

Though my commons and most of my HOFs are not graded, my set is basically crease-free (I have about a dozen more upgrades to do) , clean and well-centered and the commons average vg/ex to ex with some higher. I have gone for higher grades with the HOFs. Currently they range everywhere from vg/ex to mint, but a long-term goal would be to have all the HOFs in ex/mt or better. Some of the most prized cards in my collection are T206 HOFs in graded 8's and 9. So my goal is commons in about ex and HOFs in ex/mt or better.
JimB

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Posted By: joe brennan

My collection since 6/2005 stands at about 85. I only have 10 ungraded cards. My HOF's are PSA or SGC 2's, 3's and 4's while most of the commons are 4's and 5's. I have 2 6's. I have a long way to go, but have decided that if a player has multiple cards I would like to obtain the portrait if possible,and then later go back for the other variations. I have a Cobb Red in SGC 40. I have 13 HOFer's and 7 SL's.

Moral Values " What would you do if no one was looking? Only you would know" Instilled in me by James W. Brennan Sr.

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Posted By: Jim Novotny

My collection consists of about 95 cards to date. I am currently around #40 on the PSA registry. I am collecting on a shoestring budget (my wife holds the strings) so I try to get low grade unslabbed cards and then submit them to PSA. I have been pretty successful in getting cards under $20 and have had a few grade as high as PSA 5. I dont care so much about back damage as long as the front image is decent and relatively crease free. I only have a few HOFers with my favorite being a Frank Chance Yellow portrait that I bought from Lee. I know that collecting the whole set is probably impossible for me, but I really enjoy this set.

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Posted By: scott ingold

As stated in another thread i have mine mostly in GAI slabs for display reasons as i frame them in my office 15 per frame.
Note to self " i need a bigger office"

Slabbing works for me for the protection qualities they provide as i have a 9 year old and a 5 year old that love to check out everything i do.

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Posted By: RayB

I just love this set! I've got about 60 or so cards all PSA graded so far. Some purchases, some auction wins, and some raw submissions. My set is on the Registry entitled "Dings, Divots, Creases & Stains" and that pretty much tells the story as to grade. I have been fortunate though to snag a few 4's and 5's through self submit or trade. I've got a dozen or so HOF'ers including a pretty nice PSA 1 Cobb Green Portrait and a cool Mathewson Dark Cap in a PSA 3.
Feel free to visit the set. I have scans of all the cards.
Did I say yet that I love this set.
RayB

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Posted By: Tim Newcomb

I'll break the pattern:

I have 518 cards. I lack only the big five (or is it six now?) and one Cobb pose. None of mine is graded except one Lenox and one red Hindu back that I wanted to authenticate and preserve.

I had a few graded ones but found ungraded examples so I got rid of them. I'm going for a set that's VG or better, and have a few dozen to upgrade to get to that point. They look beautiful in 15-pocket sheets in an album by MJ Roop (and I don't need a bigger office to store them)

Cheers,

Tim

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Posted By: Tate Davis

I currently have only 61 cards. This includes 8 HOFs and 5 southern leaguers (2 of which have hindu backs). My cards are all raw, grading anywhere from excellent to God-awful. Since I graduated from college a few months ago and still don't have a job, my baseball card judge is very small which means that I will take a T206 in just about any condition. I just have to be able to read the name and team on the front, and the card must not be trimmed.

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Posted By: DJ

I have roughly 300-320 to the set...been working on it for like fifteen years. I'm my own worst enemy with this set as: the cards have to be VG-EX unless they are tough backs (i.e Red Hindu Stahl would grade "Fair") and NO CREASES unless they have tough backs.

I have quite a few in SCG holders and 4-5 in PSA holders but I have a feeling I will free them all eventually. It's simply too bulky and I think I like the idea of plastic pages and flipping through them on a Sunday afternoon.

DJ

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Posted By: T206Collector

...I currently have about 140 cards graded (all but 4 by SGC -- the four are beat up in PSA and GAI holders that I got in larger lots at one point and make no sense to cross over), and am in the process of having the whole collection graded, and upgrading as I go along. I guess ideally my collection would average an SGC 50 before I die. I give myself a little leeway on rare variations (I'll likely never upgrade my SGC 10 Demmitt or SGC 20 O'Hara) and southern leaguers (I'd like 40's, but will settle for 30's), but I'd like to keep the HOF'ers at no less than a 50. My favorites are my Mathewsons, Cobbs, Tinkers and Lajoies. I am missing the following 11 cards (8 if you're not expecting me to get the Wagner, Plank or Doyle):

Johnson Throwing
Young (one hand and glove showing)
Cobb Red Background
Keeler (portrait -- had one and sold it)
Baker (had one and sold it)
Elberfeld (Washington portrait)
Plank (never)
Wagner (never never)
Magie (mmm... one day)
Doyle (rare variation)

If you're interested, you can view my progress here. I have a large lot (hopefully over 60, but I have some minimum grade requirements) of cards coming back from SGC in the next two weeks:

http://www.sgccardregistry.com/index.asp?action=3&setcategory=1&setid=243&usetid=1015

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Posted By: Scott Thompson

I have 451 different T206’s and the average grade from SGC is 24.66, about halfway between the hobby standard “good” and “fair”. The highest graded card I have is a 60 (Ex 5).

My collection is low grade and pales in comparison to other T206 collections, but I enjoy it.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y133/scottopotamus/


Scott

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Posted By: Seth B.

I have around 75. I would say the average grade is around a PSA 3, but only about 15 are graded (mostly PSA 3-4 and a few SGC). They're bought from dealers, minor auctions, but mostly from ebay. I collect on a student budget, so I won't buy anything above a PSA 5. I hate paper loss and trimming or bad creases that break the surface, but creases aren't a problem if they don't cross over the face or ruin the picture to bad. I don't look for graded cards, but I worry about trimming on ebay too much to buy anything too pretty if it's not graded.

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Posted By: Bob

I have about 430 different T206s. Very low grade condition (ave F-G, quite a few P). My goal is to get the entire set (minus rarities) and I could not afford that with nicer cards. I've got most of my cards for under $10 (actually under $8) or through trade. I've three that are graded and one of these days will get around to cracking them open.

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Posted By: Robert

I have the complete set minus the Wagner and Doyle which I seriously doubt I will ever get in order to complete the set unless I get lucky and win the lottery and even then it will be doubtfull. Probably could get a Wagner but with only 5 known Doyles the prospect of getting one is greater odds then me winning the lottery even if I did.

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Posted By: John J. Grillo

I am primarily a boxing collector, but I love the T-206s. I prefer only to collect the boston AL & NL players. I am diehard Red Sox fan, and I have all the boston players in T-206. Half are graded by PSA and half by SGC. I am in the process of deciding on crossing over the other half to either PSA or SGC.

Slowly learning the vintage baseball tobacco cards thanks to many on this board!

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Posted By: Bill

I currently have about 600 T206's (approx 200 SGC, 150 PSA, & 250-300 more that are still raw and range from g/vg to nm. But currently not any of the big 4, although I have owned at least 1 of all but the Wagner at one point or another (including 2 copies of the Doyle variation, one of which was the PSA 3 that Mastro sold a few years ago). I have been 2 cards (or less) away from the finish twice, but can never seem to do it. Oh well, the fun for me is in building the set no matter what the grade or who the grader.

Regards,
Bill

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Posted By: tobacco-r-us

Tim Newcomb, thank you for breaking the pattern, but regardless of the pattern, the bottom line is the enjoyment of collecting the set. ... regardless of grades.

I'm not looking at the set at the moment, but the first T206 set that I started, is made up of 484 or 485 of the most loved cards that were ever loved and handled by every collector since 1909. ... the year that my mother was born.

It has the very first T206 card that I ever purchased, the Herzog, NY Nat'l.
I bought that card for my father, he was a Giants fan, and a McGraw man.

When I started this particular set in the early 1980s, the collectors were the graders.
We learned through experience, and constant handling of the cards.
It was strictly a hands on education.
However, when putting that particular T206 set together, the love affair was not in the grade, but filling in a slot.
I feel very close to this particular T206 RAW set.

The next T206 set was not planned.
It's just missing one card, the second toughest card in the set.

Back in the late 1980s, I had about an hour and a half left at a Lee show in San Francisco before taking a flight back to NYC.
I bumped into a very nice couple that had an old vintage chocolate candy box.
In that box they had a little over 800 "T's."
I knew that, because they had been at a vintage dealers table that I had been at.
They had shown a few of the cards to the dealer, and when I saw the cards, they almost blew my eyeballs out of their sockets. - they were outstanding.
It was early into that particular Lee show, and the dealer didn't want to lay out any money, so he told them to come back later if they hadn't sold them.
I was lucky to bump into them as I was in the process of going through my last run through of the show.
The box had a little over 450 T206s, a good amount of T205s, and some other "T's."
We settled on a mutually fair price -- I thanked him -- and I headed for the airport.
To say that I couldn't wait to get home, and look at the contents of the box, is an understatement.
From then on, I cherry picked whatever I needed for this particular set.
This set is also completely RAW, and I wouldn't be afraid to put it up against any T206 set on any registry.
If you've seen the set, you know it's up there.
RAW is Beautiful.
Having said that.

My favorite T206 set.
Is the one that has been loved by every T206 collector that's ever lived.
Joe

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Posted By: John

Great story Joe, sounds like a really neat experience. Lucky dog, sounds like a set I would love to see someday. Once again cool story.

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Posted By: WP

Bill,
As a respected vintage card dealer what grading service dp you think is the most accurate and consistant?

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Posted By: Bill

WP

I beleive that SGC grades more consitantly, but PSA sells for more $ consistantly.

Most of my personal cards are SGC or will be one day.

Thanks,
Bill

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Posted By: daviddbreadman

Good story.

As an aside, I did not start this thread to add more fuel to the graded not graded fire. As a newer vintage collector I have chosen to go the graded route for various reasons, its not better, its a preference on my part. With that said, I initiated this thread as graded because of that interest. I realized afterward that although many prefer raw cards, in their mind they must still have condition preferences, so I adjusted it to include all T206.

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Posted By: jackgoodman

Joe

Thanks for reminding me about your T206 haul. I was one of those dealers that passed on them at the Lee show. My offer of $2.50 a card (100% of book at the time) still stands. Please send them.............

Jack

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Posted By: pete

I try to buy graded and it has to be a "4" whether by SCG, PSA or GAI if they are HOFer's, I'll dip down to a graded 3 by PSA only for non HOFer's, my ungraded are probably in the 2-3 range...I started by picking up all the Cobbs, Johnsons, Mattys and Youngs in "4" so I guess I dont really want a Fred Beck graded an "8"...it just wouldnt fit...by the way I still need 1 Matty and 1 Young out of those 12.

my best pitch was the one that made it to the plate!

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I have most of the HOFers and many popular players too. I look at the cards in terms of eye appeal more than anything else. If the card is really expensive and I can find one for cheap in a lower technical grade, I'm OK with that too. I have only 1 card better than ex, the Waddell portrait in ex-mt (SGC). I'd say I have about 65% SGC and 35% PSA; I take 'em like I find 'em. I cracked out the only GAI I had because it was a rattler.

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Posted By: leonl

Thanks for the nice story.....that's what I love about this board...and I appreciate your willingness to share...

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Posted By: Betty

I have 519 T206 mostly PSA 4 (a few 5 and 6). Now it's changing backs (finding different rare backs that I currently don't have) while I wait for Simon Nichols Batting and the Big 4 to finally find their way to my set. I also have other T206s that are in my "backs" collection.

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Posted By: tobacco-r-us

David,
There was nothing whatsoever wrong with your presentation.
It was an honest question, and not a challenge to anyone.
I sometimes have a problem.
Whenever a Matador without portfolio waves the Red in front of me, the Latino bull in me wants to horn him up into the air. ... my bad.
David, your question, was about a collector wanting to add to his knowledge.

We are individuals with many different approaches to our personal collections.
The key is whatever works for you, and makes you happy as a collector. ... that's the bottom line.

I didn't want to interfere with your inquiry until Tim Newcomb broke the pattern, and you opened it to ungraded cards also.

I want to wish everyone success, fun and above all -- the enjoyment of the T206 hunt in whatever grade.

In the word of a famous Latino ball player that unfortunately I can't remember the name at the moment:
"Oneneverknows".

Joe

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Posted By: ockday

My 1st T206 set, minus the "big 4", which I sold last year was totally PSA graded. I found that to not only be very heavy and bulky but also was harder to really appreciate .
I am now close to a 2nd set, missing about 10 cards and the "big 4" but this time I have chosen to grade only the HOF'ers . I have switched to SGC this time around as I find them to be more "accurate" than PSA.The rest of the set is in a nice M.J. Roop binder and I can now easily look through the set.
Good luck,
Alan

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Posted By: Bill

I have 519 different T206's in my set, missing only the big 5. All my cards are graded by SGC. I am trying to upgrade them to be at least SGC 60. I also like collecting the different backs. Over 200 hundred of my cards have backs other than Piedmont and Sweet Caporal. Always looking to trade to upgrade my cards.


http://www.freewebs.com/bb5714/index.htm

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Posted By: Rich Klein

And his famous expression was youneverknow spoken as one word

Rich

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Posted By: tobacco-r-us

Jack,
It blows my mind that anyone else on this board would have been at that show, that particular day.
However, being that it's Jack Goodman, it's understandable.
Do you know that I still have that old Hershey chocolate candy box that the "T's" were in.
Without mentioning names, I also have the note of the sellers asking price, and the Indiana dealers offer, on the dealers brochure.
They were just $500.00 dollars apart.
While at the table, I saw some of the cards, but I had no knowledge of what went on between the seller and the dealer.
It's not my business, he paid for the table, I wasn't about to interfere, and I forgot all about it until I accidentally bumped into them as I was leaving.
I took a shot, I gave him what he wanted. - He was happy, I was happy.
"Youneverknow."

Jack, at this very moment, words fail me.
I have a lump in my throat, and I'm overwhelmed with emotion.
It is with a ripping heavy heart that I must turn down your over tempting generous offer.
For you see ---- I'm cursed.

I'm a collector ---- woe is me, woe is me.

Stay well,
Joe

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Posted By: John

I’ve been collecting the set since I was about 13 or so down to needing the big 4. Most of my cards came from a find not unlike Joe’s, that combined with a lot of luck and some hard work tossed in.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=153652&messageid=1095809291

I have really no idea what my set would grade by the companies and their microscopes, or if its even worth doing. I have thought about having it graded, but with no intention of selling, I see my money spent in better places. I tend to look for cards with good eye appeal; I try not to get hung up on the technical grade. I have been upgrading cards as I can find them at reasonable prices, which as of late seems to be tough. I have a few graded cards, mostly upgrades I have bought over the past years. I will say I do like the holders a lot.

I really enjoy collecting and this set (T206) in particular, My collection is not world class by any means and I’m sure I wouldn’t stand out on any registry if I had them graded, but that’s not why I started collecting in the first place.

My T206 Set:
http://imageevent.com/piojohn3/collection

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Posted By: tobacco-r-us

RICH,
Thank you.
I hope Joaquin forgives me.
"youneverknow" is abolutely correctisimo.

Atleast I got the one word angle right.
Thanks again.
Joe

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

JOE

Thanks for sharing your great story with the rest of us. We
only dream of being so lucky. From all our BB conversations
back in the Willow Grove days, I had somewhat forgotten this
story. So, I really appreciate reading it.

I sold my T206 set to a friend a few years ago. It took me
about 6 years to accumulate the 521 cards (missing of course
Wagner, Plank and that "silly" Doyle card). The set averaged
in Ex condition. I collected it before the Graded Card "craze"
came along, so most of the cards were in the old T-type plastic
sheets. The major HOFers were in solid screw-down plastics.

I did keep Walter Johnson (portrait), all the NY Highlanders,
Elberfeld - Washington - portrait, and the 16 different backs
which mainly comprise of HOF players (DRUM of course just
has a regular player).

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Posted By: JimB

Ted,
Does this mean you have a Cobb back? If so, would you care to share a scan with us?
JimB

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi All,
I have about 750 T206's, including all the Hofers, most of the Southern Leaguers, and a ton of rare backs. In fact I'm trying to put together a set with all rare backs. Yes, It is impossible, because not all of the cards come with tough backs, but I will get as close as I can. Happy collecting Brian

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Posted By: jackgoodman

Joe

Believe it or not, I'm happy that the cards went to a collector who appreciated them so much that he still has them. And to have everything else that came with the buy, is a testament to your "sickness". You're a collector. (And you should seek professional help as soon as possible.)

Maybe I can at least look at them one day. That would be nice too.

Enjoy.

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Posted By: Michael Peich

In order to respond to another thread tonight concerning Sweet Caporal backs, I got out the MJ Roop folder that houses my T-206 collection. I have 512 cards toward completing the set. In addition to the seven I need, and the Big 5/6, there are a couple of dozen that I want to upgrade to Vg or better. None of them is graded, and it makes looking at them in the album a most satisfying experience. I did buy a few that were graded, but, horror-of-horrors, I broke them free and slid them into the appropriate slot on the visually pleasing fifteen card page.

T-206 is the first vintage set I collected, and I still enjoy the beauty of the cards. There is also the tactile pleasure of holding a card that was new when my grand-parents were children--it's like reconnecting with the past, something that many of us enjoy doing. And, as a few folks have mentioned, by collecting raw cards, I don't have to worry about the space it takes to store slabbed cards. I do have many graded cards in other sets I collect, but I've always felt that looking at them in those little plastic cases was similar to viewing a corpse in a casket. Not so with my living T-206s.

Cheers, Mike

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Posted By: joe maples

Because I only collect Detroit players I have 27 T206 cards all graded, 1 PSA and 26 SGC. Grades from 30 to 70. Fortunately my 4 Cobbs are graded 70 for Portrait green background and Bat on shoulder, and 50 for Portrait Red back and Bat off shoulder.

Joe

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Posted By: Mike Tucci (18colt)

I collect low grade T-206s (despite being a public school teacher on a teacher's pay budget, I'm over 90% complete - trading helps). I only have a handful that are graded (I bought them that way - I did not submit them). IF I ever have to sell them, I'll likely get the higher profile cards graded and keep the rest raw.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

JimB

The 16 - T206 Backs I have are:
AMERICAN Bty....BROADLEAF....CAROLINA BRIGHTS....CYCLE

DRUM....El PRINCIPE De GALES....HINDU (Red and Brown)

LENOX.......OLD MILL.......PIEDMONT........POLAR BEAR

SOVEREIGN......SWEET CAPORAL......TOLSTOI......UZIT

Years ago, when I first started collecting T206's, I did
not know that there was a TY COBB back. When I finally
acquired the 521 cards (and for me was a complete set),
I became aware of a TY COBB back. At that point in the
early '90s, this back had already become too expensive.

You have to realize, that the majority of these cards I
bought (in Ex or better condition) were very inexpensive
at the time I was putting together this set. The most I
paid was for was the Magie "error" ($400 in Vg).

So, I decided not to pay '90s prices for a TY COBB back.

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Posted By: JimB

Ted,
Fair enough. I usually distinguish brand name backs from other variations such as red and brown Hindu, Am Beauty with and without borders, black and brown Old Mill, and certainly series or factory numbers. When you said 16, I assumed you meant specifically the 16 brands. Sounds like you have a very nice set.
JimB