T206 buying advice

[cliffyb]

Hi All, I’ve been a member for the past year and I love the site. It’s great to be “around” people who love baseball as much as you all do. I’m posting this because I’m interested in buying a T206 card and you guys seems to know the ropes. My dream budget is $2,500 but in reality it’s probably much lower than that. I’d like to ask the following questions and I’m interested in what you have to say in response.
- is it better to buy a HOFer at a lower grade or someone else at a higher grade? I do have some preferred players
- are certain card backs preferable to others? I’ve read some, like Polar Bear, are more rare than Caporal, for example
- I assume buying a graded card is smarter than buying a raw card
- I don’t expect anyone to predict the future but is it “safe” to assume that these cards will always be special, even if they don’t appreciate tremendously in value? I’d buy the card because I love having it and looking at it, not because I expect to flip it and buy a new car
- how do I display the card? I’d kind of hate to buy it and then keep it hidden and out of view

I’m open to any and all suggestions or pointers. Thanks again!

Cliffyb

[Carter08]

Just by asking those questions feels like you know what you’re doing. I’ll let others add their thoughts but in terms of the display I completely agree. Get a ub protection frame and hang it/them on a wall that doesn’t get a ton of sunlight and you should be set. Otherwise, for the most part, I’d say look for good deals on this site rather than on eBay where you’ll be paying taxes and the seller will be paying fees.

[Carter08]

Meant uv protection

[bigfish]

With a 2500 budget I would buy the best Cy Young portrait you can find.

[pwang100]

Regarding the displaying aspect.. with my " big cards" i buy a cheap reprint, and prominently display that copy.. and have my authentic card somewhere safe

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[tnosmoothly]

My two cents:
Buy the best-looking card you can find of a player you like....regardless of grade.
If you don't have a particular player in mind, then I would def target a HOFer.
Several players have portrait and action cards from the set, of course, so determine which versions you like more. If I want to display a card its b/c it's beautiful, but often b/c there is a story you want to share. If you simply want to retain value and have a card to display I would go for a HOFer with a slightly more rare back, if possible.

[cliffyb]

You guys are amazing for getting back to me. I really appreciate it. I hadn’t thought of the UV protection. Great idea. I’m sure the grading company cases don’t provide that. Should I even care about the card backs and which ones are more or less common? I supposed if I do see a card I like and I buy it then I should enjoy it no matter what is on the back, no?

[Cmvorce]

The beauty of the T206 set is that there are so many different ways to do it, none of which are "wrong". In my opinion:

- is it better to buy a HOFer at a lower grade or someone else at a higher grade?

"Better" is a very subjective term, but for me personally, when we are talking about cards that are over 100 years old, grade doesn't matter. In fact, I prefer my T206s to look like they are 100 years old. The wrinkles, the rounded corners, the scuffs - they are all part of the journey that that particular card has been on, part of the story it is telling. All my graded T206s are 1s and 2s. As long as the card is in one piece, and the image is clearly viewable, it's ok with me. You will never go wrong with HOFers or very rare backs in any grade.

- are certain card backs preferable to others? I’ve read some, like Polar Bear, are more rare than Caporal, for example

In terms of scarcity and/or value, yes, definitely. There are whole posts/videos/academic papers (kidding, maybe?) on this, but generally speaking you have the cream of the crop: Drum, Uzit, Broad Leaf 460, Lenox Brown, Hindu Red for which you'll be paying several thousand dollars for low grade commons. You have your super premiums - Lenox Black, Broad Leaf 350, Carolina Brights, that are the next highest tier. Mid-level premiums - American Beauty 460, Hindu Brown, Cycle 460, Piedmont 42, where you can expect to pay about $500 for a low grade common. The most accessible level of premium backs - American Beauty 350 (frame and no frame), Sovereign 460, Tolstoi, El Principe De Gales, Sweet Cap 350-460 / 25, Cycle 350 - where you'll pay $200 - $400 for low grade commons; mid level backs - Old Mill, Sovereign 150, Sweet Cap overprints, Polar Bear, Sovereign 350 (apple and forest green), which demand a slightly higher premium than the common Piedmonts and Sweet Caps.

- I assume buying a graded card is smarter than buying a raw card

It depends what you want to do. For resale value, yes, PSA or SGC graded is usually better. I display my non-HOFers in a binder, so if I buy one that is graded I will crack it out. There is nothing wrong with buying raw cards from reputable dealers or esteemed collectors on this board.

- I don’t expect anyone to predict the future but is it “safe” to assume that these cards will always be special, even if they don’t appreciate tremendously in value? I’d buy the card because I love having it and looking at it, not because I expect to flip it and buy a new car

I believe that HOFers, especially the A list hall of famers in the set - Cobb, Johnson, Mathewson, Young, Speaker, and Lajoie will always retain and probably increase their value. Same for the higher level of offbacks.

- how do I display the card? I’d kind of hate to buy it and then keep it hidden and out of view

Nice, matted, UV protected frame on a wall or desk looks really nice.

If I were spending $2500 on T206s now, i would either try to get 2 low grade A list HOF portrait cards - you may be able to find a low grade Johnson and Speaker, or Young and Mathewson for that (Cobb probably slightly out of your price range at this point). OR I would buy several mid-tier HOFers / stars that would look really cool in a matted frame: Homerun Baker, John McGraw, Rube Waddell, Willie Keeler, etc. You could probably get 4 or 5 of them and create a nice display piece.

Good luck, and enjoy the ride.

[cliffyb]

Wow! Thank you!!!