Topps T206 Buyback .....To Free or Not to Free?

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

So, I've aquired a couple Topps T206 Buybacks over the past year and I'm wondering if I should break them out of their Topps holders to send them in to SGC for grading....I would say they'd be 30's or 40's. I bought them strcitly for the T206 cards themselves - not becuase they were part of the Topps Buyback Program.

I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience doing this or whether or not it might be considered more valuable long-term to keep them in the Topps Buyback holders for the novelty of it. I know in some cases people have paid premiums for these specific cards. That said - I hate the holders and I think they ruin the look of the card. I'd much rather see it in an SGC slab. Myabe I've already answered my own question, but I'd love some feedback.

-Dave

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Posted By: Kenneth A. Cohen

I've bought two and broken them both out. For me, the Topps wrapper detracts from the aesthetic of the card.

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Posted By: John S

If it was 2002 or 2003 and the possibility existed that you might re-sell my opinion would be to leave them in the Topps holders. I have no numbers to support my opinion, but I would to have to assume that the novelty/fad of Topps encased T206's has diminished. Crack 'em out and send them to SGC.

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Posted By: Sean

Can the card inside be graded while still sealed in the Topps package?

Sean BH

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Posted By: jP

good ? Sean. i have a few of them and i think they look fine in the Topps Holder.

i wonder if topps had enough put in holders to complete the set minus the tougher cards ofcourse.

my collection: http://s102.photobucket.com/albums/m95/obaks/

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Posted By: peter chao

Dave,

Is it necessary to the cards out at this time. Why not make the decision later. Or just don't make the decision at all until you feel strongly one way or the other.

Peter

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

........I knew there would be contrasting feelings on this subject.

Peter - to answer your question - no, it's not necessary. I just find myself asking "I wonder what that Tannehill would grade if it wasn't in the Topps holder?"

All of my cards are either PSA or SGC graded withe the exception of these BuyBacks. Obviously, this helps me to organize and display them, assign values for upgrade purposes and potential resale etc....

I'm not in this for the investment, but at the same time I don't want to lose money or make any stupid decisions. If it was reasonble to think the BuyBack cards would be worth 3-5x what regular cards are worth in 10-20 years time, then I would keep them in their holders. I just personally hate to see an old card in new Topps packaging - just like I hate to see artifact cards where they've chopped up game used bats and uniforms.

Maybe I just need to get doubles of the two cards I have and secretly file the BuyBacks away. For the record, does anyone know how many T206's Topps acctually bought back?

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Posted By: T206Collector

1) SGC will not grade a sealed Topps buyback -- they will release and seal.

2) I've bought 2 in my day. A very nice Herzog Boston and a rather un-nice Tinker bat off shoulder/swinging -- with back damage and more than one crease. I acquired the Tinker in a lot of other pre-war cards for what really was a song. I had SGC free the Herzog -- it went into an SGC 50 holder, and I sold it, since it was a double -- getting much more than I paid for the Topps version.

However, sealed Topps HOFers are sought after by some collectors (or at least were about a year ago). So, I put the Tinker on ebay with a BIN of $400. It sold to one of those buyback collectors, and I used the funds to buy a bunch of T206 cards, including an SGC 40 Tinker in much better condition than the Topps Tinker.

So there are a number of strategies to consider playing here...

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

Interesting feedback regarding the HOF BuyBack....I never even considered that.

I still would like to know how many T206's Topps got a hold of.......any ideas out there?

-Dave

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Posted By: George Dreher

Topps reportedly purchased slightly more than 4,400 T206 cards to insert in the packs back in 2002. I would venture that they either bought out a collector or won a bulk auction lot from one of the major auction houses.

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Posted By: Dylan

Thats cool that you had a Tinker buy back. I have only seen commons in the topps casing. Has anyone seen any of the top tier HOF cards in a topps buyback like Cobb, Mathewson, etc. That would be an awesome pull!

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

Thanks George........4,400 cards is equal to roughly 8 complete sets assuming they bough equal amounts of each card. Very interesting.

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Posted By: peter ullman

if you break it out...you can't try to sell it at an inflated price as a 1 of 1?!?!

pete in mn

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

First, I think you CAN get SGC to grade it, not as a T206, but as a Topps buyback.

Next, I'd leave it in the Topps package, if you thought you'd ever resell it. You can't put it back in... so leaving it in would maximize the selling price.

If it were me and I was after the card merely because it is a T206, I'd bust him out, but I wouldn't bust him out to get the freed card graded.

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Posted By: T206Collector

...wouldn't grade my Herzog or Tinker in the case. That's why I made the decisions I made. Have they changed their policy?