Topps buybacks (T-206, American Caramel)
 

I bought these two buyback cards recently. One is a 2005 Topps 206 Baseball buyback Cy Barger 1910 T-206 Cleveland with Piedmont Back and the other is a 2008 Topps Baseball Edward Ainsmith 1912 T-207 with Recruit Little Cigars Back. I plan on taking these out of the Topps holders and getting them graded. Has anyone had any experience doing this before?

I have never taken them out for grading, so I really can't answer your question, but I wanted to reply and thank you for posting your buyback examples.

I own a couple buybacks like yours. What I mean is, they say "T206" on the frames, yet they are not actual T206 cards. This is the first time I've seen more examples other than mine. My two have a T205 (Austin) & a T207 (Tannehill) in the frames.

Thanks again for posting

Jantz

Your second card there is a T207 instead of an american caramel.

Nice card!

rob

Thanks for letting me know. Correction made. Cheers!

Honestly, I'd leave them in the Topps holders when you submit them for grading. All the grading companies can encapsulate them in the Topps holders.

The reason I say this is that while I don't understand the rationale, people have paid substantially more for the Topps buybacks, than for the same card not in a Topps buyback holder. Once you take the card out of the Topps holder, it becomes just another T206 or T207, and it therefore loses that Topps "premium".

Edited to add:

Also, after looking at your T206, it appears to maybe be a bit short vertically. I'm not saying it's trimmed; however, let me play Devil's Advocate here, and say it is trimmed. If you take it out of the Topps holder and submit it to PSA or SGC, etc..... They look at it as they would any other T206, conclude that it is trimmed, and send it back to you not encapsulated. You are then disappointed :(

Now, if you submit it in the Topps holder, the grader looks at it as a Topps buyback, which gives it maybe a bit more "legitimacy". I don't know if PSA or SGC grades the Topps buybacks differently or not. If they do however, you stand a much better chance of having the card encapsulated. You are now happy :)



Steve

The reason for taking them out was for the actual card to receive the grade. I wasn't really interested in having the Topps holders graded, but I never really thought about it from your point of view. Thanks for the info.

Jeff,

I added a bit to my post above while you were responding.

One more thing you might do is call the grading company you want to submit the cards to. Talk to their customer service people and find out what they recommend as the best method for submission.

Good luck on it! :)


Steve

Steve,

I have no doubt you are right, but...that is one of the dumber things I've heard. Like you, I don't understand the rationale either.

To Jeff - welcome to this Board.

Cheers,
Blair

Here's my example, before and after. I actually snagged this card off a dealer at a small local show for $17. I was hoping for a 5, but I'm satisfied with the grade. I removed it from the paper topps holder and submitted it raw.

I was lucked into a T206 buyback of Tinker Batting
 

It was a VG card, but I sold it for $400 to a buyback collector. I then turned around and bought another VG Tinker for $200, which left me plenty of extra cash for more cards.

Having a Topps Buyback card and cracking it out is only giving money away.

I've cracked 3-4 T-205s from these buyback holders. All graded fine.

Like a couple others have mentioned, if you cut them out of the Topps holder, you are losing money. Better to sell these and find the same thing raw at a cheaper price.

There are people who collect these buybacks exclusively and the price is only going to go up if left in the original Topps holder.

I once owned a Topps t206 of Oldring fielding that had another card behind it. I didn't notice it when I bought it off Ebay. After several years, the temptation got to me and I slit it open only to find another Oldring fielding.

If I had those, I would not bust 'em out to get them graded. I'd keep them just as they are.

If I was going to grade them, I'd send the entire thing in to be graded; wouldn't remove them from the Topps package.


And I still agonize over this term 'buyback'. Topps can't buy them back because Topps didn't sell them in the first place.

Buybacks
 

I've bought a few buybacks. I had some graded by PSA and they came out ok. PSA 3 or 4. I used them in a T206 registry set I have. Most of the buyback cards I've seen seem to have some minor flaws and a few appear to be trimmed. They are typically in the 3-4 range, so having them graded doesn't add to their value, and it is somewhat of a gamble. I had bid on the Ainsmith T207 against you, but dropped out at $30 because I have a similar one already that I'm hoping to grade as a 4. If your Ainsmith gets better than a 4, then it would be worth having it graded, in my opinion. I've started a T207 set now and I've noticed graded T207's are going pretty strong on ebay.

Good auction battle on the Ainsmith T207. I've decided both will be graded so they fit in with the rest of my collections. Cheers!

Topps 206 buyback cards delivered today!
 

These cards were finally delivered today. Here are hi-res scans of the fronts and backs. The Barger is especially sharp looking! What do you guys think?