[Archive]

Posted By: TBob

George- some of the sets you have inquired about are sets I have no experience with but I can give you a basic overview of Obaks (1909-1911) and T213 Coupons. The 1909 Obaks fluctuate widly depending on if a particular card is one needed by the small number of those of us who collect the set. SCD and other guides are no help here. Eye appeal is everything when you are asking for F-VG prices. Back problems are less of a concern with this set than most other sets also. These cards are tough, tough, tough. If you are looking for Gandil, Willis or any of the horizontal cards, prepare to pay through the teeth if they are in pretty decent shape, even with a little creasing. The 1910 and 1911s are available. Ten Million, Weaver are the principal 1911s which will cost you an arm and a leg, otherwise a Fair copy might run about $6-12 and a VG $15-25. Ditto the 1910s, although the 150 series cards are double the prices of the 175 series unless you find a Willis, McCardle or (drawing blank here) in which case the sky is the limit because these 3 have different poses and colors from the 175 series cards. If you are trying to build a collection of 1910 or 1911s, you might try and buy larger lots and get a price break. Most collectors still don't realize how scarce and pretty these cards are and look at them as a regional issue, failing to realize the large number of future (or past) major leaguers in the set.
T213 Coupons are generally not that popular with collectors because they have the same fronts as their cousins, the T206s. Series 2 cards with their glossy fronts (good news they are better looking than 206s, bad news they crack easily) can be picked up for $8-15 for fair commons, $20-30 for VGs depending on eye appeal. HOFers are all over the place in lesser grade but are usually less than the T206 prices. Series 1 cards are very tough to find. Thinner and more fragile, I would say fair commons would run $10-20, VGs would run $30-40. Series 3 are tough also. Aroud the same prices as series 1 would be my guess.
Hope that helps. Remember price guides are just that, guides. Keep in mind some commons are sought by a lot of collectors because for one reason or another they don't ever appear for sale. One good thing I have found is that you don't see nearly as many trimmed or altered cards among Obaks and Coupons as you do in the more easily found sets like T205, 206, etc.
Bob