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JohnThere is no doubt that e-cards (most) are scarcer than the larger mainstream T-sets. Jim is right it also has a lot to do with who produced the sets. Many of the E-sets were regional issues vs. national issues making them far less produced. If T206’s were only made and distributed in Lancaster PA for example we would be saying that we could not find nice T206’s.
I keep hearing the theory on adults vs. children and why cards bought buy adults are in better shape. I don’t believe that who was buying it has anything to do with its condition. High-grade cards exist today because who ever bought them had no interest in them. They were (T&E) both placed in drawers, books shoe boxes etc and forgotten about. How many high grade examples of each is based solely on the amount produced at the time of production vs. the amount lost over time. The loved ones got placed in wallets, shirt pockets, backpacks taken overseas during wars etc. And those cards are the affordable items that most of us enjoy collecting today.
We also tend to forget that kids (13-18yrs) smoked and there were no or very few if any laws on the books preventing kids from buying and using tobacco products. My grandfather started smoking at the age of 12 he would have collected cards had it been 1911.