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davidcyclebackA key for a modern card collector is he knows the card is genuine. A 9 kid may have no idea how to identify a real T206, other than he knows that one he pulled from a Topps pack is genuine. When he goes to trade it to a friend, the friend knows its real because it's Topps sealed.
It's like T206 collector who buys the Topps certified autograph card pulled from a pack. He may be well aware that he's paying extra money, but he's no autograph expert and may think the extra coin for a Topps certified card is worth it.
If the alternative for a modern card collector is a 50/50 chance of purchasing a counterfeit, paying extra for one of these Topps sealed cards is a good idea.