Gary, I too have been wondering. There are, of course, many factors involved, but it seems historical importance has declined substantially as a consideration for interest. Probably many reasons for this but there does not appear to be a basic knowledge of early baseball history pre Cobb. Many 19th century collectors are looking for historically important items, and, to be honest, the rarer and more unique the better. This rarity is not defined by a grade, but actual rarity of the item itself. While you and I may not fully understand the comparative price differentials between these items and cards etc, it is the essence of collecting. Let’s just hope that enough stuff starts to appear that we can all acquire an item of interest.
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