Why do you collect T206's as opposed to other cards/sets?

[bcbgcbrcb]

Since T206 popularity is so overwhelming, let's go in this direction and maybe we can get to the bottom of the allure.........

[atx840]

Surplus...relatively....of scraps and errors.
F/B combos keep it interesting.
Endless ways to collect it.
Plethora of inventory.

[kmac32]

I don't, T206 does nothing for me.

[g_vezina_c55]

endless way to collect too
look of the card.. the picture the color...
avalaibility
the set include the most famous rarity of the hobby

[freakhappy]

Because they are the best, duh!

Huge compilation of cards...tons of ways to collect them
front back combos
huge availability (for most)
cool people collect them
did I mention it includes the most famous card of all time?
different poses of several players
tons of variations to collect/errors
history is second to none
tons of HOFer cards

endless reasons...forgot one more....

because they are the best

[flavius]

I think the set makes you wonder more than any other set. They are such small cards, almost unbelievably small, and the graphics on them are so child-like. Not only do they take you back to a time that you can only imagine was like, but they do so in a very relatable manner. They are unlike any other set ever made, from the size, to the layout on the cards, the variety of the backs, and the lack of player stats/information. The cards are from a time period when baseball wasn't so much a "sport", but more like a gentlemen's game and something you sit down at the dinner table and have a good laugh about. The colors are so vivid yet simplistic and deep, and I think that is the main advantage it has over 19th century cards and things like t205.

[mrvster]

The Wagner drives the set....
The Plank, The Magie, The Doyle....The "Famous Errors" like the Doyle And Magie..

Those Big cards alone give the set recognition........

The mystique of how they were printed/produced/print groups, sheet arrangements...

The many mysteries like Brown OM, Brown lenox, Cobb Back...
The affordability (if you exclude condition and the big cards)....

The cool print scraps/errors/ and factory misprints almost create one of a kind cards within the set, or an "alternative" T206 set to be had, my favorite...

The endless combos 5,500 + combo's????

The availability, surplus, yet rarities,

Cool ass tough shortprinted backs.....

when you think you figured it out, the monster tricks you and you learn different things about the set almost daily...

The beautiful lithography not reproduced in many sets...

The inclusion of many HOFERS...
Iconic Poses...
Many ways to collect the set(sub sets, teams, poses, hofers, backs)...
Liquidity....
Great investments...


There are a TON of other reasons, that I will let other Chime in

[Jlighter]

Flavius I see your going by Bryan today.

[AndyG09]

I think most of us who collect 206s just catch a "passion residual" off of Johnny V, and that is enough to keep up the quest. Well put bro.

Best,

Andy

[mrvster]

Thanks Bro!

I forgot one of the most important.....People like Andy G and The rest here make collecting T206 That much more enjoyable...Andy, you keep me going

[Shoele$$]

All the reasons mentioned above, although I do have an affinity towards prewar candy cards, you just can't beat the T206 as an all around performer. The lithos are just so pleasing to the eye even to this day over 100 year later

[DeanH3]

I don't exclusively collect T206's but I do think they are one of the most beautiful sets ever produced. The color and detail is just supurb. Add in the allure and all the other great reasons already offered and you have a truly great set. I don't think I will ever stop collecting them.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by mrvster

The Wagner drives the set....
The Plank, The Magie, The Doyle....The "Famous Errors" like the Doyle And Magie..

Those Big cards alone give the set recognition........

The mystique of how they were printed/produced/print groups, sheet arrangements...

The many mysteries like Brown OM, Brown lenox, Cobb Back...
The affordability (if you exclude condition and the big cards)....

The cool print scraps/errors/ and factory misprints almost create one of a kind cards within the set, or an "alternative" T206 set to be had, my favorite...

The endless combos 5,500 + combo's????

The availability, surplus, yet rarities,

Cool ass tough shortprinted backs.....

when you think you figured it out, the monster tricks you and you learn different things about the set almost daily...

The beautiful lithography not reproduced in many sets...

The inclusion of many HOFERS...
Iconic Poses...
Many ways to collect the set(sub sets, teams, poses, hofers, backs)...
Liquidity....
Great investments...


There are a TON of other reasons, that I will let other Chime in

I thought you collect them because I told you to?

As for me, the amazing amount of Hall of Famers is what hooked me. I was always big into baseball history and the older the better. There isn't another set that big that is that old and attainable on a budget over time(except for the big three of course). Once I started collecting them though, then I got hooked on the different backs and finding them

[ullmandds]

While I collected T206 rare backs starting in the late eighties...and t206 was my gateway drug for getting deeper into vintage...I now have maybe 10 of them...and I no longer actively buy them.

While T206 are very attractive and the myriad off ways to collect them is appealing to many...their commonality and the over analysis of T206 has really turned me off and has directed me towards other T,D,E projects.

[Al C.risafulli]

I like them because they're beautiful, and because there are a million ways to collect them. They offer collectors all levels of difficulty, from the simple and plentiful to the expensive and rare, and they offer an enormous representation of players from the era to learn about.

I like the scholarly approach to picking apart the set and the mysteries surrounding production, etc. It makes the set more interesting to me.

And since advertising has always been a big part of my life, I like the backs.

-Al

[t206fix]

1-We've all read that article from the teens describing kid's obsession with these cards. I was obsessed with similar little pieces of cardboard in 1983...(Donruss...yuck!) I could be one of those kids on the corner begging for the little scrap of cardboard from these men coming out of the smoking shops in 1910.

2-They are 100 years old.

3-The portraits...

4-The fact that no matter what I do (except marry someone really rich), I will never be able to afford a Wagner....

5-or Plank

6-or Doyle

7-but maybe... someday, with luck and chance ... I might own a Wagner, or Plank, or Doyle...

8-the Evers Portrait... that card is the best looking card ever, wait

8.1-the Keeler Portrait...that card is the best looking card ever, no...

8.2-the Lajoie Portrait...that card is king...

9-the fact that I, or any of you, have never seen any of these men play the game of baseball... but we know everything about them (#1 draft choice, ever...Ty Cobb)

10-but, I know, for a fact, if A-rod ever faced Walter Johnson, he would strike out...

-three times in a row...

-and then throw his batting helmet on the ground...

-which he didn't really need, because Wajo was such a nice guy, he never needed to throw at someone's head...

[atx840]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

the over analysis of T206 has really turned me off.

Really? The general sheet layout, plate scratch, printing process etc discussions put you off to the set. Interesting.

[ullmandds]

While most of those topics do not really interest me, Chris...what really turns me off is over-scrutiny of print marks, any stray marks, the way beater POS's are presumed to be scraps, the presumption of rarity in reading pop reports regarding commons with common backs like "only old mill konetchy ever graded"...and so on...and so on!

[Ronnie73]

Some of the big reasons why I collect T206's are..

1. The large quantity of front/back combo's
2. Not having to worry about what i'm gonna collect once its complete
3. Working on a set that's so popular but has never been completed
4. All the other reasons T206 colectors have posted

[Runscott]

1. Huge set
2. Affordable
3. 1909-11 is my favorite baseball era - this set covers it like a glove
4. Lithograph quality and design
5. I don't have to worry about running out of cards to look for
6. because it bugs a few elitists on the board

[Orioles1954]

As far as lithos and design, T206 can't even approach T212 Obaks in terms of beauty. I do enjoy some of the T206 advertising backs (EPDG, Tolstoi) but by in large I find it a boring set and the 1987 Topps (in quantity) of pre-war cards.

[RCMcKenzie]

For the last 2 weeks, every time I log into my ebay page there is a section at the bottom that says "You did not win this card".......

www.ebay.com/itm/281059337041

I feel like calling up the ebay customer service rep. and saying "Hi, yes, thank you, I know I did not win. I lost by $1500. Please take it off my page."

I did win this untrimmed example from England today......


www.ebay.com/itm/230926555682

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by atx840

Really? The general sheet layout, plate scratch, printing process etc discussions put you off to the set. Interesting.

They do little for me as well. I would much rather expand my knowledge on another T set (like the Louisiana issues) or delve into the hugely underated 1930s R sets rather than concern myself with plate processes, scratches, or discussions whether XYZ is REALLY an error. I appreciate I got into the pre-war hobby because of the T206 set, but I have moved on.

[atx840]

Valid points, thanks for the insight.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by atx840

Valid points, thanks for the insight.

Chris, won't it be great when we finally evolve? Meanwhile, we're stuck collecting this boring set - the McDonalds or '87 Topps of cards.

[itjclarke]

I think the aesthetics of the set are incredible and diverse, but am even more drawn to the fact that there are just so many top tier Hall of Famers (Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Napoleon Lajoie, Tris Speaker, etc) and that many of those HOFers are found in mulitple poses. '33 Goudey shares many of these traits and, given both sets are pretty commonly found, they provided a perfect introduction into Pre War collecting when I started several years ago. I've since checked off most of my T206 want list, and have little/no interest in tackling the T206 set, so I guess I've mostly moved on to other things.. though still do check the new T206s on eBay daily.

[teetwoohsix]

+100 to what all of the other T206 collectors have already said- you guys said it all !!!!!

A thread titled "Why do you collect T206's as opposed to other cards/sets?" even brings out posters who sound like the Monster was their school yard bully Gotta love it !!!!!!! LOL

Sincerely, Clayton

[Bocabirdman]

Given the chance to buy all Pre-War cards from all issues, I would, and I do when the money works. My monkey needs to be feed on a regular basis, so waiting a few weeks/months to stash enough cash to go after some of the other sets on a regular, if slower pace is tough for me to do. Since I am only halfway into the Monster, I can still find and afford multiple cards a week. A happy monkey makes for a happy me.

[bbcard1]

Certainly T206 isn't the only thing I collect, but it is a "relationship" set for me. Although I have finished my base 520 set, I continue to piddle with it and replace the worst of the cards. If you have been at all sensible, it is generally easy to liquidate a card to help with an upgrade. I am starting to find other things I'd like to do. I have about ten different additional backs and would at least like to get one example of each major variation. I might eventually work on a player run...Bill Campbell seems the most likely candidate as I have a Carolina Brights back.

In the mean time, I am working on a low grade Delong, a high grade 61 topps and have started getting a flirting interest in the 1958 Hires (no tab). Also working on a couple of sets of T210 Roanoke cards, one for me, one for the local history museum. But I think I'll work on my T206 set the rest of my life.

[ullmandds]

I think it's funny non-T206 collectors are now "elitists!"

To me... T206 is kinda like the village "slut"...everyone's had her...so after a while her allure diminishes!

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

T206 is kinda like the village "slut".

Ouch!

[ullmandds]

Tim...I meant no offense...ok...T206 is more like the girl in 6th grade who'd let anyone "cop a feel" in the coat closet...we all have fond memories of her...but...you know?!

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Tim...I meant no offense

None taken, I thought it was hilarious.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Tim...I meant no offense...ok...T206 is more like the girl in 6th grade who'd let anyone "cop a feel" in the coat closet...we all have fond memories of her...but...you know?!

Thanks on behalf of all of us fathers of sixth-grade girls.

[murcerfan]

I think it's funny non-T206 collectors are now "elitists!"


....and the cards we collect are now categorized as "oddball"

At times it seems this chatspace should be renamed net206.
It will be interesting to watch the T206 collecting craze evolve (devolve).
I remember when everybody was hot for OJ's, then E cards, and even some of those wierd D cards

[sdkammeyer]

There are no boundries. No limits. No rules. Isn't that what we all strive for? In this world of government and rules and regulations "we" have the T206 set. Those of us that collect feel superior in a way .... we don't bow to the priest or worship the wench ..... it is what is is. A set that never ends. It's the you and the me of the world.
It's the colors, the players, the history ...... when my story ends it's going to live in the next guy. It just never stops......... "furthur" comes to mind (for those of you who know the bus).

"Furthur" is a state of mind and not a destination. None of us T206 collectors expect to get anywhere ..... it's a state of mind and not a destination.

[ullmandds]

Based on that statement...it sounds like t206 collectors are the real elitists!

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I collect this set for a couple reasons.

(1) Historical significance - I am a lover of history and this set is one of the most historically significant. To me it represents a time when players were becoming famous but were not yet the superstars that they are today.

(2) Affordability - Most of these cards can be had for a relatively inexpensive price.

(3) Size of the Series - At over 500 cards this series provides a challenge that will take years to accomplish.

(4) They Look Cool - What more can I say?

[steve B]

I don't collect T206s exclusively, but I do have more of them than any other prewar set. And they're not even my favorite prewar set.

So why do I collect them?

I think a lot of it is part of an early hobby experience.

1977 I moved to Arlington Mass from a place that was a bit small and backwards. 74 had been my first year of really buying cards and the Hank Aaron specials showing 4 of his earlier cards on each one fascinated me. I'd only found one older card, a 1968 that a kid traded to me from his brothers collection.
New town, Arlington, about 10x the population of the old place, which was a suburb of a place about as big as Arlington. After cross country practice I asked someone if they knew any places that had stamps/coins or old baseball cards. There was actually a place right in town! And nearly on my way home!

Going into Halls Nostalgia that first time was amazing. Old Topps cards in quantity. Boxes full of them. Some bigger than usual, who knew the HA specials had made them all look the same size. AND some funny small cards that were drawings. Bowmans they called them.
And there in the display case and some displayed on the wall next to it were the most amazing yet! Small and skinny, most displayed in a plastic pocket on a 3x5 with some stats typed on it.
Much prettier than the Bowmans, many of the players were shown against sunsets or in formal portraits that even painted had an air of importance.
I think I was hooked right then. I had to have one. But $1.50! for someone I'd never heard of.......I think my allowance was $2-3 a week. So they were expensive.
A while later they said they'd found a cheap one for me.(I'd been hanging out there after school maybe 2-3 days a week no doubt making them crazy with questions) Beckley, with a polar bear back. And a lot of tape holding the tear together that otherwise would have meant it was two half cards. But it was only twenty cents. About a year later I got my first job practically next door. And I could actually afford some commons. I tried to get one of each brand back, missing by the usual suspects, but getting close.

Part of what keeps me interested is the stuff some people don't like. The big puzzle of just how they were made. That aspect can be tedious and dull and if you can't stand it, that's fine. I like the sunset cards, others like the portraits. Also fine.

For many sets that puzzle aspect is missing or so far beyond my means that I just can't get into it. I like 33 Goudeys, but there are complets uncut sheets, so not many mysteries.
I also like the stuff like caramel cards, and the tougher T sets. But a red cross or pirate is probably well over my budget. I'm sure there are mysteries about those sets, but I'll probably never own one or if I'm lucky maybe one of each. Hard to study when you don't own any and they're available seldom enough that even finding scans is a challenge.

Steve B

[wolf441]

Originally Posted by steve B

I don't collect T206s exclusively, but I do have more of them than any other prewar set. And they're not even my favorite prewar set.

So why do I collect them?

I think a lot of it is part of an early hobby experience.

1977 I moved to Arlington Mass from a place that was a bit small and backwards. 74 had been my first year of really buying cards and the Hank Aaron specials showing 4 of his earlier cards on each one fascinated me. I'd only found one older card, a 1968 that a kid traded to me from his brothers collection.
New town, Arlington, about 10x the population of the old place, which was a suburb of a place about as big as Arlington. After cross country practice I asked someone if they knew any places that had stamps/coins or old baseball cards. There was actually a place right in town! And nearly on my way home!

Going into Halls Nostalgia that first time was amazing. Old Topps cards in quantity. Boxes full of them. Some bigger than usual, who knew the HA specials had made them all look the same size. AND some funny small cards that were drawings. Bowmans they called them.
And there in the display case and some displayed on the wall next to it were the most amazing yet! Small and skinny, most displayed in a plastic pocket on a 3x5 with some stats typed on it.
Much prettier than the Bowmans, many of the players were shown against sunsets or in formal portraits that even painted had an air of importance.
I think I was hooked right then. I had to have one. But $1.50! for someone I'd never heard of.......I think my allowance was $2-3 a week. So they were expensive.
A while later they said they'd found a cheap one for me.(I'd been hanging out there after school maybe 2-3 days a week no doubt making them crazy with questions) Beckley, with a polar bear back. And a lot of tape holding the tear together that otherwise would have meant it was two half cards. But it was only twenty cents. About a year later I got my first job practically next door. And I could actually afford some commons. I tried to get one of each brand back, missing by the usual suspects, but getting close.

Part of what keeps me interested is the stuff some people don't like. The big puzzle of just how they were made. That aspect can be tedious and dull and if you can't stand it, that's fine. I like the sunset cards, others like the portraits. Also fine.

For many sets that puzzle aspect is missing or so far beyond my means that I just can't get into it. I like 33 Goudeys, but there are complets uncut sheets, so not many mysteries.
I also like the stuff like caramel cards, and the tougher T sets. But a red cross or pirate is probably well over my budget. I'm sure there are mysteries about those sets, but I'll probably never own one or if I'm lucky maybe one of each. Hard to study when you don't own any and they're available seldom enough that even finding scans is a challenge.

Steve B

Great story Steve!

I think that Halls Nostalgia also had a store in Buzzard's Bay, MA, right next to a little movie theater. This would have been around 1982-1984. My family had a vacation house in Plymouth and I picked up one of my first T206's at that shop (although my 1st T206 purchase was in a card shop in Hyde Park, MA - I can't remember the name of the place - it was an Abbaticchio Brown sleeves for $4.00.

I collect the T206 set for many of the same reasons that others have cited: set size makes for a good challenge. Great selection of HOF'ers, including some of the greatest players of all time. The artwork, the lure of the Wagner, the mysteries on how they were distributed, how the sheets were laid out. The fact that you can always find one available for sale if you need a fix . There are plenty of other pre-war sets that I absolutely love and one of the best features of the board is the monthly pickups thread. I love to see what everyone is buying. There just some cards/sets that are never available for purchase, or else way out of my price range.

[tedzan]

First of all....some of the major sets I collect (and have completed) are the following:


1887 ALLEN & GINTER


1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS .................................................. ................................................. AMERICAN CARAMEL E90-1


1933 GOUDEY


1934 GOUDEY


1941 PLAY BALL

..
.................... 1947 BOND BREAD ............................................. 1949 LEAF ................................................ 1949 BOWMAN (and, 1948, 1950-1955 BOWMAN BB & FB)


1952 TOPPS .................................................. .................................................. ............. 1953 TOPPS (also, 1954 Topps - 1984 TOPPS)


1952 BOWMAN FB



Oh yes.....I also collect T206's.....ever since 1980-1981, when I started with 40 - Ex commons for only $4 each....and a VgEx Green Cobb for $15.


TED Z

[mrvster]

Thanks for getting me hooked

[3-2-count]

No words required. I'll just let the image tell you why :

[sdkammeyer]

Originally Posted by 3-2-count

No words required. I'll just let the image tell you why :

uhhhhh dinner at your house? just give me time to make a dish to bring with me

that's a beauty.

[3-2-count]

Thank you Steve..

[ullmandds]

Sheesh, Tony...that Cobb would look awesome under a black light!!!

[3-2-count]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Sheesh, Tony...that Cobb would look awesome under a black light!!!

No need for one Pete. This one glows without it.

[ullmandds]

I'd say!!!!!1

[wonkaticket]

Amazing card Tony.

[wonkaticket]

A handful of reasons.

Chicks dig them…


They’re just magical…


A chance to rub elbows with wealthy celebrities…


And if you don’t collect them Barry will come to your house and beat you up…