T206s versus 1933 Goudeys

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Posted By: Chris Counts

When I first started going to card shows in about 1974, I distinctly remember 1930s gum cards as being more valuable than 1910 era tobacco cards. At my first show in 1974, I picked up several nice T206s at $1 each (including a Lajoie and a Joss), while I paid about $2 for a common 1933 Goudey (Bing Miller). I asked around, and was told that 1910 era cards were much more common. I was also told that many pre-war cards, especially Goudeys, Diamond Stars and Play Balls, disappeared in paper drives during World War Two.

Today, a T206 is clearly more valuable than a Goudey or a Diamond Star. But is it truly more scarce?

Also, here's a trivia question: Who appeared in both the T206 set and the 1933 Goudey set as an active player? I can only come up with one, and he's not a Hall-of-Famer. I looked him up and was surprised to see how good a player he still was in 1933 ...