Getting that feeling...

vintagebaseballcardguy · #1 08-06-2015, 07:14 PM

Ok, you T206 collectors, let me ask you this: do you feel compelled for all of your T206s to reside in a PSA/SGC slab at the time of purchase? Like post war card collectors, I have seen some of you all post pics of your T206 purchases with some slabbed, some not. Much like dealing with the big post war star cards, I would assume the big stars would be slabbed due to concerns over trimming, doctoring, etc. What about the commons? I mean, if you collected 150s how would you handle that? Slabbed or not?

trdcrdkid · #2 08-06-2015, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Ok, you T206 collectors, let me ask you this: do you feel compelled for all of your T206s to reside in a PSA/SGC slab at the time of purchase? Like post war card collectors, I have seen some of you all post pics of your T206 purchases with some slabbed, some not. Much like dealing with the big post war star cards, I would assume the big stars would be slabbed due to concerns over trimming, doctoring, etc. What about the commons? I mean, if you collected 150s how would you handle that? Slabbed or not?

I know I'm in the minority among T206 collectors, but I prefer to collect them raw, keeping them in toploaders or CardSaver IIs. For one thing, it's almost always possible to get them cheaper that way, and I can put them in plastic pages, hold them in my hand if I want, and display them however I choose. All but a handful of my 250+ T206s are raw, including all of my 30+ Hall of Famers, and in fact I've cracked out a few that were slabbed when I got them. If I want to get some or all of them slabbed at some point down the road, ahead of a sale or whatever, I can do that. Part of this is because I started seriously collecting T206s (and other T cards) in the early 90s, before the grading companies were a major factor. (I know PSA was founded in 1991, but in its early years, as I recall, it was only used for very high-end cards, of the type that were way out of my league.) But I'm also a big advocate of buying the card, not the holder; I look for cards that have good eye appeal but are reasonably priced, and I'm never thinking about a card's resale value, just whether it would look good in my collection. It helps that I have never dealt in the really high-end T206s, having seldom paid more than $100 for a card until just recently. (Though some of the cards I got 15-20 years ago are worth quite a bit more than that now.) If I were to spend $500 or $1000 or more for a card, I might be more inclined to go for a slabbed card, but the TPGs are far from infallible, as most people here know. For the cards I buy and am interested in, my own eyes and experience are enough to evaluate a card.

Bocabirdman · #3 08-06-2015, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Ok, you T206 collectors, let me ask you this: do you feel compelled for all of your T206s to reside in a PSA/SGC slab at the time of purchase? Like post war card collectors, I have seen some of you all post pics of your T206 purchases with some slabbed, some not. Much like dealing with the big post war star cards, I would assume the big stars would be slabbed due to concerns over trimming, doctoring, etc. What about the commons? I mean, if you collected 150s how would you handle that? Slabbed or not?

It depends on your comfort level. I have been handling T206 since the 70's. I can just tell by looking most of the time if a card is short, by eye. When buying off the 'Bay, I always err on the side of caution. If he card is shaky and I do not have a relationship with the seller, I will move on.

Lately though, I have been "stabilizing my collection" by buying slabs and getting rid of the raw. If II was immortal, I would leave them raw but for ease of liquidation for me or the wife(

). Sale of Slabs less is less opinion-driven.

vintagebaseballcardguy · #4 08-06-2015, 09:49 PM

David and Mike, thanks for your thoughts. In different ways you brought up important points. Most of my buying will be online, either through the B/S/T or ebay. That makes me gravitate toward slabbed cards. There are a few dealers I have bought postwar stuff from that I would probably trust but not that many. I am a collector first and foremost, and I don't buy to sell but you never know. I have to think a PSA holder makes the potential sale a little simpler. It is vital to buy the card, not the holder. One can get a lot of eye appeal in lower grades. In a perfect world, I like them in their natural state, but...

Bocabirdman · #5 08-06-2015, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

David and Mike, thanks for your thoughts. In different ways you brought up important points. Most of my buying will be online, either through the B/S/T or ebay. That makes me gravitate toward slabbed cards. There are a few dealers I have bought postwar stuff from that I would probably trust but not that many. I am a collector first and foremost, and I don't buy to sell but you never know. I have to think a PSA holder makes the potential sale a little simpler. It is vital to buy the card, not the holder. One can get a lot of eye appeal in lower grades. In a perfect world, I like them in their natural state, but...

Robert, I do not know how old you are or what the value of your collection might be. I too am a collector, first and foremost. At some point you start adding up the $20 cards, the $40 cards etc. and the number shocks you because it is likely more than you expect. My wife is a willing enabler with my collection and will offer opinions. She enjoys these bits of cardboard more than I ever expected. However, I have no heirs to even consider leaving the collection to. Anything I do from here on out (I am 56 so I hope it is for decades yet) will be with an eye towards that day when I change the direction of the flow of cardboard from inbound to out. The wife would be cussing me if I go first anyway so I don't want to add fuel to the fire by saddling her with a pile of raw tobacco cards to sift through.....

vintagebaseballcardguy · #6 08-06-2015, 10:44 PM

We do all have to consider our own mortality...comforting thought

.

I have been looking for a focus of sorts where I might get started without totally losing my mind. Although they can be plagued by tobacco stains, I am really liking the Polar Bear backs. Is that a reasonable goal/place to start?

mybuddyinc · #7 08-07-2015, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

We do all have to consider our own mortality...comforting thought

.

I have been looking for a focus of sorts where I might get started without totally losing my mind. Although they can be plagued by tobacco stains, I am really liking the Polar Bear backs. Is that a reasonable goal/place to start?

As others have said, T206 collecting can get a wee-bit

addicting.

HOWEVER, how you choose to do it, is up to you. So many options, from tougher all HOF, all Southern Lg, or back runs, to some what easier team sub sets. Heck, go buy a $15 Casey, and you've just COMPETED the "Montreal" team set

.

I do think Polar Bear is a very neat idea. First you don't ever have to worry about the big 4, or Southern Lg. Secondly there isn't much of a premium on them. Yet you still have the "fun" of the HOFs, and other tougher cards. I personally like the tobacco stains, adds character

As we all say at our T206 Anonymous meetings: "I know I have a problem, but I have it under control."

Fun, fun, Scott

vintagebaseballcardguy · #8 08-07-2015, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mybuddyinc

As others have said, T206 collecting can get a wee-bit

addicting.

HOWEVER, how you choose to do it, is up to you. So many options, from tougher all HOF, all Southern Lg, or back runs, to some what easier team sub sets. Heck, go buy a $15 Casey, and you've just COMPETED the "Montreal" team set

.

I do think Polar Bear is a very neat idea. First you don't ever have to worry about the big 4, or Southern Lg. Secondly there isn't much of a premium on them. Yet you still have the "fun" of the HOFs, and other tougher cards. I personally like the tobacco stains, adds character

As we all say at our T206 Anonymous meetings: "I know I have a problem, but I have it under control."

Fun, fun, Scott

Thanks, Scott. I figured the Polar Bears would be good to start with for the reasons you stated. If I can get those, I will move on to another part of the set. I just love the way the backs look, and there are some relatively affordable HOFers included in the Polar Bears.

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