HOF minimum price tiers

[nat]

I started this thread months ago, looking for advice about the card that would be my one big pick-up. (Well, big for me at any rate.) It took a long time and losing a few auctions to settle on a card. This one cost more than the $140 I mentioned when posting the thread, but I managed to scrape together some more cash in the intervening months. It's an N28 John Clarkson. I realize that there are more historically important players out there, but after a while what I realized was that I really wanted a 19th c. hall of famer.

I was a little nervous about buying it raw, but as far as I can tell it looks good. I don't have any other N28s to compare it to, but under 60x magnification the printing looks a lot like a T206 and nothing at all like 1987 Topps. Single-color dots, unevenly shaped. Under a black light the front is barely visible and the back reacts only a tiny amount.

The stuff on the front of the card isn't a scratch, it's a little residue of some kind. I'm not up for soaking this card though, so it's going to stay there.

[sterlingfox]

Great choice! Probably cost you double your original budget, though.

[Stampsfan]

Congrats. Beautiful card, and I always loved the colors in that set.

Glad to hear you took your time and made a choice you can appreciate.

[Eric72]

An absolutely beautiful pickup. Congrats!

Is that your first 19th Century card?

[nat]

Yes, it's my first 19 c. card.

It cost well more than my original budget, but not twice as much. There are advantages to buying raw.

I think the A&Gs are beautiful (I actually like them more than the much more expensive Old Judges), and I like it that they're a link to the very early days of pro baseball. In Clarkson's rookie year they were still pitching underhand!

[WillowGrove]

Congrats Nat. Good looking card. Great player. Really nice.