Cards some collectors think are rare, but are not.

G1911 · #1 03-11-2024, 03:55 PM

I think there�s a big gap between things the hobby believes to be true but are demonstrably false (like the 1966 Topps Grant Jackson being some special short print, when it is just as common as every other card on its row and multiple other rows) and the people who are just completely lying. Nobody truly thinks the 1958 Mantle all-star is rare, it is someone lying who just lists everything they want to juice as �rare� with no regard for honesty or an objective truth.

What counts as rare is up for debate but there are numerous hobby short prints that aren�t. 1955 All-American is another example of a classic popular set with numerous popular fictional rarities that make no sense if you examine it.

brianp-beme · #2 03-11-2024, 04:10 PM

It all seems to depend on differing perspectives of the word 'rare' and the era that the card comes from. To me, a prewar card needs to be in the low double digits for population to be considered as such.

Because of this, the T206 Honus Wagner is not in my opinion rare, as there are something like 60 to 70 known examples. But it is constantly described by most as being rare. Desirable and scarce, yes. Rare, in my opinion, no, unless you judge it against postwar levels of availability for cards in mainstream sets..

Brian

Exhibitman · #3 03-11-2024, 04:24 PM

I would not go with # known as the key determinant of rarity because I don't see a hard cut-off as anything more than random: is 9 rare but 11 is not? Why, other than a round number bias?

I'd rather look to frequency of transactions in the card. With the tsunami of cards out there for sale every year, a card that transacts only a few times a year or less is what I would see as a rare card.

As for sales listings proclaiming a card as rare, that's just sales jackassery.

Rhotchkiss · #4 03-11-2024, 04:47 PM

This is exactly why Cobb and Wagner (among other prewar) cards are not over-valued even at recent high prices and why, I think, they have lots of room to grow further. For example, there are 67 total graded 1910 Tip Top Wagners on the combined SGC and PSA pop reports. That�s nothing. Only 67 people get to own one, assuming nobody has two!! Considering what a t206 Wagner goes for, and this is the closest thing to that, it should be a $200k card!

JollyElm · #5 03-11-2024, 04:50 PM

Coming soon to a 'Collectorisms' thread near you...

Rarefied Blare
The seemingly obligatory and kneejerk practice of exclaiming “Rare!!!” to describe any card that clearly is nothing of the sort.

See also: Rawmeater (slang) - a seller who habitually overuses the word “rare” in his listings.

ClementeFanOh · #6 03-11-2024, 05:00 PM

Cory- It bothers me when people say common back T206s are rare on ebay
because it's either ignorance or a lie. I'm not referring to the Demmitt or
O'Hara PBs which truly are rare, and I think you knew that. When some
guy on ebay has a store of 100 cards from 2020+ and one common player
T206 with a PB back and decides to call that T206 "rare", he's just wrong.
There are plenty of "common" back T206s in my collection that I'm proud to
own, but I'm not going to call them "rare" to impress people. This is what I
mean, and it's in line with the thread topic. Trent King

Cory · #7 03-12-2024, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

Cory- It bothers me when people say common back T206s are rare on ebay because it's either ignorance or a lie. I'm not referring to the Demmitt or O'Hara PBs which truly are rare, and I think you knew that.

No - that's my point. Demmitt Polar Bear or O'Hara Polar Bear aren't any more rare than - Armbruster, or Atz or Abbott (or essentially any other front with a polar bear back).

The issue is that Demmitt & O'Hara STL were both ONLY printed with a PB back. All the other issues also had other backs. In fact looking at just the PSA pop reports the others are much more rare - Demmitt & O'Hara STL both have around 200 graded, while the random players above mentioned have 30 to 40 Polar Bears graded. I assume similar pops for each - just the Demmitt & O'Hara have a much higher incentive to grade given the value.

I guess what it really boils down to is what each person's definition of rare is.

irv · #8 03-11-2024, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbcard1

I used to own a 1960s convertible that a car collector friend of mind described as rare and undesirable.

Well, he is/was not entirely wrong, but there are many factors involved in saying that too.

Year, make and model, and when he said that, and of course where one lives/resides all comes into play with whether the car will be desirable or not.

Like a lot of things, trends come and go and it is no different in the collector car hobby/industry too.

Rare, one offs or limited production runs of convertibles will no doubt be highly collectable/valuable, but other cars, say muscle cars, convertibles are not sought after as much, unless, of course, like I said, they were rare/limited production runs to begin with.

here2havefun · #9 03-11-2024, 07:57 PM

I collect Topps Venezuelan cards, it's very common to see super stars from the 1964 and 1966 sets described as "extremely rare!!1!", when there's 60-100 graded copies floating around. Not really rare.

ValKehl · #10 03-11-2024, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

This is exactly why Cobb and Wagner (among other prewar) cards are not over-valued even at recent high prices and why, I think, they have lots of room to grow further. For example, there are 67 total graded 1910 Tip Top Wagners on the combined SGC and PSA pop reports. That’s nothing. Only 67 people get to own one, assuming nobody has two!! Considering what a t206 Wagner goes for, and this is the closest thing to that, it should be a $200k card!

Ryan, the reason the 1910 Tip Top Wags isn't a $200K card is because there aren't all that many collectors of the Tip Top set (probably far less than 67).

familytoad · #11 03-12-2024, 02:59 PM

I don�t disagree that there are fewer Tip Top set collectors, but that�s a bit different than saying the Wagner itself isn�t collected at the same rate as any other highly regarded card.

Many collectors are ignoring sets in favor of singles from what I see.
I�d rather have the Wagner and forego the rest of the 1910 Tip Top set�

Quote:

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Ryan, the reason the 1910 Tip Top Wags isn't a $200K card is because there aren't all that many collectors of the Tip Top set (probably far less than 67).

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