Cobb orange portrait......... Legit or just off color ???

[Archive]

Posted By: ScottIngold

I was thinking about pursuing one as from time to time they come up.
Is it a different color ? How many are out there ?

Thoughts ????

[Archive]

Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Scott

I have owned 2 of these T206 Cobb "color errors" over the years.
I sold the real nice one I had, and kept the lesser one.

That is all they are....a printing "flaw", in that the final inking pass
to create the normal deep Red background was skipped. Proof of this,
is that the backs of these Orange versions always conform to the
catalogued backs of the Red Cobb.

If this Orange Cobb were some rare issue (such as the Cobb/Ty Cobb back),
then it would be in a different Series and have its own distinct back.

[Archive]

Posted By: Joe Jones

I was wondering if they bring any premium price when sold. I am not interested in buying one since I love the red background, but I recently viewed one at a show and the asking price was $1500 for a raw card in good condition. I compared it to a red background card that the dealer also had and it looked like a printing mishap to me and not just fading of the color.

[Archive]

Posted By: robert a

Joe,
They do and so do other t206 cards that are missing a color or red portraits that end up orange as a result of poor quality control.

rob

[Archive]

Posted By: Jamie Hull

The proof seems pretty strong that red was the final color applied to T206 cards during the printing process. There are the well-known Boston player cards which are missing red ink, but which are otherwise normal T206s in all respects. The level/amount of red ink seems to run across the spectrum from dark red, to pale red, to no red at all. Seems like it was just a matter of the press running low on the red ink and then eventually (at least occasionally) running out entirely before the pressman noticed it.
Aside from the Boston players, you also most obviously see it with the T206s having a red background. Hence portraits, like Cobb, display a similar range of red shades. I believe the dark red background of all the “normal” red-background portrait cards was the product of a layer of red being applied over an already orange background. Hence, true orange Cobb cards would be like any other cards entirely missing the layer of red ink. And so truly orange would be truly rare, while cards tending toward orange would be more common. Price premiums would, I imagine, follow that arc.

Jamie

[Archive]

Posted By: JimB

JimB

[Archive]

Posted By: fkw

I think the orange is an attractive color variation. Especially the really orange ones.

here are a couple more pics.

I own the Tinker, but not the Cobb.





Frank

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

I think the Cobb orange is just a printing/ink variation, but a collector interested in picking one up should feel free to do so. This collector should purchase an example with a quality orange background, as opposed to just getting an off red. Quality examples are limited.

[Archive]

Posted By: Brian E.

Previous Orange Cobb thread with scans:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/thread/1116862385/last-1116965472/t206+printing


Brian E.

[Archive]

Posted By: andy becker

hi folks,
they are printing errors.....with the final color not being applied. but, most i have seen have very good registration and focus....even better than most "legit" red portrait cobbs.

i think they do (and should) command a significant premium.

edited to add, i agree with david....orange is bold, and easily recognizable.

a real orange cobb does not look like faded red.

[Archive]

Posted By: JimB

Frank (FKW),
I am curious if PSA labled your Tinker as a color variation. My Cobb is labled as a red portrait. I wonder if any of the grading companies acknowledge these.
JimB

[Archive]

Posted By: andy becker

hi jim
i wanted to slab my orange portrait at the national.
neither sgc or psa would label the card as orange. i had mine in hand, and while they both agreed it was a legitimate variation, both also said it would be hard to "draw the line" vs. a faded red portrait.

[Archive]

Posted By: Brian E.

The old SCD did as shown below (not my card). Doesn't look very orange does it?



Brian E.

[Archive]

Posted By: fkw

No, PSA labled the Joe Tinker just "Portrait"



better picture