My Rainbow

A couple of weeks ago I posted about picking up a T213-1 Scoops Carey.  It left me just one card shy of the four-card T206/T213 rainbow.  It happened quickly, but I picked up the T206 Hindu back shortly after the T213.  It came from the same Net54 user I picked up the T213.  My rainbow is now complete. 

This copy didn't set me back as much as the T213, but it was still the second most that I've ever paid for a single card.  Despite the lack of similar sales, I felt good with the price.  Another SGC10 sold on ebay for about what I paid, but that sale was more than six years ago. 

Trading card collecting can be a fascinating hobby.  There are five (or less) copies of the T213-1 and eight (or less) copies of the T206 Hindu back graded by SGC that exist.  I picked both of them up out of the same collection. 

So, what's next? 

I want to put together the same rainbow of Woodie Thornton and Carlton Molesworth.  Like Carey, Thornton attended my alma mater, West Virginia University.  Molesworth is the only player in the set as a member of the Birmingham team.  I was born in Birmingham.  Both of these are long-term projects and I'll only casually search for copies. 

I'd also like to pick up the only other card picturing Scoops Carey, but it's likely just a dream.  The problem is that he's in the E107 set.  Per Pre-War Cards, "One of the rarest and most expensive E-card issues is the 1903-1904 E107 Breisch-Williams set."

The validity of that statement is easily proven.  Beckett book value on the E107 Scoops Carey is $1500.  Vintage Card Prices history only indicates six sales of the card (VCP tracks only graded copies sold through major auction houses and eBay).  A SCG10 copy sold in September 2010 for $427.  Three different SGC30 copies have sold, for $1058 (5/2008), $1880 (5/2009) and $1320 (6/2016).  Two different SGC60 copies have sold, one for $1912 (5/2014) and the other for $3600 (10/2016).  That's it.  There are no recorded sales of PSA graded copies. 

There are ten or less graded copies of the card in existence:

SGC Pop Report

According to their Pop Reports, neither PSA or BGS has graded a copy of the card.  

This leaves the realistic "what's next" as something that I've seen a few collectors write early on this year.  I plan to focus on and enjoy the cards in my collection more and focus less on adding more things. 

I've been working the last few months to get more organized.  A couple of weekends ago I spent over $100 for some heavy duty storage for my cards.  I have a long way to go in both organization and entering my collection into Trading Card Database.  This is likely "what's next" for me.  

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Three Scoops

I've collected cards for more than 30 years, but I don't have many "big" cards.  I think it's related to the fact that even as a kid, money burnt a hole in my pocket, as my parents called it.  I've been one to buy cards when I could, instead of saving for high dollar ones.

Before my latest pickup, I had never spent more than $200 on a card.  I spent more than that on this one.

It looks like a T206, but it's actually a T213-1 card.  There is much debate among collectors if the T213-1s should actually be classified as T206 but that change will never happen.  One person that believes they should be is Anson of Pre-War Cards, whose opinion I greatly respect.  If you're interested to read more about that, click on the link below.

LINK:  T213-1 Coupon: If it Looks like a T206 and Smells like a T206…

One of my collecting goals for 2018 was to add one of the two T206ish Scoops Carey cards, SGC graded, to my collection.  The ultimate goal is to have the "rainbow" of all four backs, SGC graded.  If you know me, or read one of my recent posts on my other blog, you know that I love the black borders on the slabs. 

I already have the two easiest and cheapest copies to find, the T206 Piedmont and Old Mill backs.  This T213-1 and the T206 Hindu back are significantly tougher to come by.  When you add that I want it SGC graded, it becomes a challenge. 

Per Vintage Card Prices, the most recently copy of the card (VCP only tracks graded cards, sold on eBay or auction houses) sold in November 2016.  The only other recorded sale was in 2007.  Another number that legitimizes the cards scarcity is that just ten copies of the card have been graded, five each by PSA and SGC (that's if none of them were cracked and cross submitted). 

At the end of the day, I was looking for a 100+ year old card that there are five (or less) copies of.  I thought it would be years before I saw a copy but I was wrong.  Another collector on Net54 owned this copy and was looking to sell. 

The paper loss on the front bothers me but it wasn't enough to keep me from buying.  I knew that it might be years before I'd see a copy of the card for sale again.  If and when I do, there's no guarantee that I will get it.  Given the opportunity I will upgrade this card.  The four other copies are graded 10, 30, 30 and 50 so they all should have better eye appeal. 

Until then, I am more than happy with this purchase.  Although the card cost more than I've ever spent before, I believe that the price was in line with the limited market.  Besides, who knows if I'll even have another opportunity?

LINK (Net54):  Interesting trivia about 1910 COUPON (T213-1) cards...show us some of these rare gems

I mentioned that is my third of the four cards.  Is there a better way to show them than side-by-side?  I think not. 

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  They put $63 in my Paypal account last month!  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!