For the last installment of this series, we’ll take a look at how you could spend $1,000 if you were starting a T206 collection.
Buy one big-time Hall of Famer:
For the first time in this series, we get to talk about Ty Cobb. A low grade Red Portrait or Bat On Shoulder can be had for around $1,000 if you wanted to make a big splash. Alternatively, a nice looking Cy Young or Walter Johnson Portrait in around GD/VG condition seems like a great way to start a collection. A VG-EX Tris Speaker or Christy Mathewson would fit the bill as well.
Buy a stack of Hall of Famers:
This is probably the route I would go. If you spend $200 or less on each card, you should be able to get somewhere around ten cards for $1,000 if you stick with the lower and mid tiers of Hall of Famers. I’d try and get some combination of 7-10 cards of these guys:
- Home Run Baker
- Chief Bender
- Mordecai Brown
- Jack Chesbro
- Fred Clarke
- Eddie Collins
- Jimmy Collins
- Sam Crawford
- George Davis
- Elmer Flick
- Addie Joss
- Willie Keeler
- Iron Man McGinnity
- John McGraw
- Rube Waddell
- Bobby Wallace
- Ed Walsh
- Zach Wheat
- Vic Willis
Start with a large group of commons:
Kicking off your collection with a big stack of commons definitely has some appeal. Depending on what your goals are, this might be a great way to build some momentum. This approach has the added benefit of helping you get comfortable with how authentic T206s should look and feel. There’s really no substitute for holding a stack of cards in your hands and being able to examine them up close.
Start with a mixture of Hall of Famers and commons:
In other words, just be patient and be opportunistic when a good buying opportunity presents itself.
You could also start to dabble in back collecting:
I didn’t bring up backs in the previous articles because the vast majority of T206 collectors do not start out as back collectors. In fact, only a small percentage of collectors end up collecting backs, and it typically is a preference that is developed over time. In general, I advise that if you don’t have a strong desire to collect the different backs, I would just focus on the fronts when you are getting started. You’ll always be able change course in the future if you decide to.
However, if you do feel a strong attraction to the different T206 backs, a $1000 budget allows you to get a few different backs and still have some money left over for a few Hall of Famers with common backs. If you decide to sprinkle some backs in your collection, I would recommend starting out with these backs, which offer a great combination of bang-for-the-buck and great eye appeal:
- American Beauty 350 With Frame
- Cycle 350
- El Principe de Gales
- Polar Bear
- Sovereign 150
- Sovereign 460
- Tolstoi
Whatever approach you choose, just take your time and do your best to educate yourself on the market and you’ll do fine. In the last few months it seems that the prices for Hall of Famers has risen a bit. If that continues, you’ll have to adjust to the changing market and budget a bit more for them than I have suggested in the last few articles.
One of my favorite things about the T206 set is how liquid it is. If you ever want or need to sell some of your cards, it’s very easy to do, and the demand is always there. Because of this, there really isn’t much risk involved in starting a T206 collection. As long as you educate yourself and make sure you’re paying fair prices, you will likely be able to sell your cards for pretty close to what you paid for them in the event you decide to go in a different direction. Hopefully the articles on this site will go a long way towards helping you feel comfortable as you begin your T206 collecting journey. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will respond to any and all. Good luck, and have fun!
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