February 2017 – That T206 life

T206 and the Dreaded PSA (MC) Qualifier

Luke February 25, 2017 February 26, 2017

Although individual tastes vary, T206 collectors as a whole tend to dislike graded cards with qualifiers. PSA is the only grading company that uses qualifiers in their grades, however SGC takes the same card attributes into consideration for the most part. The different qualifiers that PSA may assign to a card are MC, OC, MK and ST. For the purposes of this article, I am just going to talk about the (MC) qualifier. (MC) stands for “mis-cut” and is given to any card that has some portion of printed area that is either cut off or right up against the edge of the card. The Schmidt portrait above received the qualifier not because the front is slightly off-center, but because a tiny portion of the ornate scroll on the adjacent card is showing on the left edge of the back of Schmidt.

Looking at prices realized, it’s often pretty clear that collectors look down their nose at cards with the MC qualifier. The general rule of thumb I’ve heard is that a qualifier knocks the card’s value down two full grades. So, if you have a card in a PSA 4 (MC) holder, you might expect it to sell for a the price of a PSA 2, or at least in the vicinity.

A recent post on net54baseball.com got me thinking about this topic. There were some vehement anti-qualifier posts that I thought were interesting. Among them:

“Honestly severely off centered/miscut cards bug me the most…I avoid those like the plague!”

“I avoid cards with qualifiers…currently have none in my collection.”

“You could not pay me to take a card with qualifier on it, if I can find any other card that doesn’t have a qualifier…”

I have to admit I was a little surprised by the passionate disdain evident in these comments. I’ve never felt too strongly one way or another about the (MC) qualifier, but it is clear that many do. One reason someone might feel this way is that cards with qualifiers sell for quite a bit less than a similar card of the same grade without the qualifier. I can understand people not wanting to spend money on a card that they will lose money on, but in this case I don’t really understand passing up a card with a qualifier for monetary reasons. Since they sell for less, that means you can buy them for less as well. There’s no need to lose money on resale if you paid a fair price to begin with.

I would assume there is also a bit of herd mentality going on here as well. If the majority of collectors avoid cards with qualifiers, maybe it’s less fun to show them off to friends who don’t appreciate them, they’re tougher to sell, etc.

The third reason is that the cards themselves turn people off. This is of course the main reason, evidenced by lower prices of qualified cards across the board. The thing is: all qualifiers are not created equal. The Schmidt and Lobert cards above are not nearly as off-center as the Graham below.

In my opinion, if people focused more on the card than the flip*, you would see more love for cards with qualifiers. In many cases, the reason for the qualifier does not affect eye appeal much at all, but many collectors will still shy away from those cards. Of course, many cards with qualifiers have substantial “flaws” or attributes that negatively affect their eye appeal. For collectors who only enjoy a perfectly centered card, the (MC) qualifier is useful, because it tells them they will probably not like the card. Although they are not the topic of this post, I can also understand collectors who don’t like writing or marks on their cards (cards like this would receive the MK qualifier. If you collect low or mid-grade T206s with common backs, there are plenty of well-centered cards out there, so there’s no reason to buy a card with centering issues. However, if you collect some tougher backs, you don’t usually have the same options. I was thrilled to add the Schmidt and Graham to my collection at great prices. I’m glad the qualifier doesn’t bother me, because I could be waiting years before I find a nicer copy of either front/back combo.

Although the negativity towards cards with the (MC) qualifier mystifies me a bit, I’m happy to keep buying the ones I like at great prices.

*flip is a slang term used by collectors to refer to the PSA label

T206 Sweet Caporal 150 Factory 649 Overprint – An Interesting Subset

Luke February 23, 2017 February 23, 2017

I’m excited to bring you another guest article from fellow T206 aficionado Scott Gross!

T206 Sweet Caporal 150 Factory 649 Overprints are a small (only 34 total cards) back printing sub-set. They were produced in the first printing of T206s in 1909 and are part of Print Group 1 (all Print Groups are based on the fantastic web site t206resource.com). Originally, they were produced as Sweet Caporal 150 Factory 30. The Factory 30 can be seen on some cards where the Red Stripe Over Print was misaligned. In fact, sometimes this back is called “Sweet Caporal Red Stripes.”

Due to Federal Tobacco laws, these cards were shipped from Factory 30 (2^ndDistrict NY) to Factory 649 (1^st District NY). Although there are only 34 cards, there is a nice variety, which includes 7 future Hall of Famers. There are also a few commons that have interesting printing anomalies.

The following table is based on the PSA Population report, which shows the backs that were printed for each player. There are two exceptions: First, PSA has not graded a Bates with a SC 350 / 25 back. It is theorized this card “should” exist, and the other day, a knowledgeable T206 friend of mine said he has seen one. Secondly, whereas PSA has no graded Gilbert listed, he is confirmed on T206resource.com.

EPDG

Hindu

Old Mill

Pied.150

Pied.350

Sov.150

Sov.350

SC 150/25

SC 150/30

SC 150/649

SC 350/25

SC350/30

Alperman

Bates

Bransfield

Bresnahan, portait

Clarke, J.J.

Davis, George

Davis, H.

Delehanty, Wash.

Ewing

Gilbert

Goode

Griffith, Portrait

Johnson, Portrait

Jones, St. Louis

Killian, Pitching

Lajoie, Throwing

Lake, New York

Liebhardt, Glenn

Manning, Batting

Marquard, Hands Thighs

Mathewson, White

McIntire, Brooklyn

McQuillan, ball in hand

O’Leary, Portrait

Owen

Pastorius

Powers

Ritchey

Schlei, Catching

Schmidt, Pitching

Sheckard, no glove

Spencer

Wagner, Bat Left

Wilhelm, Pitch

Let’s look at what these cards have in common. Actually they ALL have a lot in common. ALL can be found with Hindu backs. That would make sense, as Hindus were also produced at Factory 649. They also can ALL be found with the following backs: Piedmont 150, Sovereign 150, Sweet Caporal 150 / 25, and Sweet Caporal 150 / 30.

Cards produced with El Principe De Gales backs are kind of hit-or-miss. The majority of them, 22, have EPDG backs. I can only assume the 12 that do not have EPDG backs just “didn’t make the cut” for this back run.

All but one player (Powers, which will be discussed later) were produced with Piedmont 350 backs. However, only ten have a Sovereign 350 back. Once again, kind of hit-or-miss who made the this cut. On one hand you have very talented and popular (future HOFs) cards like Roger Bresnahan, George Davis, Clarke Griffith, and Walter Johnson, but not Napoleon Lajoie, Rube Marquard, or Christy Mathewson. Commons-wise, Glenn Liebhardt (who was printed with Sovereign 350 back) was a very good minor league pitcher, but nothing to brag about in the majors.

OK, now let’s look at the few anomalies:

First, we have Mike “Doc” Powers. Powers was a medical physician, thus the nickname, and was mainly a back-up catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. He has no EPDG (as suspected, just didn’t make the printing). More importantly, he has NO 350 series backs. The reason for this: He was one of the very first cards pulled from T206 production. He also has no Old Mill back (which probably was pulled early, also). This is sadly understandable in that he died on April 26, 1909, just after the production began. The romantic version of his death is he died running into the stands after a foul ball on opening day. Partly true; he actually died from complications following surgery resulting from injuries sustained on that day. His full catcher’s-gear image is a favorite of many collectors, including myself.

Three other “odd” cards are Bob Ewing, Tom Jones of St. Louis, and Tubby Spencer. Like Powers, they neither have Old Mill backs, nor do they have Sweet Caporal 350 backs. The explanation is that they were pulled from production early. Not as early as Powers, but right about the beginning of 350 Series production. This timeline is not only based on the absence of Old Mill or Sweet Caporal 350 cards (or Sovereign) but also the fact that they are very short-printed, and extremely tough to find with Piedmont 350 backs. They both fall into the category known as The Elite 11*, which all have the same back distribution.

By the way, I have collected all 34 cards. It took about a year. I can’t say any one is anymore difficult to come by than any other. That includes HOFers, commons, and anomalies. It’s a FUN and doable sub-set, give it a try!!!!!

Written by Scott Gross

* the term Elite 11 was first introduced by collector Ted Zanidakis over on net54baseball.com

Five Easy Ways to Spot Reprint and Counterfeit T206 cards

Luke February 18, 2017 February 19, 2017

If I could only teach one thing to a new T206 collector, it would be how to spot fakes. Learning this skill is absolutely crucial for a couple reasons. The main reason is pretty obvious: You don’t want to be spending good money on a reprint or counterfeit card. The second reason deals more with your overall approach to collecting the set. While it is possible to only buy graded cards, you will miss out on a lot of good deals (and great cards) if you don’t feel comfortable buying an ungraded card or group of cards.

As with most things, repetition is the best way to get comfortable with spotting fakes. I recommend buying a few lower grade, ungraded T206s from a reputable dealer when you first start out. Handling a few authentic cards is a great way to get used to what they are supposed to look and feel like. However, I think I learned more from scrolling through ebay than from handling cards. Looking through hundreds or thousands of authentic T206s on ebay every week really trained my eyes to spot anything out of the ordinary. Once you have looked at thousands of scans, you will just notice when something doesn’t look right and know immediately that you are looking at a reprint or counterfeit. To help you get to that point, here are five things to look for to help you spot fakes:

Surface Cracks

Not all reprints/fakes have these little surface cracks like the Cobb above, but the ones that do are easy to spot. If you ever see a card with these cracks, it’s fake. You will never see an authentic card that looks like that.

The Caption is Written in Black Ink

Like the Mathewson above, many fakes have the name and city caption written in black ink. Authentic T206 cards have the caption printed in brown ink. If you see a card that you are not sure about, and the caption looks too dark, trust your instincts and stay away.

Occasionally you will see a scan of an authentic T206 that appears to have a black caption. If scan settings are a little off, that can cause brown ink to look black. You won’t come across this too often, but I’ve seen it a few times.

The Ink is Too Dark

The Matty above is an example of this. There is a subtlety to the colors on an authentic T206. Often, a fake will have a harsh, heavy-handed look to the colors. It’s hard to define in writing, but easy to spot.

Suspiciously Even Corner Wear and Rounding

The Wagner below shows extreme corner rounding, and whoever did it made sure to grind down each corner an even amount. You will certainly see some authentic T206s with extreme and even corner wear from time to time, but typically the wear will not be so uniform.

The Font Used for the Caption Does Not Match an Authentic T206

The Wagner below is a good example. Some reprints were printed with a different font than the originals, and they are easy to spot.

Why Don’t T206 Collectors Care About Hand-Cut Cards?

Luke February 16, 2017 February 16, 2017

Ever since I started collecting T206s, I’ve always been intrigued by cards that are clearly hand-cut. Oftentimes such cards also have blank backs or are missing colors, but sometimes they look pretty normal. This Stovall above is a good example of a card that clearly was cut from a sheet by hand (the bottom border is much wider than any factory-cut cards), but looks just like any other Stovall portrait otherwise.

I’ve always been drawn to these cards and I don’t really understand why collectors don’t seem to care for them. Though the market has been down recently, collectors still clearly covet Blank Backs and cards that are missing multiple colors passes. It makes sense that the most unique examples of Printer’s Scrap would be the most valuable. However, there is a ton of demand for other semi-scarce T206s, so the lack of demand for cards like my Stovall seems odd. For example, a PSA 3 Snodgrass with Tolstoi back just sold for $106 via ebay auction. Between PSA and SGC there are 14 copies of this front/back combo graded. A PSA 3 with Piedmont back would probably sell for about $40, so the Tolstoi back was worth for a 2.5x premium. This Stovall might be the only copy that was hand-cut, and I’d probably struggle to sell it for $30.

I can hypothesize a few reasons for the lack of demand. Maybe the fact that you can’t really “prove” these cards were hand-cut plays a role in the tepid response from collectors. Perhaps people find the wavy borders distracting. And maybe there just isn’t enough variation visually between a factory-cut copy and my Stovall for people to take notice. I do find it odd that T206 collectors hunt scarcity and perceived scarcity in many different ways, but will show little or no interest in certain scarce cards or variations. I believe that a lack of interest in a certain T206 niche will often breed more disinterest. It’s fun to show off your new cards and share new pickups with friends. When you’re the only person collecting a certain thing, it can feel pretty lonely after awhile.

What do you think about hand-cut cards? Do you like them? Would you pay a premium for them? Would you rather have the Leifield above, or a normal looking Leifield batting with a semi-tough back like Old Mill? Please leave a comment and join in the conversation.

T206 Player Bio: Jack Barry

Luke February 12, 2017 February 12, 2017

*I’m excited to present a new guest article, written by T206 collector Josh Buckley.

John Joseph “Jack” Barry was born April 26th 1887 in Meriden Connecticut. He was the oldest child of Patrick and Mary Doohan Barry. Patrick and Mary were immigrants from County Kerry Ireland.

Patrick Barry owned a Saloon where the family lived at 24 Hillside Avenue. In the corner of the property there was a barn where Jack first honed his speed, agility, arm, and glove-work. He would throw the ball high in the air over the top of the barn and run as quickly as he could to get to the other side to catch it.

Jack attended a Catholic School in Meriden called St. Rose Parochial School and then went to Meriden High. While in High School, Jack’s teams won the state championship twice. He was getting noticed for his infield play. Holy Cross attempted to recruit him but he eventually chose professional baseball. The White Sox were the first major league club to try and extend any sort of offer towards Jack, or so they thought. They spoke with a citizen of Meriden, Ed Walsh about Jack. He told them the unfortunate news that they had missed their chance. Connie Mack’s brother Tom had been scouting Jack for two years from 1905 to 1907. It was in 1907 when Tom approached and invited Jack to a hotel room to meet his brother. During the meeting Jack requested a signing bonus of $500. Mack agreed to the bonus but said that it wasn’t part of his policy to give a signing bonus and he asked Jack not to tell anyone.

Connie Mack took a liking to Barry immediately. He was the type of player Mack tried to mold his boys into; smart, hardworking, non-drinking, church-going. His plans were to slowly ease Jack into the lineup and the young player would sit beside him on the bench and learn. But he quickly changed his mind and for the rest of the season Jack played Second, Short, and Third Base. Mack decided the position that fit best for Jack was Short Stop.

Jack was the second player of the “$100,000 infield” to arrive with the Athletics. The other was Eddie “Cocky” Collins. Jack and Eddie developed a great friendship which lasted well beyond their playing careers. They often practiced plays in the field and ended up with results no other double-play combo could emulate.

Jack’s range at short stop was so great Frank Baker would be able to hug the line at third and Eddie Collins could position himself towards the first base side of second. Famed Chicago sportswriter Hugh Fullerton stated that Barry was the best in the game at taking throws, blocking the base and holding runners close to second.

Barry’s career numbers at the plate are not all that exciting. He never hit above .275 in a season. In his eleven-year career he averaged 134 hits, 1 home run, and 57 RBI per season. Looking at these numbers, you wouldn’t imagine he was ever a feared hitter. However, teammates and fans alike have stated that they wouldn’t want anyone other than Barry up in a clutch situation! Jack Barry was said to have been one of the league’s most dangerous clutch hitters. Connie Mack gave Jack the green light to call a squeeze bunt whenever he wanted.

In the 1910 World Series against the Cubs, Jack batted just .235, while Collins and Baker hit .429 and .409 respectively. Talk amongst the Cubs players suggested that it was Barry’s glove rather than his teammates’ offense that won the series for the Athletics. Cubs skipper Frank Chance even said Jack Barry was the best defensive short stop he had ever seen, better even than Honus Wagner.

In 1914, Mack started a fire-sale. First, Collins was sold to the White Sox. When it came time to part with Jack there were primarily three teams interested in him: The Yankees, the Red Sox, and the team that originally missed their opportunity to get him, the White Sox. Jack wished to play as close to home as possible. That weighed heavily in his decision to play for Boston, who purchased his contract from Philadelphia in 1915. Baker was sold to the Yankees in 1916. In Boston, Jack won two more World Series in 1915 and 1916. This made him the first player ever to win four World Series. With the Red Sox, he moved from short stop to second base. He would only play one more inning for the rest of his career at short stop. When long-time manager and Boston great Bill Carrigan resigned after the 1916 season, Jack took over the role of player/manager for the 1917 season. He and the Red Sox finished in second place with a record of 90-62, trailing only the White Sox (100-52).

Jack didn’t return to baseball in 1918. Rather, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve as the United States was entering World War I. Like many of the baseball players who “went off to war” Jack was not going to be invading or seeing any gunfire. He was called up as a yeoman at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Massachusetts where he ran track and managed the baseball team. He was discharged in December of 1918.

Jack played his final season in 1919 for the Boston Red Sox. When he returned to Boston after missing an entire year he found his job as skipper had been given to future Hall of Fame manager Ed Barrow who had won the World Series in 1918 while Barry was in the service. He also lost his second base job to Dave Shean. In June of 1919, the Red Sox traded Jack back to Philadelphia. At this point Jack was only thirty-two. However, his knees and legs had been abused by fielding grounders for twelve years, and he felt felt much older. He decided to retire rather than report back to Philadelphia.

In retirement Jack and his wife, Margaret McDonough, moved to Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Shrewsbury is close to Worcester, where Barry had helped coach the Holy Cross baseball team since 1912. In 1921, he became the full-time coach and stayed for an astonishing forty and 1/2 years. He compiled an impressive record of 619-147, good for an .806 winning percentage. In his spare time Jack played cards, played the piano, and sang to his wife. When singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” he would improvise the lyrics to “root, root, root for the Red Sox.”

Jack died on April 23, 1961 of Lung Cancer. Survived by his wife Margaret, he left no children behind. He is buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Meriden Connecticut. A square is dedicated to him in Shrewsbury.

Currently in Meriden, Connecticut there is a little league named for him known as “Jack Barry Little League”.

*Written by Josh Buckley

How to Store Your T206 Collection?

Luke February 9, 2017 February 9, 2017

Deciding how to store your cards doesn’t seem like it should be difficult, but it definitely was for me when I first started collecting. There are a lot different options, each having advantages and disadvantages. It seems to me that the majority of people prefer their collection have a uniform look, but I know of a few who don’t worry about that. Graded cards are great for uniformity and protection. But if you only buy graded cards, you’ll miss out on some great ungraded cards. So, how to store your ungraded cards?

Collectors sometimes joke about having a touch of OCD that makes them feel the need to have all their cards in the same holders or a binder. I don’t know if it’s actually OCD or not, but I can relate to the feeling. I have always preferred uniformity in the presentation of my collection.

When I started collecting the T206 set in 2010, I decided I was going to collect the entire set in SGC holders. I even went so far as to think I’d like all of the cards to be graded SGC 30. I didn’t take long for me to realize that it would be incredibly tedious to only collect a certain grade and that I would miss out on a lot of great cards and/or great deals. I also realized that I was collecting cards, not numbers on a piece of paper. So then I started buying raw cards as well and keeping them in Card Savers that were the same size as the SGC cases. Then, I found some nice PSA cards and bought them. Then I decided that the Card Savers were too flimsy and I bought a bunch of screw-downs for the raw cards. That lasted a couple weeks before I got rid of them for taking up too much space and being too difficult to thumb through. Then I decided I would go with tobacco sized top loaders. They were both small and secure. That seemed like the perfect solution. But then I got annoyed with the top loaders because between the penny sleeve and top loader, there were two layers of plastic between the card and my eyes. The cards looked so much better without all the plastic. So, I figured I’d go back to Card Savers, but this time I picked the smaller size. This is where I am now after that somewhat ridiculous journey. I’m pretty happy with an assortment of graded cards and raw cards in Card Savers, but who knows how I’ll feel next year.

Let’s take a look at all the options and their pros and cons:

Keeping your cards in whatever holder they arrive in

Pros:

Easy
Low Maintenance
Cheap

Cons:

Different sizes of holders might make it harder to thumb though your cards
Tape or stickers on the holders might obscure images or text
May not provide as much protection as you’d like

Exclusively collecting graded cards

Pros:

Uniform look
Easier to sell when you need to
Maximizes value
Provides protection beyond most raw card storage options
The holders display player name and the back on the label, which is nice

Cons:

You often pay top dollar for your cards
You miss some good deals and great cards that are sold ungraded

Tobacco sized top loaders for your ungraded cards

Pros:

Small and easy to store
Sturdy
Easy to thumb through

Cons:

Two layers of plastic can dull the image and colors
Penny sleeve can get crinkled and distort the image a bit

Card Savers for your ungraded cards

Pros:

Thin and easy to store
One layer of plastic for maximum clarity of image

Cons:

Bendable plastic does not provide much protection

Thick plastic screw-downs for your ungraded cards

Pros:

Provides maximum protection
Great for displaying your cards
Image clarity is usually very strong

Cons:

Expensive
Take up a lot of space
Hard to thumb through (and if you do, you’ll scratch the holders)

Storing your ungraded cards in a binder

Pros:

Takes up less space than any other method
The set looks great displayed together
Less plastic
Less space between cards (as compared to setting a bunch of slabs on a table) means you can look at more cards at once

Cons:

Very little protection for your cards
Can be difficult to place cards into sleeves and remove them
Inserting or removing cards from pages can damage them (however if you use stamp tongs it’s pretty safe)

As you can see, there are many good options for storing your cards. You want to strike a balance between protection and presentation. Graded cards may be the best of both worlds, but ungraded cards in Top Loaders can be a great option as well. In my opinion, Card Savers and binders offer the best presentation. However, if you choose either of these methods, you need to be more careful when handling your cards.

I hope this overview will be helpful to some of you. Did I overlook any storage options that you use? I’d love to hear how you guys do it, so please leave a comment*.

* I know that my current comment system is not very user-friendly. I’m trying to figure out how to upgrade it. Right now it looks like I’m either going to have to learn how to code, or to pay someone to do it for me. Hopefully that is coming sooner rather than later.

Understanding the American Beauty backs: T206 American Beauty 460 (Part 4/4)

Luke February 9, 2017 February 5, 2017

American Beauty 460 backs were released in 1911, at the tail end of T206 production. Poses from Print Groups Three, Four, and Five are represented in the AB 460 subset. As you can see, they share the same design with American Beauty 350 no frame (which I discussed in Part 3 of this series).

American Beauty 460 is the scarcest American Beauty back in terms of overall population. It ranks 13th on the Back Scarcity Rankings at t206resource.com. American Beauty 350 no frame is 15th and American Beauty 350 with frame is 21st. Individual subjects with American Beauty 460 backs are also typically more scarce than a single pose with either AB350w/f or AB350nf. There are a few exceptions to this rule (12 to be exact) that I will discuss in a moment.

Here is the complete American Beauty 460 checklist:

Many of these cards are extremely scarce. However, there are a group of 12 poses which were printed in much greater quantities with American Beauty 460 backs than the other poses in the subset:

Crandall with cap
Devore
Duffy
Ford
Gandil
Geyer
Hummel
McGraw glove at hip
Pfeffer
Sheckard glove showing
Tannehill on front
Wheat

These 12 poses were dubbed “The Exclusive 12” in 2013 by collector Ted Zanidakis in a post on net54baseball.com (which you can read here). They probably are a subject for another post, but suffice it say they are relatively easy with American Beauty 460 and Tolstoi backs, but tougher than you would expect with EPDG and Polar Bear backs.

American Beauty 460 backs sell for more than any other American Beauty backs (with the exception of the 12 players listed above). Many of the subjects who are not part of the “Exclusive 12” have extremely low known populations. If you play with the PSA Pop Report, (which I explained how to use in this post) you will find many that have Pops of zero, one, or two.

Thank you as always to t206resource.com for the use of their checklists.

The Greatest T206 Back Run Ever Assembled: Ty Cobb Red Background Portrait

Luke February 2, 2017 1 Comment

Completing any back run that includes Broad Leaf 460, Red Hindu, and/or Lenox is a daunting project. Attempting to complete a Ty Cobb Red Background Portrait back run is sheer lunacy. But that’s just what T206 collector Jamie Blundell set out to do in 2013.

The story actually starts in December of 2011. A Cobb portrait with Drum back was auctioned off via ebay and Jamie’s bid held up. Any time you get a Drum, the thought of a back run inevitably comes to mind, since you’ve just added one of the toughest possible backs (at least so I’ve heard, no Drum for me yet). The idea did occur to him, but at that point the rest of the cards he would have to acquire still seemed too far out of reach.

Fast forward to Spring of 2013. Jamie was killing some time scrolling through posts on the net54baseball.com forum. He stumbled upon a test page where another collector had uploaded scans of 17 different Red Background Ty Cobb Portraits, all with different backs. Upon seeing all those different Cobbs lined up together, he was fixated on the idea of putting together a Cobb run of his own. Jamie made the following checklist of every Red Background Ty Cobb:

SC 350 25
SC 350 30
SC 460 25
SC 460 30
SC 460 42
SC 460 42 OP
Pied 350
Pied 460 25
Pied 460 42
Sov 350
Sov 460
Old Mill
Polar Bear
Tolstoi
Cycle 350
Cycle 460
American beauty 350 Frame
EPDG
Carolina Brights
Red Hindu
Black Lenox
Drum
Broadleaf 460
Blank Back
T213 Type 1
T213 Type 2
T213 Type 3
T213 Type 3 Overprint
T214 Victory
Cobb back

To say that list is intimidating would be a severe understatement. However, he already had one of the toughest cards on the list, and was about to add another. In April 2013 a Cobb portrait with Lenox back showed up on ebay, but it was in a GAI holder, and it sat there for a few days despite a low Buy It Now price. Jamie decided to take a gamble on it and immediately sent it to SGC, who agreed with GAI’s assessment that the card was authentic and unaltered.

“That was the defining moment.. my first two Cobbs were the Drum and the Lenox… and at that point I decided to make a run at it.”

Over the course of the next 5 months, he added 14 more to the run including the very tough Cycle 460.

April 2013 – Polar Bear
May 2013 – SC 350-460 Fact 25, SC 350-460 Fact 30, SC 350-460 Fact 42 w/ Overprint, T213 Coupon Type 2
June 2013 – Tolstoi, Piedmont 350, SC 350/25, SC 350/30, SC 350-460 Fact 42
July 2013 – Sovereign 350, Old Mill, Cycle 460, Piedmont 460 25

September 2013 was an absolutely huge month for the back run:

Sept 2013 – Cycle 350, Red Hindu, T213 Coupon Type 1, American Beauty 350

The Cycle 350 is a tough card in its own right, but it was overshadowed by three extremely rare combos. The T213 Coupon Type 1 and American Beauty were acquired in separate private transactions with fellow net54 forum members. The Red Hindu trade is my favorite story. Here it is in Jamie’s own words:

“I was emailing with another collector who I knew had three Cobb Red Hindus. Yes you read that right. Only 6 known to exist, and this collector had three. I really thought the Red Hindu was one I would never get. But this collector was willing to perhaps trade me for several of my errors and rare backs. The only problem: We would have to meet face to face. No trade of this magnitude can be done remotely. As fate would have it I had a work appointment within a one-hour drive of this collector. So we agreed to meet to see if a trade was possible. I flew out a day early, met with him
and traded 15 of my cards (which included a Brown Lenox back, many tough front-back combinations, blank backs, mis-cuts, and ghost images) for one very clean PSA 1 Red Hindu Cobb. I flew home in disbelief that I’d just combined the Drum, the Lenox and the Red Hindu. I knew the Red Hindu was on the checklist of 30, but it was off of my mental checklist. I just assumed I would not get it, and if I did, it would be a very long time before I would see one for sale. The opportunity to own one so early in my quest was fantastic. So, I literally flew across country for that card.
So now I am 5 months into the back run and I have reached 20 backs. I was thrilled with my progress, but I also knew it was about to get much tougher if I wanted to continue. In my mind I was happy to reach 20. That was my personal goal. Why not keep going…”

In November 2013, after taking a short pause to breathe, Jamie began to search for the ultra-rare Broad Leaf 460. There is only one copy of this card known to exist, graded SGC 10. Finding the card was quite a challenge. Jamie scoured the internet looking for clues as to the card’s whereabouts. Eventually, he found a post on a forum from 2003 that led him to the card’s owner. He had owned it since 2005 and was understandably hesitant to part with it. In time, he decided the card would find a good home in Jamie’s epic back run. The two collectors settled on a price, and Jamie became the proud new owner. This card is the pinnacle of this incredible collection.

“This was, and still is to this day the most expensive card I have ever purchased. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to put the Broad Leaf, Drum, Red Hindu and Lenox together in the same collection.”

Dec 2013 – Piedmont 460 fact 42, Sov 460, EPDG

The train kept rolling in December. Jamie traded a Blank Back Southern Leaguer and cash for the very tough Piedmont Factory 42 Cobby. Next up was the scarce and underrated Sovereign 460. A friend was working on the Sovereign 460 subset but decided to split it up and send the Cobb to Jamie for his back run.

Feb 2014 – Blank Back

“60 days after my last Cobb, and a blank back comes up for auction. This is one of two known!!! Once I confirmed the card was authentic I knew I had to acquire it. It might be my last chance at a Blank Back. As the auction wound down, I made a bid, but was outbid at 2:00 A.M. I woke up to the outbid email. Good thing because my next bid is what won the card! Went back to bed after bidding and woke up crossing off another card I never thought it would be possible to attain.”

At this point, Jamie had 25 of the possible 30 backs on his checklist. The last 5 were some of the toughest and most coveted cards in the hobby: Carolina Brights (the only card left on the checklist that is universally considered a T206), T214 Victory, T213 type 3, T213 type 3 with Factory 8 overprint, and the iconic Ty Cobb back. Some time passed, and then:

March 2015 – Carolina Brights, bought privately from a Net54 board member
August 2015 – T213 Type 3 with Factory 8 Overprint

“A huge breakthrough. I found a Type 3 Coupon. Two weeks later, I traded it with additional cash to a collector who I knew owned the only T213 Type 3 with factory 8 overprint… A true 1 of 1. I crossed off the Coupon type 3 Factory 8 Overprint but had to give up the T213 normal type 3 to get it. So that left me still needing the normal Type 3 Coupon. I figured it would be easier to find another Type 3 Coupon and needed to secure the factory 8 overprint. So I was happy to make the deal.”

At this point, the run was only missing 3 cards: Ty Cobb back, T213 Type 3, and T214 Victory. As you can imagine, it was getting extremely tough to find the cards Jamie needed. 11 months passed, and then he found another:

July 2016 – T213 Type 3

“Two net54 board members were at a regional trade show and saw one for sale. Knowing I might be interested they contacted me, bought it for me, and sold it to me. The type 3 completed the T213 Coupon run of all 4 possible backs: T213 Type 1, 2, 3 and 3 with OP.”

This brought the run to a staggering 28 cards. I have no qualms with declaring this the greatest T206 Back Run that has ever been assembled. In terms of T206 Cobbs, many people would argue that the run is complete. Collectors are kind of split as to whether the Ty Cobb back should be considered a T206 or not. I personally don’t consider it a T206 so to me, the T206 portion of Jamie’s run is complete.

This is where his collection sits today. There are still two cards on Jamie’s want-list, and they are TOUGH. Jamie plans to loan his Cobbies to the Detroit Tigers for a year or two so that they can display them, but he’s hoping to land the T214 Victory first. There are only two copies known, so it’s not going to be easy. But if this project has proven one thing, it’s that anything is possible.