Recently, a net54 member posed the question “Why do you collect backs?”. A very simple question on its face, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized answer wasn’t so simple. Like most other back collectors, I didn’t begin collecting pre-war baseball cards with the intention of collecting the tobacco advertisements on the back. The question made me stop and think about my motivations.
The Thrill of the Hunt
My main reason for collecting backs is I find it exciting. When I am searching for a new T206 to buy, I find it much more fun to find a scarce front/back combo than if I find a common backed card in really nice shape for a great price. The reason is simple. You can always buy a common back in nice shape as long as you have the money. However, it takes more than just having money to acquire a scarce combo. You still need to have the money, but now being the first person to find it is much more important. This aspect of collecting backs is really fun for me.
Scarcity Within a Very Common Set
While somewhat related to the previous topic, this is a bit different. With T206 more than any other set, you can get “scan overload” if you spend too much time searching eBay for new cards. If you looked at every new listing for a year, you would probably see a few hundred copies of Dode Criss with a Piedmont back. In that same time frame, you might not see a single Criss with Old Mill or Sovereign 150 back. If you did find either, it would likely just be one or two over the span of a year of searching. The upshot is the more you search for T206s, the more appealing the tougher backs become. Seeing how many common backs are out there makes me appreciate how comparatively scarce the mid-tier and rare backs are.
Variety
Even before I made the plunge into full blown back collecting, I enjoyed the variety that the different backs can bring to a collection. I love a good front as much as anyone, but there’s no doubt that a stack of T206s with a bunch of different backs is more interesting than if they all had Piedmont backs. I know there are plenty of T206 collectors who don’t care about backs and just go with the most affordable card they can find in their desired grade. That being said, I have to imagine the majority of collectors do have some interest in the backs. Even if that just means keeping an eye out and snagging a few mid-tier backs when the opportunity to get them at good prices presents itself. Another cool thing about the various T206 backs is that often your non-collector friends and family will be more interested in the tobacco ads than the fronts of the cards. A lot of people that aren’t sports fans will still appreciate the ornate back designs and seeing the logos of these long forgotten brands.
Value
In my opinion, the mid-tier T206 backs are very undervalued. I realize that the market prices for mid-tier backs are arrived at through supply and demand dynamics, but it still doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. Not too long ago I paid $50 for this McElveen Tolstoi. I’ve probably seen scans of 200 or 300 different Piedmont 350 McElveens, but this is the only Tolstoi I’ve ever seen. A Piedmont 350 in the same shape would probably run you about $12-$13 or so. So, I essentially paid a 3x premium above what the Piedmont would cost for a card that is 200-300x (a ballpark estimate) scarcer. This kind of goes back to my first reason. Finding cards like this is fun and exciting, and it’s why I enjoy collecting T206 so much.
