Type Collectors - cards you don’t see anymore ?
 

Curious with the type collectors what cards you were seeing on the market 10-20 years ago for sale that you just don’t see that often if at all anymore?

There are several of the baking cards I hardly ever see now and kick myself for not grabbing them in the early 2000s.

Always a type collector at heart, there are some that we rarely see for sale such as D303 (both varieties), D382 and some others. And then there are some that when we see them we either get them or might not have another chance at all. And then too there could be a big find of any of the super rare ones, at any time. Both of these boomeranged :). One that used to not be so hot were the T215 Red Crosses. It seems they went from a few hundred dollars to $1k+ overnight, and have been there for several years.

http://luckeycards.com/pw575leadershotx2.jpg

Virtually all 19th century photographic cards--large gypsy queens, N167s, Lone Jacks, Four Base Hits, Yum Yums, Hancock Clothing, Just So, etc.

Leon - agree although the two examples you've posted would be tough to say they were around and aren't now...they were hardly ever around.

As far as the 19th century, I would agree it doesn't seem like near as many examples out there. I'm assuming there are a few 19th century collectors that have just hoarded what they could and will sit on them for years.

Fair enough that those shown were never easier to begin with.

I remember back when I first got on ebay, you could pick these E99s up for under $100 each. Yes, they to are scarce but I think I remember seeing more available in my earlier career than I see today.

http://luckeycards.com/pe99melchoir.jpg

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E99
 

Always nice when thoughtful collectors print the catalog letter and number on the back of the card for easy reference......LOL

"As far as the 19th century, I would agree it doesn't seem like near as many examples out there. I'm assuming there are a few 19th century collectors that have just hoarded what they could and will sit on them for years."

If hoarding means getting one copy, then I agree. Most of these cards have less than five known copies of a particular card. People who do not collect these have no idea of how rare these cards really are.

Seems to me the market for rare types is generally thin right now, while you don't have to look hard to find high grade star cards (at high prices).

I track things like T209-2, E222, T211. T209-2, seems like there's next to nothing, whereas 5 years ago I feel like new stuff would pop up on ebay every month, and a few in the various auctions.

Generally, for those rarer sets you would find a handful of those cards around in every REA auction, etc. Now, it's every other at best. Then, I feel like Heritage has excellent cards, but I'm more likely to see high quality examples of something I've seen 20 times, rather than low quality examples of rare cards I (now) almost never see. Maybe it's just me, but that's my feel for it.

Good seeing you Dave, it’s been a while.

The reality is that a lot of issues w/fronts that look like t206 that have more difficult backs have virtually dried up. 5 to 10 years ago coupon cobbs were much less desirable then their T206 counterpart... and they were available. Anything like t215 Red Cross or t213 type one esp but really all types of coupons. There was a period of time where a handful of tea 215 Red Cross type ones languished on eBay for around $100 each because they had some back damage now they are $1000 cards?

I think the E222s, E224's, or something like the Red Cross cards that have been available finally got in the hands of some of those collectors that just don't move cards to acquire other cards. For me, I can only have so many $2k cards before I have to sell something else. But seems some of these cards are not in that circulation anymore. And taking into account there are so few of them to begin with.

It's kind of funny/odd/interesting that these cards were more available years ago when they were worth a fraction of what they are now. It seems to me that with more common cards (like T206 Cobbs, T206 WaJo Portraits, Ruths, etc) the higher prices tend to bring more out of the woodwork.

+1

Ruth strips...exhibits...there used to be lots of ruth issues that could be had for $500 or less that are now in the thousands and no longer readily available! Also cobb postcards...for a while dietsche batting cobbs were everywhere for less than $1000...not anymore!!!!!

I think postcards in general Pete...10-15 years ago it seemed you'd find that more oddball issue. I guess since then more people have just caught on to the postcard craze for baseball and you rarely see many of those now either.

Some nice type cards in the Brockelman auction!

Agree, Pete. Also the T213-3s, especially the HOFers in the set have skyrocketed. Back in the 80's and 90's it seemed no one wanted the series 3 (1919) cards because they had muted colors compared to the 2nd series which were brighter, sharper and glossy, (even though they were much, much tougher). Now compare the prices for nice commons in series 3 vs. nice commons in series 2.

My total SWAG theory is that people who have a few examples of rare cards are sitting on them waiting to see where values go, especially on the ones that haven't run up in recent years. I know quite a few people, myself included, who regret selling some issues or players too early and won't make that error again.

Could also be the AH effect: so many houses, so many auctions, all needing consignments. We may perceive it as 'seeing' fewer of these cards than in past years because relatively fewer of them are being FSBO'd on eBay where we search for them.

Like selling off an entire set (minus one common) of the T213-3's I derived from the Southern Find in the 80's to Bill Mastro in the early 90's to obtain money to purchase other cards? The biggest mistake I ever made in the hobby. The cards were all EX or better, about 15 were overprint backs. I sold the entire set for less than the price one Ty Cobb in EX goes for 25 years later :eek:

+1 Hope you're well my friend.

Ouch bob!!!

E 104 with Nadja Backs... I don't see a lot of those at all.

Ricky Y

I would agree with the T209-2 I don't see them as often as I used to. The others mentioned always seemed tough.

But as the ones I had mentioned first, how many have we really ever seen? They, like some others, have never been plentiful. They are neat though.

Texas tommys