Quote:
Originally Posted by abothebear
Not my area of expertise, but all the reasons mentioned so far seem appropriate. Another interesting factor might be that they aren’t rare (or are the right label of rarity). It sounds counter intuitive that something less rare would be more valuable, but combined with the other factors mentioned, their availability means that there are many collectors. And because they are a known quantity with a known market, even non-T206-collectors will know the cards and the market and will readily grab a T206 at the right price (you see a similar thing with top traded stocks). They have all the ingredients to become a market unto its own.
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I think you’ve nailed the reason for the appeal of the set (and the same logic can be applied to 1952 Topps and 1933 Goudey). There’s a sweet spot somewhere between too scarce (I think of the E94s) and too plentiful (anything after 1972). With a few exceptions, any given card can be found regularly, but not so regularly that the market is flooded. Going through the exercise of assembling the set takes time, work, and money. That experience brings great satisfaction for those who succeed. Add in beautiful aesthetics and design, along with some iconic players/images and you’ve got the ingredients for a set that will always be in demand. Naturally, that demand will drive prices ever higher.