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Originally Posted by barrysloate
Well you've hit on something important, that the design and printing of vintage cards is very appealing, and to a great extant that is what draws collectors to them. And that design, applied to a modern product, could be successful. But isn't that what Topps is doing with all those retro sets, the ones in the style of Allen & Ginter, or T206, or whatever other set they use as a model? So it's already being done. Is it possible to still make money today using these classic designs? Possibly, but I'm not sure. Interesting idea, but it's already out there.
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Barry, David and I had an interesting lunch discussion last week about litho printing. Part of the allure of the old cards (other than the '20s b&w, whose appeal can't be explained
), is the printing. Can that style be replicated today? I think, like the incredible quality of a 1940's felt Stetson, those labor-intensive techniques just can't be used today to produce output quickly and cheaply enough for today's McDonald's society.
If they could, someone would take the time and spend the money to re-create the litho technique used to create the T206 Wagner. Despite the financial limitations to creating a profitable set, I'm still surprised it hasn't been done - in the hands of a motivated forger, one Wagner card would pay for the equipment easily. If it could be done in 1909, it can be physically done today - just would take some work.
Reproducing a T206 Wagner exactly would be impossible (though in a slab it would tougher to tell, and we already know that what's under a slab, if Wagner-like, will not be questioned by an owner, once purchased), but certainly you could create a good color litho set if you invested the money in the equipment.
I'm sure Steve will have ideas on this.