Posted By:
Frank WakefieldThank you, Jim B, for the PSA numbers on the St. Louis Demmits and O'Haras.
62 and 55. That is about 60 of each. If there are that many in all of the other graders combined, that would be about 120 of each graded. So if there are 300 of each, 40% are graded. If there are 500 of each, then 12% are graded.
I'd think that a disproportionate number of the St. Louis Demmits and O'Haras would be graded, I'd think they are slightly more likely to be graded than a common card. If that is true, then maybe our estimates of how many of these guys are out there is a bit high.
My approach is much like T Bob's, I'm at 512, lacking O'Hara, 2 Cobbs, 2 Youngs, 2 Lajoies, and a Mathewson. What Ted says about a guy finally getting to where he is after one of the St. Louis toughies, at that point he'll just buy it, being glad to have found one... not much haggling.
So I think there are about 150 to 200 sets of 520. And then maybe 400 to 500 collections of 500+ different. eBay has certainly made it easier for folks to get to 500. I think a generation ago it was an ordeal. Some of the serious collectors would bog down in the mid to high 400s.
I'd still like to know how many St. Louis toughies have been graded by SGC, GAI, and Beckett... are there other graders out there??