Posted By:
petecld" So am I stuck purchasing vintage cards only if they're oversized?"
What the heck does that mean? I'm assuming you are a new collector?
This isn't just for "T206 Collector" but any collector new to vintage:
Try having a faith in yourself. Stop letting a so called "unbiased" 3rd party do the thinking for you. I hear from so many new collectors how they feel they can only trust the graded cards and how they can't tell the bad from the good - of course you can't - for NOW. It's called experience. Have some patience. Ebay isn't going anywhere anytime soon and HOPEFULLY neither are card shows. Ask questions, look at as many cards on eBay, at shows, other collections if you can BEFORE you buy a thing and apply a little common sense (read: Are these 90-year old corners/edges too good to be true?) and you'll be amazed at how comfortable you will become buying vintage cards - any vintage card - entombed or not. It takes time.
Listen to your gut instincts. If you "feel" a card is bad. Most likely it is. And if it isn't? So what. Isn't it better to have a collection you are comfortable with as opposed to one that is the best condition? Also remember 99% of all Baseball cards AREN'T one-of-a-kind items. Kinda iffy on a card in your hand? Put it down. You WILL find another one that you will be comfortable with. Let the deep pockets who don't have a clue buy all the 100 year old PSA 8s and 9s.
Also heed the words Jay said about Copeland. It's that kind of information that is invaluable if you haven't been in the hobby a long time. I was around in the hobby at that time as well and can relate the same experience. All these dealers all of the sudden wanted oversized cards, hmmmm. . . wonder why.
My 2 cents. . . . .