Collecting Obscure/Scarce/Under-appreciated sets - Does it affect your enjoyment?

[Luke]

Question for you guys that collect obscure and scarce tobacco or caramel sets:

The vast majority of my collecting experience centers around the T206 set. Some of the best things about collecting T206s are that they are readily available, and that so many other people collect them. The fact that hundreds of other people collect the same set really adds to my enjoyment. I have a bunch of friends who I can show off new cards to, and vice versa. There's a fun community feel with collecting t206s.

With the handful of other sets that I dabble in, it feels a lot different. To begin with, the cards just aren't readily available. I get excited about a new set, but then have to just sit there and have patience because there is nothing on the market for me to buy. It's also less fun because my T206 buddies don't care too much about the more obscure sets I am into.

Does the solitary nature of collecting these sets make it less fun for you? Does the extreme patience you need to have make it less fun for you?

[midmo]

In almost 40 years of collecting I've only owned 20 or so T206. Just never been interested in them. I enjoy other issues much more, but I'm not a set collector. I'm more of a player/team collector so maybe that's the difference.

[nolemmings]

Does the solitary nature of collecting these sets make it less fun for you?

No, not at all.

Does the extreme patience you need to have make it less fun for you?

Also no. It helps me savor what I acquire.

In almost 40 years of collecting I've only owned 20 or so T206. Just never been interested in them. I enjoy other issues much more,

Ditto, in 50 or so years.

[steve B]

I collect pretty much everything. Not actively of course, but if I come across a decent deal on a card I won't pass it up as something I don't collect.

[BleedinBlue]

I collect both mainstream and esoteric sets. I’m at 511 in my T206 set and have a complete T203 set. I also have TWO 1941 Goudey master sets. And to be honest I enjoy picking up an upgrade to my T203 set or 41 Goudey set far more than I enjoy adding to my Monster number. Probably because the only deterrent to getting MN512 is money. The cards are available every day. It’s not often you find a T203 for sale.

[Exhibitman]

I find a common set like T206 to be boring. If all that stands between me and the cards is money, it isn't fun for me. I prefer cards that rarely come up for sale, the sort of card that I am fortunate to own in any condition. That's where the fun is for me.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Great idea for a thread, Luke. While they are not necessarily obscure (certainly much less discussed), I have fallen in love with prewar minor league issues such as the T212 Obaks as well as the T210s. I also think the T211 Red Suns are amazing. It has only been a year or so since I started down this road, but I really enjoy it. I only have close to 60 T212 -2s thus far. When I do branch out to the T210s, I think Series 3 will be my first target because they are a little closer to home geographically.

The cards of these minor leaguers from long ago really tune me into my love and enjoyment of baseball history. While some of the minor leaguers in these sets did make it to the majors, many of them were just boys and young men from the west coast and south who liked to play ball and represent their towns and perhaps put off settling into less pleasant occupations the other locals and/or family members had to do. And, especially in the case of the Obaks, they are beautiful cards and works of art from a period of time when America was very different.

I dabbled in T206 two or three times but just couldn't get into it.

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[Luke]

Thanks for the replies so far everyone.

I probably should have elaborated a little on collecting T206s. A couple people have mentioned that the only obstacle to completing that set is money. That's true if you just collect by fronts, but that's only one way to collect the set.

I collect rare and mid-tier backs in a manner that's pretty similar to the way other people collect e92 rare backs, rare T-card issues, and the tough front/back combos from the 1916 (m101), 1917 (e135 and family), and 1921/1922 (e121 family) sets.

The biggest difference between adding a Holsum Bread back to my collection, and adding a Cycle 460 to my collection is that a lot more people care about the Cycle. Just because it's a T206 and they are a T206 collector, even though they may not really collect backs themselves.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Luke

Question for you guys that collect obscure and scarce tobacco or caramel sets:

The vast majority of my collecting experience centers around the T206 set. Some of the best things about collecting T206s are that they are readily available, and that so many other people collect them. The fact that hundreds of other people collect the same set really adds to my enjoyment. I have a bunch of friends who I can show off new cards to, and vice versa. There's a fun community feel with collecting t206s.

With the handful of other sets that I dabble in, it feels a lot different. To begin with, the cards just aren't readily available. I get excited about a new set, but then have to just sit there and have patience because there is nothing on the market for me to buy. It's also less fun because my T206 buddies don't care too much about the more obscure sets I am into.

Does the solitary nature of collecting these sets make it less fun for you? Does the extreme patience you need to have make it less fun for you?

Great thread. I collect mostly obscure cards or cards outside the big four sports. I have written on here before that there is not anything at all wrong with collecting T206 or '33 Goudey or '52 Topps, but I love cards that might only come up for sale once every five years or something like that.

The extreme patience required does not make things less fun; it makes collecting more fun for me. I probably have 50 cards on my bucket list that I could realistically afford, but it is just a matter of them showing up at auction or at a reasonable price. About a month ago, I received an eBay e-mail alert that there was an Amelia Earhart Heinz Aviator card newly listed on eBay. My heart instantly began beating quickly, since I had never seen one for sale on eBay before. I can't imagine the same kind of excitement exists when a new WaJo T206 or Jackie Robinson '52 Topps card hits eBay.

Some of my favorite cards I own are $200-300 cards that I have not ever seen for sale other than when I purchased my example. The card in my avatar was a little over $100 at Sterling Auctions, but A.J. Foyt Marhoefer Meats cards are tough to find.

[Rich Falvo]

I'm working on a master set of the Providence players from the T206 set. Once I got the common backs of all of the players, it really has become a slog finding even the mid-tier backs. Can get very depressing at times.

I've started working on a low-grade Sport Kings set for fun to fill the gaps between T206 finds.

[conor912]

My guess is that no one collects anything they don't enjoy. Some people enjoy the long, hard hunt, while others enjoy having their pick from the abundance. There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's.

[Luke]

Hey Conor. I know what you mean, but isn't there a point where the scarcity of something affects how much you enjoy collecting it?

For instance, I love the e107 set. I can only afford lower grade copies, and let's say 30 of those sell publicly each year. I get a few packages per week that contain rare/tough T206 front/back combos. I like the e107 and t206 sets just about the same amount, but I get a lot more enjoyment out of t206s, because I am able to constantly search for and acquire them.

Another example is if you like watching baseball and football equally, you'd get more enjoyment from a baseball season because there are about 10x more games to watch.

[ullmandds]

i love knowing how few there are of a given card I may have as opposed to being in the Titus club!

[Rhotchkiss]

Luke, as you know, like you, my first love is rare-back T206s, especially with HOF fronts. But over the last year I have branched out into caramel, confectionary, rare T cards, and the M101-4/5 and E121(ish) cards as well. And I have grown to love many of these; not as much as I love t206s, but I find collecting them very satisfying. And I have made good friends in the process.

For me, my journey into these other sets are because of players, not the sets themselves. I want to collect Joe Jackson and Honus Wagner -- that means T206 is a non-starter, so I started looking at E-90 & M101-4/5 for Jax and all the E and confectionary cards for Wags. Turns out, many of these cards have the same hallmarks I love with T206 -- front/back combos! I am currently attempting a back run of the Wagner throwing pose, which has introduced me to American Caramel, Nadja, Crofts Cocoa and Candy (blue and black (and red?)) Dockman, blank backs, E101 & E102, General Baking, Managerie, Mothers Bread, Mello Mint, E106s and the T216 variations. And the M101-4/5 and E121(ish) cards are similarly awesome with all the various backs.

In some cases, I find the E card backs even cooler than T206. I mean, I love that the card below was only given out to customers who shopped at 11 South 15th street, Philadelphia. Think about how rare that is and/or how few must have been given out and still remain today.

Back to players -- my T206 Tinker bat off, and Evers yellow sky, back runs lead me to T213, T214, and T215. I now own a handful of T213's, including a Fact 8 overprint, I own Two (2) T215 pirate backs, and I have a very rare T214 Speaker, which I love.

But the best part.... there are plenty of people, on this Board and elsewhere, who collect these cards! Not as many as T206, but I have made a number of recent connections/friendships with guys who have deep knowledge and love of E cards and rare T cards )just look at the T213-3 Fact 8 overprint thread that was popular a few days ago). Indeed, two board members helped me assemble a complete, 11-card E104-II Nadja Pirates set (I cant imagine there are more maybe 2-3 complete sets out there - and after I bought the Wagner at REA, with the help of the Board I was able to get the other 10 cards in 2-3 days, and these are RARE cards); BTW, the E104-I Nadjas Phillies are cool, and who doesnt then love the Williams and Rochester Baking, Cullivans Fireside, etc.

So, in my experience, I have found great pleasure collecting E, Confectionary, rare T, etc cards. I have made new friends and contacts doing so, and I do not find it boring, or even that hard to find what I want. I know you have branched into some other rarer T sets. I encourage you to take that deeper dive. Maybe pick a player, rather than a set, and try a back run -- its a great way to get a feel for all the different great HOF poses out there, but even better, all the cool, Americana-backs that are out there, which show firsthand the amazing history of the cards we collect.

[midmo]

Originally Posted by Luke

Another example is if you like watching baseball and football equally, you'd get more enjoyment from a baseball season because there are about 10x more games to watch.

Or you enjoy the football season more because each game is more important. For me, some of the reasons you collect T206 is exactly why I don't. The scarcity of other issues make them more exciting when you acquire something you've been searching for. There's no right answer. Collect whatever you like. It's all good.

[Leon]

The scarcer the better.....I like to find things that aren't common and many/most T206 seem common compared to other esoteric cards.

Originally Posted by Luke

Hey Conor. I know what you mean, but isn't there a point where the scarcity of something affects how much you enjoy collecting it?

For instance, I love the e107 set. I can only afford lower grade copies, and let's say 30 of those sell publicly each year. I get a few packages per week that contain rare/tough T206 front/back combos. I like the e107 and t206 sets just about the same amount, but I get a lot more enjoyment out of t206s, because I am able to constantly search for and acquire them.

Another example is if you like watching baseball and football equally, you'd get more enjoyment from a baseball season because there are about 10x more games to watch.

[PowderedH2O]

There are cards that just attract me, while others don't. I don't have the deep pockets of some other collectors, so I don't even bother trying to attempt sets from before 1933 or so. I just grab cards that grab me. No, I don't care if it is obscure. Often, the obscurity is what appeals to me. It isn't that it is rare or hard to get. It is that I don't see it all the time. I think this is why exhibits and other old black and white cards appeal to me so much. The cards are simple and I don't see them on every dealer's table or site.

[Pat R]

Several people have commented how easy T206's are to collect but
that actually depends on how/what you collect. I have been putting
together a (partial) back run of Conroy batting for 7/8 years now.
It is confirmed with a SC350/25 back but I haven't seen
a single copy come up for sale during that period yet there have been
two different Drums and a Brown Lenox (I bid on them but they were out
of my budget) sold during that time. There are no recorded sales in the
past twelve years and I have never seen a scan of a SC factory 25 Conroy.

The same thing can be claimed on other confirmed combos with semi common
backs It would be pretty easy to come up with a big list that have only single
sales over a 10 year period of subjects with Tolstoi, EPDG, Old Mill ect...
backs.