If you had to collect one set in poor condition...

[donmuth]

Here's a hypothetical question for the board.

If you had to collect one vintage baseball card set in strictly poor condition (whether it be raw, PSA1, or SGC10), what set would you choose? Would you want to go after a poor condition T206 (minus the big 4) set? Or would you rather go after some other poor condition T or E series set? Would you work on Zeenuts or Obaks? Goudeys? Or would you pick some other alternative such as a poor condition team set, player set, or type card set?

The only caveat I would like to place on this hypothetical scenario is that whatever the set/collection you pick should be within reach of the average vintage card collector.

I'm just curious about what other collectors thought would be fun to pursue.

Not that I need another collecting goal since I am not making much progress on any of the goals I already have set out... but I am thinking about coming up with a pre-WWII version of my 1955 Topps beater set and this thread may give me some ideas.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[FrankWakefield]

Hey Donny,

I'd pick T206s first. 1933 Goudeys second choice. Or if you're a tolerant fellow, what about shooting for Cracker Jacks, trying to put 176 together (and possibly an extra few) using a mixture of 1914 and 1915 cards. I think that kids collected them that way 95 years ago. With any of those choices you'll come up against a few expensive cards that can impede progress. Good luck with it. Let us know what you choose.

[mikeycook]

I'd probably go for T206 WITH the big 4, as that's the only way I'd ever be able to get the big 4 (if I ever can.)

[three25hits]

I'd take T212-3s

In poor condition, this set could be put together for about $10-15 a card (probably much less) with exception of the Ten Million & Buck Weaver.

The colors are fantastic even in off condition, and the size is very managable. Best imagines of any T set, imho.

[asphaltman]

e98's are a good choice. relatively down in price right now and there is only 30 cards to the set...cobb and wagner are the two pricey ones, and to some lesser degree matty.

[ullmandds]

I'd consider the combines 14-15' cracker jack set...as these sets are crammed with great players...great poses...and they tend to look really great in lesser grades!

[deadballpaul]

I would go with e90-1 caramels, or e98's like Dave mentioned. Those cards look fine in almost any condition to me.

[martyogelvie]

T207, they look like crap to me anyway so the poor condition wouldn't even matter.
OOPS, I Hope I didn't offend any T207 lovers out there..

[Brian Van Horn]

I'm torn (not the cards).

It would either be the 1928 Star Candy or the W503 set.

[Mark]

Cracker Jack makes sense. On the other hand, they look so darned good in vgex or better, I would still notice that they are in rotten condition. I am slowly collecting cards from E220, and I find that cards in bad shape don't look so bad when they are in black and white. In fact, with all the miscuts, scrapes, and writing I've come across, I've learned to be at peace with poor conditions for much of that set.

[Al C.risafulli]

If they HAD to be in poor condition, I would collect something that's pretty much always found in poor condition - like Lections.

I'm not a high-grade guy, for the most part, but I do like a decent image on the card. If it's got to be SGC 10/PSA 1, I would want it to be something where the scarcity makes up for the condition.

-Al

[Jacklitsch]

I agree with three2Shits. Along with the Weaver and Million the Peckinpaugh can be pricey as well

[Cat]

Originally Posted by Jacklitsch

I agree with three2Shits

Huh...potty mouth.

[philliesphan]

Cabinet cards, in even technically poor condition, can often look phenomenal.

[rdixon1208]

I would consider collecting in SGC 20 or PSA 1.5. I pretty much only collect low grade because that's all I can afford, but I've found that a card graded SGC 20 usually presents pretty well. For a couple of bucks more, a 20 can be much nicer than a 10.

[Merrillstoys]

Without question, T206

[smtjoy]

Exhibits might be worth considering, because of the blank backs, many have writting on the backs and/or have some paper loss/glue on the backs making the technicial grades P-F but very presentable. The 1921 set has a nice list of HOFers (Ruth, Cobb, Johnson, etc) and would be very doable in that grade and not overly expensive.

[mybuddyinc]

Any year of the 1920's exhibits would be a choice. A few big $$ cards here and there, but doable.

Also as far as low grade goes, with exhibits, pin holes, writing, and other "techniaclly grade lowering" aspects add to their flavor, IMO.

"1923" Cutshaw:



Original owner's dis-like of Al McCoy (including razor slashes), admiration of Good Ol' John Sully. Hand colored Murphy:

[Kawika]

How about Turkey Reds? The teensiest pinhole merits a PSA1 grade and keeps the price way down.

[Doug]

It's a tough choice, but I'd probably go with T206. I've seen plenty of 1s out there that still have very good eye appeal.

[Michael Peich]

A good question, Donny. There are some sets that are so scarce that poor condition would be a plus simply because cards in the set are difficult to find. In this category I would include T211, T209-1&2, T212-150 Subjects (a VERY short list of sets I collect), and difficult postcard sets like Topping, Ullman, Rotograph, Hull, Grignon, also sets I collect.

In the more common arena I would probably choose T205 since there are enough cards for some good values. BTW, I only have a few 205s, and have resisted starting the set, but this post may change my mind! I also agree with the Cracker Jack suggestion, but even in poor condition they're fairly expensive, certainly more than the $15-$20 category.

Cheers,
Mike

[Kehfee]

I'd probably go Cracker Jack or T206. There are piles of low grade in raw form a guy could buy.

[bcbgcbrcb]

It might as well be a Zeenuts HOF set. That's pretty much the condition that you find most all of them in anyway, right?

[DixieBaseball]

75 cards total - buy 6-8 cards per year, finish by 2019. Consider it a long term investment...

[JamesGallo]

T-206, it is very cheap and very doable in low grade. You can even find nice HOF for 25-50.

Cracker Jacks would be a bit more expensive and you would have a problem with the Cobb and Jackson which are never cheap.

Would there be any T206 (aside from the big 4 and the variations) that would be over 750-1000 in SGC 10, Would all the cobbs be over 500?

James G

[Jason Carota]

T206, without a doubt.

[Griffins]

Duke Cabinets, preferably with back damage.
Alternately N173's, Kbats, or Joseph Halls.
If it has to be be more normal sized cards I'd go with '21 Exhibits. I flipped thru Adam W's set Saturday nite and even though many were mid grade or below they presented exceptionally well. Like T206, a good bit of honest wear makes them look pretty cool.

[Bicem]

Originally Posted by Griffins

Duke Cabinets, preferably with back damage.
Alternately N173's, Kbats, or Joseph Halls.

GREAT cards, but really not within reach of the average collector as required in the original post.

How about Fan Craze? The low grade ones with back chipping often look just as nice as the high grade ones.

[Scott T]

I have about 98% of the T206 set complete and the highest graded card I have is a SGC 60. (Most of mine are in the SGC 10-30 range) For a low grade set, I don't think you can beat the T206's.

2009 Goal - Elberfeld and a Ty Cobb!

[scottglevy]

T3 -- Turkey Red is my low grade set of choice!

Regards,
SGL

P.S. Answer to previous T206 question .... would be tough to find Cobb Green at under 500 even in a '1' (and of course O'hara/Demmitt). All others should be doable.

[three25hits]

Originally Posted by Jacklitsch

I agree with three2Shits. Along with the Weaver and Million the Peckinpaugh can be pricey as well

You're killing me Mr. Murray. Thanks, I guess...

[jmk59]

I'm surprised OJ's haven't come up yet. They are still fascinating even in poor shape, and if the low grade is b/c of back damage or writing then all the better.

Fairly reasonable, and you could putz along with it for years.

J

[Rob D.]

T3s

[OriginalTrekkerMike]

T-206 and 1933 or 34 Goudey are good choices, but you run into the problem of having a fair number of high-dollar value cards to purchase in order to complete the set. With that in mind, a more budget conscious choice IMO would be the 1934-36 Diamond Stars set. There are no Ruths or Gehrigs, but there are still plenty of HOFers and a run of 12 high numbers to keep things moderately challenging.

[donmuth]

Keep the suggestions coming! These are great!

I already have a T206 set started (60 cards, mostly raw in VG +/- condition). So I could either work on that set a bit faster by lowering my condition expectations... or just start on a poor condition set from scratch.

I have a couple of T205's and one T207, so not much of a start there but that doesn't preclude picking up one of those as a goal. I have always liked the front designs and back variations of the T205's.

I don't have any examples of the other sets suggested, so I will do some more research and see if anything catches my attention.

Thanks again and like I said, keep the suggestions coming please!

[makersmarkambassador]

Yep, the E98 set is the way to go. It was the first set I tried to complete. I got about half of the set then decided to start on another set. Never really finished the e98 set which I still kick myself for not finishing. This set won't break the bank either...

[ethicsprof]

no surprises from me: T206.
my personal sine qua non.

best,

barry

[Jantz]

T3 Turkey Reds was the first choice that popped into my head. While a T206 set would my second choice.

Now, somebody tell me again why I'm trying to build a T206 set?

Nice thread idea.

Jantz

[tbob]

I can't recommend the T207s. There is a huge difference in eye appeal between an excellent and a fair "brownie." I know some don't like the drab brown backgrounds but cards in excellent or better are absolutely beautiful in this collector's mind.
I think a set like the T3 Turkey Reds retain nice eye appeal in lower grade and would select them. One poster earlier mentioned that the pinholes can kill the grade but leave them still very desireable.

[Gecklund311]

T3's are a great suggestion as you can get cards graded 1 because of a simple pinhole that would otherwise look nothing like 1's

I would also suggest two sets not mentioned yet. Rather than a rambling paragraph on each I'll do a few pluses and minuses.

The first is M101-4

+ Huge number of popular players and Hall of Famers
+ Like T206, has a number of different backs, giving you a subset to chase within your set
+ Real photos, and a lot of them are cool and show off some details of the old time game in the background

- The Ruth rookie is your roadblock, but if you're going to splurge for one big card in your collection, why not that one?
- Cards not as readily available as super popular sets like 1933 Goudey and T206...you won't be able to just go on EBay and buy 40 or 50 of them at a time.


1940 Play Ball

+ Like M101-4, a large set with nice real photos a number of Hall of Famers
+ Most of them are dirt cheap in lower condition...in fact you could consider doing this set in SGC 30/40 condition
+ Contains many players from the Goudey era but also early cards of Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, who would define the next era of baseball
+ Writeups on the back of the cards are great reading
+ Player nicknames on the front are cool...where else can you see "Twinkletoes" Selkirk or "Bad News" Hale? There is also the only card that I know of that identifies Joe Jackson as "Shoeless Joe" Jackson

- Many people don't like that retired players are included in the set (They number maybe 40 out of 240 - most are HOFers). I like this and think it adds to the enjoyment of reading the backs, but I think I'm in the minority.
- If you like your cards colorful, this set isn't for you

Nice topic...let us know when you decide!

[brianp-beme]

I've kinda made a career out of collecting lower grade cards (Zeenuts, the American Caramel E120 + E121, E220, and even W9316's, for crying out loud), but if I were to commit to a smaller set, and had the cash to stomach some of the uber-HOF'ers in the set, I would go after the D304 Brunners cards. A small set, colorful, different size and feel about them, different looking artwork, scarce but not super rare, just plain neat cards.

Brian

[hank_jp]

T3 Turkey Red set. These are just beautiful images and even in terrible condition would probably look nicer than most other cards ... especially the action shots.

A second choice would be the Old Judges. It would provide a personal incentive to learn about the first generation ball players.

Hank Levy

[OldSchoolBaseball]

T3's. Gigantic cards that actually look good a little roughed up!

[deadballera]

I would say the T3, the 1909 T212 Obak set, or the N172 Old Judge

[CobbSpikedMe]

I like the idea of the T3's for sure, they are nice large cabinets with superb color.

Also, the T205 set still looks nice in low grade because of the great colors and designs. There's a great HOF collection in there, the Joss is awesome as a memorial card and there are enough little toughies to keep it interesting.

I also like the Delongs though and didn't think I saw anyone mention those. Not a large set, plenty of low grade examples to find, and the design is really original and striking.

My 2 cents...

Thanks,

Andy

[wrapperguy]

Mike,
What are you asking for the T3 Elberfeld? Thanks!