1920's "W" cards - why bad image ?

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Posted By: steve

Why do the nice, real photo, 1920's strip cards get a bad image? just because they are catalogued as strip cards, collectors tend to shy away.
Most people think of strip cards as those horrible looking cartoonish things. However, for example, W575's and W502's are sharp looking real photo cards - they sure don't look like hand cut disasters. In the REA catalog, I notice several oddball 1920's issues that are bread cards, clothing cards and candy cards. Due to their cataloging as non-strip cards, their value is much greater.

Question: Will nice photo "W" cards ever get the respect (and value) they deserve?

Question: Some strip cards DO NOT look like strip cards, and could very well have been issued in sheets. They have so much similarity to other 1920's non-strip cards. Can/will their cataloging ever be changed?

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

personally I like the w cards. Do not really understand the bad rap and I do collect them

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Yes, we are gonna start liking them as soon as we are done liking the uglier e-cards (which needed love more, and for longer).

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Posted By: dennis

i think most pre war card collectors don't really dislike strips but they choose not to collect them because they find other issues more appealing. you can't collect it all. the strip cards were issued inbetween the classic t and e cards of a decade earlier and the equally classic 30's issues like goudeys and diamond stars. which would you rather own?

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Posted By: jeffdrum

...........the lesser regarded they are, generally the cheaper they are. What's wrong with that scenario?

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Posted By: Mark L

I like them and pick them up every once in a while. If more people keep joining the hobby and if we keep learning more about the history and rarity of the various sets, then some of them, at least, will have their day. The w-575's will catch on if and when lots of people start exploring the e121's.

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Posted By: steve

The real photo W cards may not have the colorful eye appeal of T206's, Caramels, Cracker Jacks and Goudeys - but they do offer a reduced price alternative.

For my $1000. I would rather have, say, a w502 Cobb in a PSA 6 over a PSA 3 Cobb T206. That is if you can find a nice w502 Cobb. You can always pick up that beater T206 Cobb.

Browsing the pop reports, looking at high end HOF'ers, W cards are in the single digit pops. Tougher than you think. Browsing ebay, can't help but notice about every week nice T206 Cobbs are listed, but very rare are the nice real photo W cards.

The herd mentality and set registries keep pushing up the T206 prices. Maybe demand will eventually spill over to nice W cards. But for now, keep pickin' up nice W cards while they are still affordable.

Steve.