Popularitly of N172/N173 Old Judge vs T206

[GoCubsGo32]

Hello,

I'm on the photo side of the world of collecting and I was wondering are the Old Judge series more valuable than T206 cards? In addition, is there a more following of collectors of T206 cards (because of Wagner?) vs Old Judges cards?

[packs]

More of a following I'd say because the T206 set is a set that can be completed. No one will ever complete the OJ set.

[darwinbulldog]

Also the total population of T206s out there outnumbers the OJs on the order of 100:1, so individual examples are quite a bit cheaper (though not by as much as you'd guess from the ratio).

[oldjudge]

The old judge set is the first major baseball card set, the T206 set the second. The T206 set is more popular since the players are better known, and with enough money a front set is easy to complete. Excluding California League cards (many unique), the old judge set can be completed, if you define completed as one card of each member of the set. One set has been completed, one is one card away, and several others have made it to within ten cards or so. However, this is not easy, and in our current immediate gratification world, not something often tried.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

The old judge set is the first major baseball card set, the T206 set the second. The T206 set is more popular since the players are better known, and with enough money a front set is easy to complete. Excluding California League cards (many unique), the old judge set can be completed, if you define completed as one card of each member of the set. One set has been completed, one is one card away, and several others have made it to within ten cards or so. However, this is not easy, and in our current immediate gratification world, not something often tried.

I would think money would stand in the way of many with the desire to complete the set. There is also the fact that many players never come up for sale. We can't all have a Taylor Shafer gifted to us by a careless collector who passes it up for a mere $350

[GoCubsGo32]

Is there a list of rare Old Judge cards N172/N173? I know of the rare cards in T206.

I figured T206 would be more popular but, I always thought Old Judge held a high value since they were older.

[Joe_G.]

Originally Posted by GoCubsGo32

Hello,

I'm on the photo side of the world of collecting and I was wondering are the Old Judge series more valuable than T206 cards? In addition, is there a more following of collectors of T206 cards (because of Wagner?) vs Old Judges cards?

Hello Gary,

The usual suspects have chimed in. The OJ faithful on this board pale in comparison (in numbers) to the T206 crowd but we are as hard core as they come. Many T206 collectors come and go, but most N172 collectors are lifers

I do believe that OJs would be more widely collected and coveted if they were more readily available and commonly found with good image qualities. Some collectors prefer the old sepia photos, others prefer colorful artistic renditions. The sets do have many similarities . . . similar number of subjects, cover major & minor leagues, obscure to HOF, etc. Total number of OJ poses and T206 front/back combos are extremely high. Both sets cover an interesting but different time period. Both can be collected on a budget or with deep pockets, it all comes down to how you scope your interests.

[GoCubsGo32]

Thanks everyone for the help! It's nice to see this side of the board!

I just saw lot of threads dealing with T206 and not many.."OJ" threads so, I was very curious why that was...

Both sets seem pretty cool! I think I'm leaning on T206 portraits for right now to start to collect.

[RCMcKenzie]

Both sets are popular and widely recognized by collectors. You can collect both series by just buying what you like, or at least, that's what I do. Here are some...

[glchen]

I'd like to see this Taylor Shafer card everyone keeps talking about ...

[kkkkandp]

Originally Posted by glchen

I'd like to see this Taylor Shafer card everyone keeps talking about ...

You're killing me, Gary!

[sandmountainslim]

I am a small time collector and I have 48 T206 cards and only 1 OJ card and the reason for that is SOLELY price.
I like both sets equally well and find one as fascinating as the next. It's all about money with some of us when it comes to what to collect.

[pokerplyr80]

Not to keep pouring it on, but ouf of curiosity I tried to look this shafer card up on VCP but see no recorded sales. I may have passed on it for $350 as well, not that I would have been likely to find it in the first place. What is the value of this card?

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by glchen

I'd like to see this Taylor Shafer card everyone keeps talking about ...

+1

[Joshchisox08]

Originally Posted by glchen

I'd like to see this Taylor Shafer card everyone keeps talking about ...

I'll have to plead ignorance. No clue who or what the Taylor Shafer story is all about or why it is a rare OJ card. I'm not familiar with OJ at all. My only desire is to acquire a Dick Buckley one day. Only because we share the last name and I think OJs in general are kind of cool. Just too expensive for me.

Always good to get the OJ guys out of the closet and spread their knowledge though !!! Good thread.

[Yoda]

When was the last time an Anson in uniform was offered up in the marketplace? Anybody remember? I know Lou Lipset had one in one of his auctions about 20 years ago. Is it a known fact that this special card was an integration of Anson's head, of course, with somebody else's body? Interesting story if true.