T206 authenticity help please (Update: Starr Drum Graded)
 

While I own several T206 cards I am far from an expert on these cards. So I am seeking out some help from those of you here with more knowledge than I have.

I had a chance to pick up a group of 3 cards today at a price that I can live with if I made a mistake. My gut says they are good but I would like to have more than my gut feeling to go with. Below are the scans of the cards, would love to hear opinions on them.

If I screwed up and I missed something obvious let me know!

Thanks,
Scott

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...psk3j8vtgr.jpg

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...psch69rkyd.jpg

nice cards...they are real...and that drum is spectacular!

Let the onslaught of PMs begin. Hope you're wearing shark repellent.

The Starr with the Drum back could be worth up to $900 to the right buyer . The
Lundgren and the Gibson EPDG maybe $20 each .

They definitely appear to be genuine.
And very valuable, in the case of that Drum.

$900? really? have you been living under a rock for 15 years?

What were you thinking ?

Look good to me. And a DRUM are you SERIOUS!!!!!!!! I hope you got this cheap if you're questioning their authenticity.

Thanks for the quick input guys. Once I got home I compared it to my other t206 cards under magnification and it looked good. But like I said though, by no means am I an expert on t206 and it's not like I had another drum back to compare it too.

I was/still am in shock to find such a rare back "in the wild' so to speak. I figured I missed some obvious clue that it was a fake and you folks would educate me.

Thanks again,
Scott

Scott,

Congrats on a nice find. Did you find them in the field? That would be refreshing.

Robert

They look real to me, great find.

You mean 2 years right?

Scott, that Drum is spectacular. Helluva find my friend.

no...i meant 15 when I sold my solly hofman on ebay for over 1K.

What's the big deal? I have a Drum , though there might be some question as to ownership.:D

Attachment 206523

I bought your solly hofman.

:D

Wish I still had it.............

i wish I still had it too...or even the leather recliner I bought with the funds...my cat destroyed that!!!!

Anyone who owns cats shouldn't buy any nice furniture.... ;)

Be well Brian

OP, great cards (Drum). Could we have the story please?
You don't have to say what you paid, but give us the story.
I feel there is a story here.

I didn't expect to see the Drum.

Me too :(

:)

Congrats - hope you bought a lottery ticket today too.

I can't tell, you better send them to me for a better look. :D

Would you consider trading my first born and my cat for the Drum?

I want to thank every one who has commented here or sent me a private message offering sound advice and/or congratulations on finding the card. I am constantly amazed at the knowledge and friendliness of the members here. I am a member of a few other sports card forums and they don't come close to the sense of community I feel here. Thanks to everyone who makes this place awesome!

Scott

Wowza, nice find!

WOW! Nice score!

What's the story?

Yes, please tell us! I am obviously not the only one dying to know!

Since it hasn't been mentioned.

The Lundgren EPDG is a tougher front/back combo and is worth more than $20 as stated earlier.

Sorry I wasn't ignoring the request for the story, I just wasn't sure how interesting it was.

I like to spend some of my free time poking around flea markets, Thrift Stores, Antique Stores/Malls etc. Other than baseball cards I also collect old jazz records & vintage video games too.

Before today my best find as far as cards goes had been some lower grade 1950s Bowman and Topps common cards for less than a buck a pop and a few beater vintage star cards for cheap here and there. I usually run across tons of junk wax era stuff and low-mid grade vintage stars that are priced at near mint prices.

Today I went to an antique shop that I usually don't frequent because they typically only have furniture and home décor type stuff that I am not usually in the market for. My only reason for going in today was to look for some old peach crates to store my record collection in. I was looking around and saw these cards inside a locked curio cabinet with a bunch of other older trinkets. There were two groups of 3 cards and I looked at the price and almost walked away assuming these were all beater commons with common backs and at the price marked on them it was not worth it. I decided I better check them out to be sure and I was able to see the back side of the cards (they were on a glass shelf in the cabinet). It was an awkward angle and at first the only one I could see was the Sweet Caporal back.. no big deal, and then I saw the EPDG back and got a little excited and finally I could see the Drum back and knew it was rare.. But didn't know how rare. Did a quick search on the ebay app on my phone and didn't see any Drum backs listed. This got me a little excited being there were none on ebay. Then I went to t206.org and saw that Starr was available in a Drum back. I examined the card and it looked right but like I said I am far from an expert on this. I texted a fellow board member for some advice and he encouraged me to take a shot on it (Thanks Jason/Beatles Guy!!). I asked the lady if she could take the cards out for me and after looking them over I decided I would take a chance on them.


I was so nervous uploading the scans here because even though it seemed good I figured there was some obvious telltale sign that I had missed and I would be set straight & educated right away! I NEVER find anything like this!

One small coincidence is that I happened to get a t206 Hoffman in the mail today that I had purchased here in the BST... The seller I purchased the card from was Drumback!!

Thanks again for all the input guys, I hope the story wasn't to lame.

Scott

Scott, that is a way cool story! This is what all of us hope for every time we hit the flea markets, antique stores, thrift stores (I hope you guys don't mind if I use "we", I shouldn't speak for everyone). I personally would love to score a Drum back, in any shape, at a price I could afford. I have one Uzit, which took a major trade and cash to get (major for me anyway), and it is one of my most cherished cards, yet I would trade it straight for your Drum in a heartbeat (that is not an offer, just illustrating my point, but really, I would). So congrat's, and thanks for sharing the story. Cool.

Great find.........
 

Thanks for sharing.

Awesome story, thanks for posting it. I got excited just reading that. Did you buy all 6 or just the 3?

Guard the name of that store with your life!

Thanks for the kind words guys!


The other three were commons with common backs.. Two T206 cards and one T205. They were in worse shape than the ones I purchased. The t205 even had the borders cut off. The asking price on those were what I typically find in these kind of places.. that being way out of line.

Prior to this I had only found tobacco cards in a non sports card environment once before. The first time when I was 12 years old and I purchased T205 Topsy Hartsel at a flea market for $12, which based on the condition and the time period I purchased it I probably overpaid! Man I still wish I had that card today, it was my first Tobacco card and I sold it with the rest of my collection when I got out of the hobby in the early 90s.

Well since you seemed to have luck on your side I'm assuming you checked out the T205 and made sure it wasn't a Hoblitzell No Stats before turning that group down? :)

Amazing to find the cornerstone of a collection under these circumstances. Congrats and enjoy!

Scott at the store: "I like Gibson and Lundgren for sure. You know what, I guess I will take the Starr too." :D

Yeah, kind of like the T5 Cobb I got on ebay. I asked the seller if he had more....he said yeah, Matty, Wagner, Baker......I said I might be interested ....

Amazing story!

Great to see 2 new EPDGs and a Drum discovered, I would estimate the Drum to be worth about $10, but I'll take it for $15 :D:D:rolleyes:

~Owen:D

Happy to help Scott, I may have been as excited as you. My co-workers weren't quite understanding my enthusiasm though :) I almost drove over there to see for myself.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

omg....
 

this shit doesn't happen to me!:D:eek:;)

GREAT DRUM!
:eek:

5 k card:D

quick update..
 

The Starr Drum back graded a PSA 1, first to receive a numeric grade.

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...psvijbqm5d.jpg

very nice! i know a few people who may want that!!!!

Why, something makes me think they may have just that chance come tomorrow.

Awesome card! Thanks for sharing the story and good luck on the sale.

Do not short yourself on a sale. If you are selling this needs to go in a no reserve auction.

and away it goes...good luck...i have a feeling you'll be happy with the outcome!

I would have soaked it to get those stains off the back. :eek:

Great find, and I hope any fears about authenticity have been alleviated. All the talk about Drum backs got me thinking about the best one I ever had, a Griffith batting PSA 7 now long gone to a far-away land via a Mastro auction. I think I got about $4,000 for it. Shudder to think what it might be worth now.