Best and Worst Thread
 

I am truly amazed at how many of our pre-war cards have withstood the test of time over the last 100 years or so. However, certain sets have faired better than others. Many factors are involved in this survival rate including: type of paper/cardboard used in production, how many cards were actually produced, method of card distribution, date of production in relationship to the major "paper drives" of the World Wars, and even the general popularity of the set all factor in to the equation. Survival rates for certain regional sets like those produced in Louisiana are lower simply because many have been lost in storm related situations.

My question to the board is which pre-war set(s) (1900-1920) have withstood the test of time best, and which sets have not withstood the test of time?

My vote for the set that has withstood the test of time best is the 1915 Cracker Jack set. Since many were mailed directly to the consumer unlike the 1914 set there seems to be a high percentage that are pristine.

My vote for the set that has not withstood the test of time would be the 1903 E107 Breisch-Williams set.

I'm curious to what the rest of the board thinks about sets that have and have not withstood the test of time.


Patrick

I would add Lections for set not standing the test of time.

Worst - Mello Mints... & I also agree with the the choice of the E107's.

Best - Only because of the amount that were produced "T206's"

Most Excellent Thread idea!!!

Best - M116
Worst - T200 & T222

The coupon era Zeenut cards 1913-1920 have to be one of the worst, and the collectors the most forgiving. I have always been impressed how bidding wars will get started over a card that looks like it has been reconstructed after going through the washer and dryer.

Nicest: T206. Always amazes me how nice the colors and surfaces are on some of the cards out there.

Best: T206

Worst: T231 Fan -- how many copies are known now (have we even gotten to 5)

Worst
 

Bigger cards did not survive in top condition. The corners are usually bent. This includes E101 and E102, Zeenuts, Tip Top Bread, and other issues not yet mentioned. Some of these issues have virtually no NMT cards surviving!

The T206-size cards stack pretty well and are smaller. T206's have a nice laminated finish on the fronts that has held up amazingly well for 100 years. T207's, in comparison, have a laminate glaze finish that cracks and crazes.

Another "worst" is the T214 Victory Tobacco set. Of the combined total of 63 cards in the PSA & SGC pop reports, 55 are graded lower than VG.
Val

best and worst
 

Standing the test of time for condition-

Best over time- all of the game cards......WG2,3,4 etc....

worst- T216 Virginia Extra. They are almost always found in fair or worse. A nice looking fair one is actually high grade. There might be 1-2 out there but I don't think I have ever seen a vg and the vast majority are pr.


ps...Rich- on T231, as far as I know, there are 2 known and a Xerox of another.

Not many Darby's Chocolates have fared well over the years.

And I agree with the ones mentioned above, too. I think that many of the ZeeNuts suffered intentional distress, kids would cut those corners down to facilitate their tossing game, but they'd do that after they'd torn or chewed the coupon off of the card. A bunch of those E cards are worn. And I'd have not thought of Tip Top Bread, but they need to be included, too. Along with many of the W's.

I'll go with what Rich said......

I'm thinking that there weren't that many T231's in the first place; so it's not like some disproportionate number of them have been destroyed. I don't think they were more likely to be lost to us than other cards.

I'd have to say the M116s as the best but I'll cast a vote for the T205s and the fragile borders as one of the worst.