Which T206 would you rather own?
 

I searched for old threads, but didn't see any quite like this, so here it is: for a T206 card tucked into a personal collection, would you rather own a clean mid to high grade, common back (Pied or SC) copy or low grade, rare back (mostly everything outside of Pied or SC)?

You can vote in the poll above and/or post a comment as to which option is preferred. Doesn't matter the player, just pretend it's the player you like in the set.

I figured this forum has the best collection of T206 hounds to ask this from, so any participation is greatly appreciated.

The rare back, no question. Condition is important, but a rare back (Hindu Red or rarer) is unique, especially if the player is a HOF.

Rare back

I vote rare back as well, though I will qualify that to say that there is a limit for me -- if a ton of the back is missing, the card is ripped, etc I might go for the clean example unless we are talking about something like a Cobb.

To me, it depends on how rare of a back you're talking and how low-grade.

If it's a fairly common version of the rarer backs (Sovereign, Old Mill black, Polar Bear), I'd rather have the Piedmont/SC. That would probably apply, too, even for rarer backs with severe paper loss, excessive ink marks, etc., unless it was something really rare like Broad Leaf, Hindu, Drum, Uzit, Lenox. Something like a Tolstoi or EPDG missing like half of the back doesn't do much for me.

I guess for the purposes of the question, I'd say the rarer back as long as we're not talking something pretty common or a card pretty destroyed.

depends if the rare back is graded. personally, i would never purchase an ungraded card so if the rare back is ungraded i'd prefer the 5+ common, if graded i'd prefer the 1-1.5 rare back assuming its say a mid to higher difficulty rare back.

+1

I use to go for the high grade. Now I have become cynical and find myself assuming it has been altered (even if graded) and like the uniqueness of the rarer backs vs the uniqueness of the "rare for the grade".

Yes, either option would be graded.

So how many T206s are altered and still graded by SGC or PSA? I mean geez, if they specialize in vintage, how are altered getting by then? Submitters bribing graders?

I just have seen enough that makes me not trust high grade prewar cards anymore. If the t206 still has nice fat borders I could be convinced that it did stay in that state for 100 years, but how often does a high grade t206 have fat borders?

I don't have to be right to be cynical. :eek:

...
 

Nailed it !

I'm another in the group of "how tough a back and how beat is it. "

If it's only one of the sort of harder backs I'll take the nice card over the tougher back.
But if it's a really tough back I'll take the lesser condition.
If it's one of the few backs I still don't have an example of, and it's in my price range.........(Never happen for all but one of them) I'll take it in pretty much any condition. BL460 with a mostly skinned front? Yep, I'd want it. Drum with the top missing and massive back damage? As long as it's identifiable yes please. Soverign with a bad crease? Maybe, if it's cheap enough.

Steve B

I want it all ...
 

High grade, rare back! :D

:p Of course