How much do different "common" backs matter?
 

New to vintage and interested in the t206 set. Obviously the "rarer" back stuff is fairly easy to comprehend but what about the more common backs?

For example - Cobb Green...All things equal, is a Piedmont 350 going to bring a significant premium over a Piedmont 150?

Thanks for any insight

Welcome to the Monster. My website will give you a decent idea about back multipliers. Piedmont 350 is the most common T206 back. It only gets a premium on a handful of 150/350 subjects dubbed the “Elite 11” by Ted Z. that were shortprinted with the Piedmont 350 back.There is no premium for Cobb Green P350 relative to Cobb Green P150. In fact, 150/350 subjects with 150 backs often have superior image quality resulting in a modest premium.

http://www.t206insider.com/store/c1/insider#checklists/

Welcome to vintage and the T206 set, I would read and research as much as you can, there is so much to learn. Many books and resources like the great website above exist to help you understand. Looking over old auction catalogs can be helpful and auctions that have ending results, can help you as well. Good Luck!

Jimmy

+1. Always helpful....

first off; WELCOME.

now; not that I'd ever intentionally point anyone away from collecting the monster; but let me attempt to point you away from collecting the monster (for now).

Being new to vintage can be really exciting; and you see so much about t206 you naturally desire to be where the "action" is. However; that set is truly a behemoth, ultra convoluted, complicated, and ceaselessly annoying (sometimes in a great way, but also in the less fun way).

I think a lot of new vintage collectors dive headlong into the monster, really excited about it, and then get really overwhelmed very quickly, and eventually lose interest.

There are a ton of really amazing and more attainable vintage sets out there. I'd gently recommend biting off something a little easier to chew for your first vintage meal. and really get used to the era, before taking on something that can quite literally be a lifetime endeavor to never finish

For the most part I agree with Joe.

The great thing about T206s is if you do start the set and then decide you don't really like it you are OK. I have started collecting it 3 different times, then decided I was bored with it. There is enough demand for the set that unless you highly overpaid you can easily and quickly sell them and not lose a penny.

My first 3 T206 were common raw cards. Probably paid too much because I didn't know what they should be worth. But those three got me interested, if not hooked. After that, I figured out I didn't know much about these cards so I only bought graded cards. PSA 2s. Now after 10 years and 200 graded cards, do I actually go for raw cards (commons only)

The backs are cool and all, but not as interesting to me as much. Other people absolutely go crazy for the variety of backs.

Welcome to the T206 Monster. Knowledge is key when it comes to this set. So educate yourself as much as you can. Learning about the set over time turns into research which is just as exciting as collecting the set. I wouldn't be concerned with T206's being your first dive into vintage. T206's were my first set and it continues strong for nearly 10 years now. Just make sure you want to collect it for the right reason. If it's because so many others collect it, then that's probably the wrong reason. The nice thing about the T206 set is you don't have to collect the complete set to be a collector of T206's. You can collect just a team set or just one type of card back or even a run of all the backs available with the same player front. There's really no wrong way to do it. I sometimes recommend collecting the Polar Bear backs. There's 250 different. Once complete, your nearly half way to a 520 card set. As others have said, if you make smart purchases, you will likely break even or better if you lose interest and decide to sell. There's no wrong way to do it. Just educate yourself, ask a lot of questions, and take your time. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon with this type of set.

Happy to help.

To more completely answer the OP, in general I would rather have a Piedmont 150 than a Piedmont 350 since image quality of the former is often superior. For the same reason, I would normally take a Sweet Cap 150 (especially Factory 25) over a Sweet Cap 350.

Among Sweet Cap 350s, I would take Factory 25 over Factory 30 since the former are slightly more difficult. Finally, among Sweet Cap 460s, I would take a Factory 25 over a Factory 30 or a Factory 42 since SC460/25s are somewhat more difficult.

Just a few quick thoughts regarding the OP’s inquiry. I agree that, with the exception of Pied Fact 42, there tends to be no premium between Piedmont and Sweet Cap backs; maybe a tiny bump for an SC Fact 649 overprint.

That said, some backs can be real tough sometimes. For example, I have found that SC 150 and 350, Factory 25, can be real tough with some player-fronts. I have paid more for those backs, but only bc I needed the front/back combo; I do not believe I will get my money back bc of the back if/when I go sell.

Some people try to pump up the SC 350-460 fact 42. I think that’s crap. I would not pay a dime extra for that back.

Finally, personally, I prefer series 150 to 350, because I like have the 1909 version over the 1910 version.

Appreciate all the thoughts and advice. I'm fascinated by the T206 set but you guys aren't kidding about how much there is to learn.

While I am somewhat "new" to vintage, I am not new to the hobby. I've pretty much decided to turn some modern stuff in to the "go to" vintage cards that people go to when they decide they want vintage...in low grade and centered decently.

So far I've picked up a 48 Leaf Jackie, T206 Green Cobb, T206 Johnson Portrait, T206 Tolstoi Dark Cap Mathewson.

In addition to common backs that become uncommon when paired with a specific player/pose/front, some backs are just more popular. T206, Polar Bear tends to go higher than its scarcity would suggest. I bid higher on them too, just because I like the back design.

Other sets, I will prefer to buy cards that have backs that match the other cards I have. I like having an all 1-brand set, even if that brand is not rare.

Yep. PBs are not too scarce but it is a cool looking back. Plus PBs are tougher to find in high grade due to a lot of tobacco staining from distribution in scrap tobacco pouches. PBs now get about a 40% price premium (about 20% for Hall of Famers), which is higher than scarcity warrants.

More good info. My fave PB...(no worries on trimming either) :)

https://luckeycards.com/t206cobboldmill2b.jpg