Better Investment? Light Heavyweight Bout!
 

Here we go folks...it's a heavyweight fight...in this corner we have the venerable, green t206 cobby...the t206 cobb to have. And in this corner...the much more scarce...obscure, early 1921 exhibit babe ruth.

The cobb has enjoyed exponential appreciation the last few years with nice vg's going from 2-3K to 10-15K.

The ruth has also enjoyed growth...more like 2-3 times the last few years.

So it seems the more common card usually is the better investment...like the goudey ruths. Which do y'all think is the better "investment?"

I would lean Green Cobb. There will always be a market for both players, but the Cobb has the kicker of being a part of a widely collected set. I should also mention I am often wrong.

Cobb and I don’t think its close.

Green cobb,
But I think this year the 1955 topps clemente rc will have a nice gain in collector grade :)

Great comparison Pete. Very tough. I voted for Ruth, but only bc it’s more rare.

And BTW- I LOVE the Ruth pose in the 1921.

Ruth's appeal will last forever Cobb's may not and in any event as noted the Green already has had a tremendous runup perhaps more so than the Exhibit. Ruth.

gotta go with tyrus raymond cobb. tuff choice, had both at one point but not anymore unfortunately.

I own both in grade 2. I feel that the Ruth should increase more rapidly given the run up of the Cobb and the rarity and earliness of the Ruth. However, I would expect that both do well. The more common blue chip type cards are all the rage at the moment. I Feel like there’s better value in the rare stuff, but I wouldn’t say my thoughts are similar to the rest of the masses. So who knows?

I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. However, there are several reasons I vote Cobb.

First, the Cobb card is from the most famous and collected set - T206 i.e. the monster. Secondly, the Cobb card is more aesthetically pleasing. It has bright and brilliant colors, while the Ruth is a dull black and white card. Third, the Cobb card fits into standard holders, while the Ruth is oversized and awkward. Finally, the Cobb card is an actual baseball card from tobacco packs and pouches. The Ruth is simply a postcard. To each his own, but I don’t consider postcards baseball cards. I collect baseball cards, not postcards that just happen to have a baseball player on it.

This was my sentiment. Obviously T206 is...well T206 and people are coocoo for T206!!!!! Then theres the subpopulation...like myself...who prefers rare early issues.

I think the ruth has more short term room. There was a pwcc sale recently...possibly an outlier...near 9K I believe...and not a very nice one.

These days it seems people just wish a card to be worth a certain price...and...POOF...it becomes reality?

Yes the cobb is a beautiful, green portrait...and one of the tougher cobb t206...but still pretty damn common.

The ruth is early...he's svelte...young...full action photo with lots of detail. A unique pose. I think it's become a must have for more serious ruth collectors. Based on pop of supposedly around 200...I'd guess lots of resubmits.

Both great cards no doubt! I want both!

I see your points...and at one point I agreed with many of them...but not anymore!

How can I be a ty cobb/babe ruth collector and ignore the 1907 dietsche...the m101-3...early 20's exhibits...I'd be dramatically limiting the cards I could collect...and some of the best, imo!

Like I said, “to each his own.” I’m just one man with limited resources, and have to draw the line somewhere with what I collect. I personally don’t consider postcards baseball cards and choose not to collect them. I very well may be in the minority here. To me, all those examples you listed are just glorified postcards that depict baseball players, and are not “baseball cards” even despite the word postcard having the word card in it. :D

I am in the minority and went with the Ruth Exhibit card. The Cobb card is obviously more iconic, but the Exhibit is a scarce early Ruth. Generations from now, Ruth will still be the biggest name in the sport.

I would choose the Ruth due to comparative rarity. Great pose, early issue and I personally like diversification in my collection.

The question is vague as to time. What is my expected sale time-frame? Over the very long haul I think the Cobb (or any T206, 1933 Goudey, 1949 Leaf, 1952 Topps, or other mainstream marquee set) will beat a non-rookie Exhibit in total returns. Over the shorter term the question is relative price increases already baked into the current prices. The Exhibit Ruth has both more room to run up than the Cobb. The other issue favoring the Ruth is that it is not the mainstream card: pressure from other mainstream Ruth cards that are shooting up (e.g., the M, E and R cards) tends to push collectors to going after Exhibits, W cards, etc. The Cobb is already the mainstream card.

A better comparison would be the potential returns on the Ruth Exhibit versus the Cobb Exhibit. The Cobb has always been about 1/3 of the Ruth price but it is now closer to 1/8 of the Ruth price (a PSA6 sold for $1,860 last summer in Heritage; a few weeks later a 6 Ruth went for $22,200), so it has more room to improve relative to the Ruth. I would not be surprised to see Cobb double or triple over the next year assuming the market doesn't crap the bed. I don't think the equivalent grade Ruth has the same potential. Hence I am sitting on my Cobb Exhibits; though I am not a collector I think there's good money to be made a year from now.

Golly... too many times I have vented about investments. An education, brick and mortar home, IRA's, mutual funds, stocks, and I usually end with buying 5 to 10 acres, then planting and tending to sapling hardwood trees for a couple of years until they're developed sufficiently to survive on their own... then wait 30 years (that's a great, long term investment). For investment purposes, ball cards are not a good choice.

That said (again vented), consider your query from the vantage point that has you acquiring cards for a collection for a couple of dozen years. You want both a Ruth Exhibit and a green white border Cobb. Buy the Cobb first. Both are likely to cost more in 5 years, and in 10 years. But the cost of acquisition of the Cobb will increase more significantly than that Ruth Exhibit. That would be the reason for going for Cobb card.

I voted for the Cobb, primarily because I'm not a fan if postcard sized cards. I doubt you will go wrong either way though

I do own a green cobb in an SGC 3, but do not own any exhibits.

I'll have to go with the demand side of the equation. The Ruth Exhibit is a great card worthy of its value. However, I have to think that there will be a higher demand for the green Cobb in the future.

Another vote for the baseball card. Other than the pinhole, it's in nice shape. The TPG's are very strict about pinholes for some reason.

I would agree with many that there will always be more demand on the Cobb side. Because it's from the most collected pre war set ever and is the most wanted of the 4 Cobbs. It's colorful and has been a blue chip classic card forever! The demand will always outpace the Ruth black and white exhibit. However when considering which is a better investment you have to take the supply part of it into the equation. That's where the Ruth is the clear winner. The supply part of the equation is not remotely close. There is a very adequate supply of Cobbs with the Ruth exhibit exponentially smaller in supply. So the best investment boils down to if the Ruth demand, albeit much smaller than the colorful Cobb classic, can outpace the much more limited supply?

It takes much less demand uptick and fewer sales to move the Ruth price.

Tough call. I'm happy I have both :D

And after last nights ruth exhibit close...granted w/pwcc...it appears to be a cliser fight!!! And I still propose that overtime the exhibit Ruth will become more expensive a card than a green tea 206 Cobb!!

I voted Ruth
 

REALLY tough choice!

1) Ruth - is arguably "THE" most iconic baseball player in history. People who don't care about baseball know who Ruth is. Many of his other cards - from the same era 1921-22 have seen unbelievable appreciation. His Goudey cards continue to see incredible appreciation. His exhibit appears on some level to have been "forgotten about".....for now. There is a lot more card than any of his other period issues with as mentioned an incredible unique and iconic pose.
I don't accept the "it's not a card" argument - the 1925 Gehrig "wasn't a card" for years - now it's widely accepted as his rookie and if I recall Golding sold one in the past few months for 750K. What changed? People's perception. Nuff said.

2) Cobb - As mentioned repeatedly the card is part of the T206 set - which will probably remain one of the most collected sets in the hobby for time to come. Cobb was the best of his time. The portrait cards are beautiful.

IF the Cobb hadn't run up as much as it has and wasn't in more plentiful supply (compared to the Ruth), it would be a tougher choice for me, but I'll go with the rarer card (with small but enough supply that it trades regularly) with the more Iconic player.

Ruth i mean cobb i mean ruth omg tuff choice thx pete

As someone that doesn't own, and can't afford either, I'd take out a loan to buy the Cobb. I wouldn't for the Ruth because at the end of the day (to me) it's a postcard.
Chris

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I know Exhibits have had their run up, particularly the Gehrig, but I don't think that interest will be sustained. Ty Cobb green all day every day and forever.

Instead of a baseball card, a better "investment" for a number of individuals posting in this thread would be a dictionary :D

Cobb. That Ruth is too obscure for the average collector.

I voted Ruth, as I’ve seen so many more green Cobbs. But, I am currently hunting for a nice green Cobb prior to going after the Ruth. Easier to find and I’m a sucker for short term gratification.

Cobb. And I would much rather have the Ruth.

In what grades? It matters.

Wish I hadn't sold this one three years ago. ugh.

Wish I hadn't sold this one 2 years ago!!!!

AJ, any update on PSA and your altered card?

I'll post an update to the main thread soon. It's in process