There's nothing wrong with the cards. They are legitimate and vintage, and Lajoie is a popular player. However, they come from a playing card deck with the backs all having that picture of Lajoie. This means the Lajoie card is plentiful (though with different playing card fronts). Second, playing cards are significantly easier to find in higher grade because they came in protective boxed decks and usually have factory cut rounded corners, so they're cheaper on that front too. That's why the 1913 Our National Game and Polo Ground game cards are easier to find and cheaper in high grade.
I'm clearly not answering your specific questions, just explaining why they single cards are inexpensive, especially in higher grade.
Two positive things about factory cut rounded corner cards is they're harder to deceptively trim and reprints are usually easy to identify due to the different angled/size/shaped corners on most reprints and counterfeits. One giveaway on the Frisch Polo Ground reprints is the corners are rounded distinctly different.
Last edited by drcy; 07-21-2014 at 08:12 PM.
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