Take it for what it's worth, but there are a couple of issues here.
Firstly, the thought of basing it on the number of HOF'ers graded is problematic, because you have a lot of players like, in my mind, Hughie Jennings and Rube Marquard, who are generally in the category of 'forgotten.' I mean everyone knows who Ty Cobb is, but a lot of the other HOF'ers never held the same prominence to be remembered forever, as it were, so it's easy to imagine their cards were more readily thrown out over the years.
Secondly, although professional card grading is de rigueur among you serious collectors, it is still virtually unknown to the non-collecting masses. Of all the guys I grew up trading with, I can say without question that not a single one has ever gotten a card graded. And all of these guys amassed thousands upon thousands of cards. Granted, these aren't T206 collectors, just 50's - 70's Topps cards, but you see my point. I dare say most older folks who have tobacco cards squirreled away somewhere in their attics have probably never even thought of having them graded.
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