I collect this set and have it about 1/3 done using the 185 checklist.
Most of the cards on eBay are overpriced, fixed price listings. Search for T213 cards on eBay and then click on sold listings. You will get a better idea of pricing.
T213-1 and T213-3 cards in general sell for higher prices than T213-2 cards because they are more scarce due to shorter print runs. T213-2 cards were printed for a longer time. However, because players changed teams, were sent down to the minors (e.g., Roger Bresnahan playing for Toledo!) or went to the Federal League, the checklist is big with many variations. Some variations are indeed almost impossible to find. If you look at a master checklist, the players on multiple teams are usually going to have a version of the their card that is tougher to find.
Prices have gone up in the last 5 years with the rising popularity of the set. At auction on eBay, commons at PSA or SGC 1 seem to sell from $45 to $90. There are a lot of PSA/SGC 1 commons fixed-price listed at $115 to $150 that aren't moving (January 2025). Auctions seem to be sparse in recent months. Because T213 cards were a regional issue in the South, you do not have the amount of cards like T206 and T205 that were issued all down the East Coast in the major population centers. However, you do not have as many collectors chasing them either.
Below is a Federal League card from my PC. There is some debate about whether it is harder to find T213 cards in as high grade as T206. I don't know if it's true. I have heard three theories: (1) the card stock wasn't as thick as T206, (2) the finishes on the cards fade, (3) humid weather in the Southern US made the cards absorb dirt and fingerprints more readily. My take is that it's just a mirage because of the smaller number of T213 cards in circulation. This theory is probably testable by looking at the Population reports at PSA or SGC, but I'm too lazy to do that right now.
Good luck with your collection.
Vince
