Posted By:
Mike (18colt)Good evening, all.
I don't post a lot (though most of my posts regard T-206), but after reading through this thread, I'd like to comment on a few items if I may. Note that my e-mail address is accessible through the link, and several board members have sold and/or traded with me through the B/S/T and/or eBay, so I'm not exactly anonymous.
1) As noted, I don't post a lot. As a result, most of you know very little about me. I've only attended one National (A.C., 2003), as I won't fly anywhere when I can drive to Fort Washington in under 2 hours. I set up a table at one show at the Valley Forge Convention Center in PA in 1991. I've been on eBay since 1999. I even acquired some nice cards on the old Teletrade site. I used to be a co-worker with a son of Lew Lipset, and still compete in the same fantasy football league with him (though Lew doesn't know me, as I've never won an auction of his). Basically, no one really knows me. However, I've been a collector for over 20 years. Used to read SCD when it was still good, too. Anyways, though I don't say much, I am one of many, many collectors who have a decent knowledge base about vintage cards. Though I don't agree entirely with the "holier-than-thou" and "inner circle of Net 54" stuff, I do agree that there are a lot of collectors out there who could contribute, that people don't know about, but don't. I am one of many. (Disclaimer - I actually rarely post because someone else seems to always beat me to an answer to someone's query).
2) In Fred's bulleted queries in the prior post, I don't think that the large majority of the hobby, i.e., collectors, are willing to do anything to combat card tampering in any way. The knowledge base really isn't there. No offense to slab-only collectors, but I do agree with Jay that holding a card definitely provides a collecting education that most (not all -- E, Daniel excluded) slab collectors won't acquire. E, Daniel's knowledge of modern printing techniques is a good tool for ID-ing reprints, too. I will note that though most of my cards are not slabbed, I do own some that are. This leads me to . . . .
3) Mr. Heitman alluded to a collector's group founded in the late 1970's. Perhaps a new group could work with show promoters to help. I think one solution would be for major shows, including the National, to have free seminars during the shows to educate collectors on a wide variety of topics, lasting 30 minutes or so in order for collectors to gain insight on multiple topics and still have time to buy, buy, buy. For example, sample topics could include grading a card (could be specific by issue or in a general sense), how to identify fakes/tampered/altered/reprinted cards, buying/selling cards on eBay or with an auction house, history of T-206, the secrets of the Old Judge cards (I agree with Gil - a lot of deeply held secrets out there about Old Judge cards), spotlights on forgotten players, etc.
4) I think that those with firsthand knowledge and actual evidence about the famed PSA-8 Wagner should present it. From what I've read, the owner of the card is using it to promote that hobby. More information, whether or not it lowers the monetary value of the card and forces some to answer some tough questions, would only enhance the card's legend, and add to its story and mystique. Whether it was trimmed/altered or not, let's not forget it's a real, authentic Wagner, with an exceptional portrait appearance (no creases through the image!). For the record, I have no knowledge of the happenings or lack thereof pertaining to this card other than what I have read, good and bad, or this forum or on links presented here on this forum to other sites.
5) Overall, this board is a credit to the hobby. An experienced collector like myself found this site about 3 years ago (I know I posted in August of 2003, and without an SCD learned of the A.C. National in 2003 that summer), but other experienced collectors (E, Daniel for example) are just now finding this site, and many others haven't a clue about it. I think if those of you that set up at shows somehow promoted this board for the vintage community, perhaps even more experienced, knowledgable collectors could contribute, and the the less experienced, the new, and even the old could learn more (I'm sure some of you do somehow, but the more the merrier).
Well, there it is. My longest post ever. Leon, you're doing an excellent job moderating this board. Please keep up the good work. Thanks to all who post. Hopefully some of my thoughts will amount to something.
Mike (18colt)