Posted By:
davidcyclebackI know some one this board will think this nuts, but the best way to identify the rarest and scarcest
error cards is to start by identifying error cards then:
Rarest: the card where the fewest is known to exist.
Scarcest: the most expensive. This an imperfect but probably most reliable way to identify scarcity (remember
rarity and scarcity are different concepts. Rarity is strictly a measurement of a card's population,
while scarcity is a relative measurement of a card's population versus demand for the card).
I would argue (and believe am accurate in saying) that the T206 Honus Wagner is the scarcest (I didn't
say rarest) card, because it's the most expensive across the grade spectrum. And, similarly, the scarcest
error is the error card that consistently sells for the most money.
The Mickey Mantle isn't the rarest card in the 1952 Topps set, but it's the scarcest-- that's why it's so
expensive in all grades.