1914 vs 1915 Cracker Jacks?

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Posted By: Ray

Just wondering which set I would have an easier time collecting. This would be a long term project! A couple cards a month maybe. I'm not sensitive to condition, I'd actually prefer low grade cards, being on a budget. The more I read and learn about the Dead Ball Era, the more I love it and wanna collect cards from it. I'm already well into the T200 and T206 sets... looking to explore CJ's and the end of the Dead Ball Era.

Thanks!
Ray

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Posted By: jay behrens

If you really want to make things easy on yourself, collect both sets, but just go for a master type set, getting one card of each player no matter what set. This saves you the heartache of trying to find a 14 Mathewson and some of the other tougher 14s and lets you spend less money on the cheaper 14s than the more expensive 15s. 14s are tough to find and almost always low grade. 15s are much mreo common and can be found in higher grades, but most CJ collectors work on the 15 set, so even though they are more plentiful, they tend to cost more than 14s.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: Julie

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Posted By: Judge Dred

Would anyone care to list the TOUGH 1914 CJ cards? Chance, Mathewson and ???

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Posted By: Mike

I listed the tough cards in a previous thread, but the 1 toughest card is by far the Bresnahan no on back. I just saw my first one about a week ago. Also, I would put Shoeless Joe up there with the other two you listed(Chance and Mathewson). It's been a long time since I've seen a REAL one for sale. Most of the other stars are actually pretty easy. The high #'s have always been tough(#72 and up) but the cards in the #80-90 range seem to be THE toughest. Hope this helps.

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Posted By: Ray

That's great advice Jay! Never thought of it, but since the checklists are almost identical, it works for me! Thanks again!

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Posted By: Jason Duncan

I listed some lower grade caramels and some t cards on the Buy Sell Trade including a couple of graded 1915 CJs. I think the CJs are a nice set and collecting 1915s are more reasonable than 1914s. They look the same on the front and are cheaper.

Jason

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Posted By: Donald Johnson

Jay,

Prices in the book maybe higher for 15's but if you've been tracking Cracker Jack sales lately, 14's are blowing 15's out of the water in comparable grades. You don't see common VG-EX/PSA 4 1915's going for over $125-$150 as you do in the 1914's.

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Posted By: jay behrens

Higher grade 14s will always blow away 15s. But in low grades, 14s can be had for less than 15s.

It's one of the rare cases where condition sensativity actually plays out correctly. Unlike #1 cards where even though the card is not harder to find in low grades than any other card in it's series, it carries a huge premium in low grades. The Bengough card is the grossest example of this. It really is a very common card and below Ex shouldn't carry any sort of price premium, yet it does.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: William Heitman

1914's came only in the boxes. In 1915, the lucky collector could send off for a set and an album. This is why the high grade, unstained cards, are virtually all from 1915. Saw a lot of 1915 sets on buying trips, but never a full set of 14s.