T206 Cy Young PSA 5 on eBay > $4K ???

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Posted By: Scot Reader (ebay: sreader3)

A T206 PSA 5 Cy Young (Portrait) with a Piedmont back is selling for more than $4,000 with a day still left at auction. Is this a new pricing paradigm for mid-grade T206s? Just Hall of Famers? Just the great hurlers of the set (Johnson, Matty and Young)? Just Young since his name is on the award and his 511 wins look insurmountable? Or is the 4X+ SMR premium attributable to this particular example being well-centered and having a deep green background? Or is this just two bidders chasing a "must have" card?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1909-11-T206-Cy-Young-Portrait-HOF-PSA-5_W0QQitemZ8739549481QQcategoryZ31718QQssPageNameZ WDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem>

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

Invalid Item
This listing () has been removed by eBay or is no longer available. Please make sure that you've entered the item number correctly.

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Posted By: Rob

http://cgi.ebay.com/1909-11-T206-Cy-Young-Portrait-HOF-PSA-5_W0QQitemZ8739549481QQcategoryZ31718QQssPageNameZ WDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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Posted By: scot reader

Rob,
Thanks for providing the correct link.
">" somehow got stuck to the end of mine.
Scot

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Posted By: Richard Masson

Don't get hung up on the number, that's a really nice card. What would a 6 or 7 generally trade for?

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Posted By: JimB

The PSA 8 recently sold for over 32k in Mastro. I'm not sure if there is a trickle down affect or not. That card does look very nice for the grade, assuming there are no slight wrinkles that cannot be detected in the scan. I think in ex/mt that is roughly in the range, but still a bit on the high side. But prices in general seem to be skyrocketing.
JimB

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Posted By: scot reader

SMR on a PSA 7 is $2250. I would have thought in this hot market a PSA 7 would sell on ebay for about $3000. I agree this is a super nice specimen but am surprised that it is selling at more than 4x SMR for a PSA 5 and more than 2x SMR for a PSA 7 with a day still left in the auction! I think many collectors are willing to pay a huge premium for Cy these days because of the perception that his legacy is secure. After all, his name is on the award and it is highly doubtful that anyone will ever surpass his win total--especially given the five-man rotation.

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Posted By: JimB

The five man rotation and the fact that nobody completes games anymore secures his record. Twenty seasons of 25+ wins is unthinkable these days. That said, SMR is clearly way off, even if this particular one is a bit of an anomoly.
JimB

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi Scot,
Christmas on EBAY is always a crap shoot, some prices are really high and some are so low you can't believe it. Things will settle down after New Years......

PS SMR pricing is a joke. Have you seen there prices for Southern Leguers? They are 3 years behind.


Be well Brian

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Posted By: T206Collector

That's a lot of money for the man who is also the career leader in losses (316), hits allowed (7,092) and earned runs allowed (2,147).

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

Here he is in 1890.. First year of pro ball (Cleveland). T206's much more collectible but 19th Century Cabinets are much more rarer... Only in my humble opinion as the Furer would say.

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Posted By: zach

WOW ! Great cabinet of The Cyclone. Is that yours ? That has to be one of the earliest images of him, it even pre-dates his Just So by a few years.

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

J.C. That thing rocks!

Where'd you find it?

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Posted By: JimB

The biggest joke on SMR pricing is caramels. I told Joe Orlando that at the National and he said about 20 people had already come up to him saying the same thing. They have made incremental movements to adjust, but there is still a long way to go. I think part of the problem is that they disregard SGC sales. For example, they won't consider what all the caramels in the last Mastro auction went for because most were SGC graded. I don't find any difference between what an SGC graded caramel will bring and a PSA graded caramel. That may be different for other cards, but not for caramels.
JimB

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Posted By: JimB

One example:
A PSA 7 E 93 Wagner sold for over 17k with the juice in the August Mastro auction. In the January 2006 issue of SMR they raised the value of virtually all E93s except Wagner and Cobb. The PSA 7 Wagner is listed at $6,000. Granted one auction does not establish a definative price, but that was the only PSA 7 and the only time it has been publically sold (I know because I bought it raw and had it graded myself). In the December Mastro auction, an SGC 80 (ex/mt 6) went for over $8,000 with the juice, establishing pretty well that the price the previous PSA 7 got was not a fluke. Let's see if they adjust at all in the next issue.
JimB

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Posted By: pete

that young is under graded by at least 1 grade...i would of been mad if that came back to me as a five...now im just mad i dont have 5k to outbid them!
pete-

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Posted By: andy becker

jc, that is SWEET!!! thanks for sharing!!!!

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

JC:

What are the dimensions of that AWESOME cabinet??

How did you date it? Is it printed on the back??

GREAT PIECE!!

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

This Cabinet was found in a show case at the National years ago. I bought 5 or 6 other pieces from this seller on the first day. He fired out a price to me on everything not thinking I would buy it as he wasn't sure if he would sell it... I did!! The Young Cabinet came from Lew's private collection and the date was either in the end of 1889 or beginning of 1890. I have not done much research on it. The studio is in Uhrichville, Ohio. That's all I know.. And I'm sticking too it!!

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Posted By: craig

J.C.
Fantastic early image of Young even if it does picture him in a suit rather than a uniform lol.
Just curious though how did you date it?

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

The date came from Lew along time ago as per the person I bought it from. I'm sure if you researched the photo company it might provide more answers... I just have not done that yet... JC

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

Here is the dealer I bought it from years ago. I ran into him at a food place where I think he was offering me 10 times what I paid him for it... Or maybe the flash was in his eyes??? LOL I'm pretty bad with names.. But I think it's Glen ?????????

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Posted By: Anonymous

Hi sreader,

sorry for the late response.

As a knucklehead who owns a 5, 6, and 7 (PSA's)
of the Cy portrait, I should be happy, I guess.

the main prob with eBay, is you never can be sure if any transactions actually come to fruition.

In another thread, (can't remember which) I mentioned my prefered metod of selling "high value" cards is one on one, person to person, or to a local (brick and mortar retailer) you know and trust.

I'm 60, and I've learned that if you can develop a good relationship with a "local", it is quite possible to sell to them for something close to 70/30, or even 80/20 versus their retail price.

And while the eBay casino will somtime yield better ratios, my method is quick, clean, and cash based .

JMHO.

Bob S

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Posted By: Scot Reader

Hi Bob S.,
I find your response about preferring to deal with a "bricks and mortar" dealer as opposed to ebay very intriguing. I am sure there are a number of collectors on this board (including myself) who would pay more than 70/30 to get their hands on certain vintage material. For the record, I have found ebay a very reliable way to transact in vintage baseball cards. I have only been ripped-off on 1 ebay transaction with over 200 completed successfully. And congratulations on your Cy portrait 5, 6 and 7. Given current pricing trends, you should have a comfortable retirement!
Scot

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Posted By: barrysloate

JC's Cy Young cabinet originated from the late Barry Halper's collection (hate to have to refer to him that way). You can find it as part of lot #340 from the Sotheby's sale, and is pictured in the catalog. Great little lot that I wrote up and had my eye on, but it went for a great deal of money at the time.