Newer to T206 Collecting, seeking advice...

[lloydchristmas]

Hi everyone,

I'm newer to T206 collecting and before spending too much $$$, I was curious to know if there were any other books or references I should check out besides The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories? Any other online resources? I'm currently reading as many threads here as I can.

I appreciate any and all advice, so thanks in advance!

Oh! Separately, does anyone have a favorite card I should keep a look out for? Maybe you like the player, portrait, pose, etc.

Ryan

[njdunkin1]

Hi, Ryan!

Welcome to the boards and to T206--been collecting since '09, but only got into T206 about 2 years ago. Been hooked since!

I would suggest just scanning through pictures online and finding fronts/backs that you would like to go after. I find N54 and eBay to be the best resources for buying. Information-wise, LukeLyon's blog thatt206life.com is excellent for updates and cool photos.

Collect what you like, not what is hype. Let you tell you what you like, not necessarily other people (though other people can certainly inspire you! )

Personally, I love portraits and Hindu backs, particularly cards in the pink/red/purple color scheme!

Have an awesome time collecting, and welcome to N54!

-NJ

[MVSNYC]

Hi Ryan-

Bill Heitman's The Monster

http://brockelmanauctions.com/lot-10545.aspx


Lew Lipset's Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards

https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-.../dp/B003U8ZHNE

[commishbob]

Ryan...last things first: there was a thread in the last week in which many members posted their favorite T206s and most related the story behind the choice. The thread is here:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=252602

I'm not even remotely an expert on this wonderful set but that doesn't stop me from appreciating it. I came to the realization long ago that attempting to collect it in full, or even a significant portion of it was an impossible dream.

What I did instead was pick up cards that I enjoyed or had some significance to me. I started with a Christy Mathewson and added a couple of other affordable Hall of Famers, Rube Marquard and Jack Chesbro. I also found a few common and minor leaguers that had colorful cards that struck my eye and were within my budget at the time.

I added nice but affordable examples of the famous Cubs DB trio of Tinker, Evers and Chance. I had that framed in a little custom display for my office.

Over the years I picked up the nine Eastern League Baltimore players in the set. (Sidebar: I was originally using an old 70s era checklist that only had six listed. I found my mistake early this year).

And lastly I have recently picked up two of the three Chief Bender cards. He has long been an interest of mine. I'm going to add his 'portrait' T206 in the near future.

I'm now at 20 cards. A minuscule total for sure but they all fit my collection. I enjoy each of them. Good luck and welcome.

[the 'stache]

Hi Ryan,

Kudos on dipping your toes in the T206 pool. The set is a lot of fun. There are so many different ways to collect it: you can focus on individual players, teams, Hall of Famers, Southern Leaguers, poses (portrait or action cards), specific backs, runs of one player with all the backs, ghosts, scraps, proofs, etc. The ways of collecting the Monster are pretty much limitless. Once you find your niche, run with it!

Both of the books listed by MVSNYC are must haves, in my opinion. I have them, and refer to them constantly when I am working on my collection:

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

Hi Ryan-

Bill Heitman's The Monster

http://brockelmanauctions.com/lot-10545.aspx


Lew Lipset's Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards

https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-.../dp/B003U8ZHNE

I would also download Scot Reader's Inside T206 pdf. It's free. Just click the link.

You'll find a good number of sites devoted to the Monster. I use http://t206resource.com/ quite often. That's a really great resource.

There are a few good periodicals that have had really interesting articles about the T206 set (among other pre-war sets). I've subscribed toOld Cardboard, and have bought several of the back issues. Great publication that really gets you in the mood for pre-war cards in general, not just T206. That link will take you to the page where you can get profiles of each issue that's been published; some will go into T206, but they're all great reads, regardless.

I also highly recommend the old Vintage & Classic Baseball Collector magazines. They're no longer published, but you can find the back copies on Ebay. Search by VCBC. I have several of these, also.

As for jumping into the set, my recommendation would be to start small. The BST here (buy, sell, trade) has a specific sub-forum for T206 cards. I'd get one or two commons, in lower condition, and ungraded. When you start getting into the more expensive cards, likely most of them will be slabbed. But starting out with a few commons that you can hold in your hand, look over under magnification, feel and smell...will give you an idea of what is typical for the cards. Get used to the card stock, how the lithography looks under magnification, what a factory cut edge looks like, and how it differs from a trim under magnification. You really want to spend some time getting used to the variations that can come with these cards. Unlike modern cards, there will be some slight size variance. Don't always assume a card has been trimmed because of this. One example is the American Beauty advertising back. Also, depending on where a card was located within a sheet, you might have one border that is slightly larger than the other three. If you're not sure of what you're seeing, ask the members here.

If you've not built a "starter kit", you should do so. This will help you look over your cards close up, as well as detect alterations that may have been done to the cards (trimming, bleaching, adding paper, etc). These are the tools that all vintage and pre-war collectors have.

Items you need:

A good ruler.
A high-quality jeweler's loupe
A black light

You might also purchase a 50 x portable microscope

One other book I highly recommend is David Cycleback's Judging the Authenticity of Early Baseball Cards. David is one of the members of this forum. The knowledge you'll glean is applicable to any older set you might collect, and will go a long way to protect you when buying from dealers you might not know (you should always try to buy from reputable dealers/individuals if at all possible). His website also has a wealth of information on forensic analysis, which will come in handy when examining not only baseball cards, but currency and historical documents, as well. This article on forensic light is fascinating, and useful to collectors.

Lastly, if you are unsure of something, ask! The members of this forum are incredibly knowledgeable, and very helpful, in my experience. Be a discerning buyer, and listen to your instincts. But most of all, have fun!!

[Santo10Fan]

One of the most interesting things about T206 was the random way it was produced and distributed. There were spurts. A lot more is known now than there was say, 40 years ago. A lot of what Topps has done in the past two decades, with parallels, short prints, etc., were inspired by this very set. One important thing I look for is the color registration. I'll give you an example below. If you can spot the differences and notice one face is much clearer than the other, this is the type of stuff you want to be patient and seek out. These cards were meant to be state-of-the art color pictures, so if you see any cards that display that level of clarity these are the ones you may want to give further attention to.

T206 Resource has all the back variant info, along with other stuff
http://t206resource.com/Article-T206...ltipliers.html

[iwantitiwinit]

I agree.....

Use the link provided above to download Scot Reader's Inside T206 pdf. It's free. Just click the link.

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

I would also download Scot Reader's Inside T206 pdf. It's free. Just click the link.

You'll find a good number of sites devoted to the Monster. I use http://t206resource.com/ quite often. That's a really great resource.

Agreed, these as well.

Also, Derek at T206 Society does a great job capsulizing overviews on rare backs and player history.

http://t206society.com/

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by MVSNYC

Agreed, these as well.

Also, Derek at T206 Society does a great job capsulizing overviews on rare backs and player history.

http://t206society.com/

Holy cr@p! You guys have your own society?? I need to push for a HOF Rookie collectors society a little harder! We will probably have membership of about three.

[orly57]

One other book I highly recommend is David Cycleback's Judging the Authenticity of Early Baseball Cards. David is one of the members of this forum. The knowledge you'll glean is applicable to any older set you might collect, and will go a long way to protect you when buying from dealers you might not know (you should always try to buy from reputable dealers/individuals if at all possible). His website also has a wealth of information on forensic analysis, which will come in handy when examining not only baseball cards, but currency and historical documents, as well. This article on forensic light is fascinating, and useful to collectors.

Is David Cycleback a Nome De Plume, or is the guy's last name really Cycleback?

[lloydchristmas]

Originally Posted by sreader3

Hi Ryan,

You may want to read my e-book:

http://www.oldcardboard.com/t/t206/i...al-edition.pdf

and check out my website

t206insider.com

Enjoy the chase.

Scot Reader

Scot, awesome resource! I will definitely read it and have already begun scouring the site.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by vintagechris

The Books Deadball Stars of the American League & Deadball Stars of National League are great books to learn about the players that are on the cards. Each book takes the teams and has individual biographical write ups on the players. I learned many interesting facts about the players when I read those books.

On order, thanks!

Originally Posted by orly57

One other book I highly recommend is David Cycleback's Judging the Authenticity of Early Baseball Cards. David is one of the members of this forum. The knowledge you'll glean is applicable to any older set you might collect, and will go a long way to protect you when buying from dealers you might not know (you should always try to buy from reputable dealers/individuals if at all possible). His website also has a wealth of information on forensic analysis, which will come in handy when examining not only baseball cards, but currency and historical documents, as well. This article on forensic light is fascinating, and useful to collectors.

Is David Cycleback a Nome De Plume, or is the guy's last name really Cycleback?

Awesome, thank you!