Starting T206 set Looking for advice on how to begin

[Luke]

Hi everyone!

My name is Luke, I'm 27 and live in Seattle. Quick story of how I arrived here: I fell in love with baseball when I was 6 and started collecting cards. In high school I started collecting autographs of HOFers and spending a bunch of time at the Kingdome and local hotels getting signatures from the current players. I also started to collect Rookie Cards or the earliest most accessible card of Hall of Famers and players that I liked. In 2003 I went to off to college and got a job and didn't really have any money for collecting, although I knew I would get back into it eventually.
So, to make a long story short, here I am now with the itch to get back into collecting, and I've decided that in addition to continuing to collect RCs, I'm going to start working on a T206 set. I have 4 already from my earlier collecting days (J. Collins, Speaker, Bresnahan (port), and Snodgrass (catching)) but am pretty much starting from scratch. I found this forum yesterday through the Old Cardboard site and I am hoping to get involved and learn the best ways to go about tackling "The Monster". I plan to go after lower grade cards for the most part and hopefully make some trades along the way to conserve my collecting budget.
I was going to post more about my budget for buying, etc but I think this is getting too long already. Anyway, if anyone has any advice on where to look, where to trade, how to buy (singles or lots, etc.) or anything else that can help me get started, I would greatly appreciate it. I will be checking back frequently and can answer any questions anyone might have for me. Thanks!

Luke
(and thanks to Leon for approving my registration so quick)

Luke I am sure this is going to be one of the greatest sites for you to learn and Buy from. Good luck with the Monster and remember it wants you to quit!

Edited to add that I am 29 also

[Robextend]

Hey Luke,

Welcome aboard!! I am 29, and I was pretty much in the same boat as you a couple years ago. Well I am sure others will chime in about ideas on how to collect "The Monster"...here are a few ways.

1 - Team set
2 - Portraits
3 - HOFers
4 - Specific Back

Plenty of more, but those are a couple for thought.

Good luck in your quest!

Rob

[Comiskey]

Well, I am pretty much like you, 29 years old and I love the game of baseball and history. I started collecting the T206 set by teams, specifically the New York Giants, after I read a great book called the Old Ball Game by Frank Deford. I read this book about baseball and I realized that I could collect the actual baseball cards from this time in history. So, I bought a Mathewson, then McGraw, and then I went on to complete this subset.

Well, a couple of hundred cards later I am in love with this set. There are so many ways that you can collect by teams, alphabetical, numerical, advertising backs, etc.

What I would suggest is finding a team that you want to start off with and maybe a piece of literature that goes with the team!

The monster can be a little overwhelming, but if you collect slowly and with determination, you will get there.

Good Luck and Happy Collecting
Jeff

[sreader3]

Wow--29, 29, 27--great to see all the young blood in the hobby!

Luke,

Before making too many purchases, you may want to educate yourself about the set. There are a number of resources, including my online ebook, Inside T206, which you can download for free from the Old Cardboard website.

Welcome to the T206 community, and good luck!

Scot, age 42

[AndyG09]

Luke,

You have definitely come to the right source for help. Scot's T206 "Bible" is a must when it comes to collecting 206s. I have only been at the "set" for 8 months, and have become addicted to the hunt. I planned on getting one or so a week, but have about tripled that. No matter how you decide to tackle the set, enjoy the ride!

Best,

Andy

[ChiefBenderForever]

Welcome to the world of T206 and good luck. I started putting the set together in 2004 and two years later reached my 100th card. A few months later at about 115 or so I threw in the towel and QUIT. I gave up on it and then in 2008 I started collecting Chief Bender after always wanting to collect his cards. I just picked up my 14th different T206 back of Bender no trees. I ventured outside of T206 and discovered more issues than I could imagine. Now I pick up different T206 I like and different Caramel issues and as many different Benders as I can find and absolutely love it. Who knows where your adventure will take you but it will be a fun ride and many great cards, most of all it will be a lot of fun ! Be easy,

Johnny just turned 40, it's all down hill from here................

[4815162342]

I am 29 as well, and collect alphabetically. As many have said before, remember it's a marathon, not a sprint. In my short 18 month span on net54 I've seen a few who went really really fast and burned out just as fast!

[Luke]

Originally Posted by Robextend

Hey Luke,

Welcome aboard!! I am 29, and I was pretty much in the same boat as you a couple years ago. Well I am sure others will chime in about ideas on how to collect "The Monster"...here are a few ways.

1 - Team set
2 - Portraits
3 - HOFers
4 - Specific Back

Plenty of more, but those are a couple for thought.

Good luck in your quest!

Rob

thanks for the tips Rob! You have a very cool collection, fun to look at.

[Luke]

I am going to get started on Scot's e-book. Thanks for lettting me know about that.

Luke

[iggyman]

Originally Posted by LukeLyon

Anyway, if anyone has any advice on where to look, where to trade, how to buy (singles or lots, etc.) or anything else that can help me get started, I would greatly appreciate it. I will be checking back frequently and can answer any questions anyone might have for me. Thanks!

First of all, take a really deep breath..........................okay, now exhale. Good! I can see that the monster has you in its clutches. I should probably advise you to run the other way and seek counsel from a woman therapist. But alas, I'm obviously too late.

I can only offer my sincere sympathies and a little advice. Don't sprint! Don't get derail with color variations, upgrades, printer scraps, partial N's, T213's, caramel cards, and back advertisements until you are at least 150+ cards into it. And please do not tell your family, friends, neighbors, and heaven forbid your wife/girl friend about this disease! Keep it under wraps for the first few years and come to this site when you need a fix.

Now, to answer your questions. If you want to purchase, sell, or trade T206 cards, this site is a good place to start (check-out the B/S/T section). You have to be quick, but good deals can be found on here. Obviously, eBay is another great spot, although be very very careful with the reprints. They are easy to spot once you get comfortable with how T206's are printed (if you are not sure, ask a board member). Auction houses (REA, Huggins & Scott, Brockelman and Luckey, etc) are where the big boys play and that is where the big T206 lots can be found. It sometimes feels like the auction houses are selling T206 cards every week! My only caveat, do your homework before pulling the trigger on one of the big lots. A good site for an idea on card value($$$) is www.t206.org/value.php or if you ever get the graded card bug then it's www.vintagecardprices.com (but you will have to pay for that service). That is all I have for tonight. Good luck! It will be a fantastic ride!!! Almost better then XXX............okay, it's not that good, but for some of us it comes close.

Lovely Day...

[mintacular]

I am a huge amateur compared to these guys but can tell you that most commons in low grade condition with common backs (Piedmont/Sweet Cap, etc.) can be had between $10-$20/ea (sometimes even lower if you are ok with paper loss, torn corners, writing...)So don't get carried away with book $ or the age of these cards, etc. Of course, this is a huge generalization and "low grade" itself ranges from p-vgex and also impacts cost in a major way... Also, unlike post-war cards, the backs of these T206s can really impact the value of these cards. Enjoy your quest, they are quite the slice of life. Take it slow, hang out on the boards for a months before you start throwing big cash around

[joeadcock]

Slow, and no hurry.

Frank

[nodgrass]

I agree with Scot Reader. Definitely educate yourself first. Then determine the condition of cards you want to acquire based on what you can afford. When I was building the set, I approached it from the perspective of trying to average buying two cards per week (around 100 per year). With this in mind you can figure how much disposable income you have per week and determine what grade of cards you can afford. My set was PSA 4 and 5 with a few 6's here and there. Buying good to vg condition ungraded cards is, of course, a much more affordable approach and probably what I would choose to do these days.

Try to mix in HOF'ers and Southern Leaguers right from the beginning and learn who they were and what they did. It will keep you interested and moving forward.

One thing that was not fun, at least for me, is acquiring 150 PSA 3 cards and then deciding to build the set in a higher grade. Definitely think about it, try to determine a direction, and stick to it.

[Piratesfan1418]

As a senior in high school (1996) my brother bought me a t206 Larry McLean who was pictured in his catcher's gear. I caught as well and it was a better gift than all the money I was given that day. I still have that card...

Flash forward to last year when I started reading about the history of the Pirates. I fell in love with the 1900-1910 era of baseball and picked up a few more t206s. I've fallen in love!

I still collect modern cards but it's so focused that I rarely add to that part of my collection. I'm up to 15 different t206s and really enjoy adding 1-2 every couple weeks.

PS I bought the book "The T206 Collection" and I've really enjoyed reading the stories of the individuals who make up the set. You may find that interesting and helpful.

Brad (32)

[btkpath]

Hi Luke.....glad to see a fellow Seattlelite entering the hobby. Best of luck on your quest. I fell into the hobby about 6 years ago and the biggest hurdle for me was convincing my wife that spending $10's, $100's or $1000's for small, old pieces of cardboard did not require psychiatric help or medication (well, maybe it does!).

Although, I don't collect T206's (I sometimes feel as if I am the only one who doesn't), starting a collection has crossed my mind several times. What keeps me from beginning is that I picture myself as a complete set collector and the likelihood of me completing the T206's (including Plank and Wagner) is pretty close to zero. Instead, I completed the 1933 Goudey's about 3 years ago and now am working on 1914 Cracker Jacks, T205's and 1938 Goudey Heads-Up's.

I look forward to potentially meeting you at one of the hobby gathering in our neck of the woods.

Regards,

Barry

[BigDan502]

I'm 29 and was in the same boat as you a year ago.
Its very hard just to figure out what to pay never mind what to etc.
I try to pick up 1 a week. This way it doesn't take over your life, which it can.
9 and a half more years and I'm donezo

Dan

[Orioles1954]

Since you're a beginner, perhaps you might want to explore other sets as well? The 1930s has an array of beautiful sets that are less expensive. I would advise, see what others sets are out there and not just limit yourself to one set.

[Dustanh1]

Take your time. I will be 29 in October....I started the set about 3 years ago and am a little over 20% complete. I started by picking up a few commons and then decided I would start picking up the Cubs team set. I try to pick up a few cards a month, on average. I wanted to get up to 150 different by the end of this year, and was on track to do so until my girlfriend and I found out we are having our first child near the end of November. I haven't picked up a new T206 in about 3-4 months, but I knew going into this that it would be a marathon, so a few months isn't a big deal.

Buy a few raw commons and get a feel for them. The more you study the cards in the set, the more comfortable you will be with identifying reprints, fakes, trim jobs, etc.

Get your hands on a lot of different reading materials, including auction house catalogs and even some books....a few of my favorites are Crazy '08 and A Prince at First. It adds something to collecting the set when you have a good feel for the era.

Most of all, be patient.

[Doug]

I'm 29 too so I figured I'd better chime in. I'd have to agree with the guys that have said patience is key. I bought my first T206 (Tom Downey, fielding) about 10-11 years ago with the intentions of putting a set (minus the big 4) together. I tried to buy as many cards as possible as fast as I could which led me to running out of money and eventually interest when I didn't have new cards arriving in the mail on a regular basis. Had I paced myself I probably would have had a nice set by now, but I ended up having to sell off the cards I accumulated and I couldn't get the motivation to start over again. Figure out what your budget is and come up with a solid game plan. Most of all good luck and have fun with it!

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Doug

I'm 29 too so I figured I'd better chime in. I bought my first T206 (Tom Downey, fielding) about 10-11 years ago with the intentions of putting a set (minus the big 4) together.

I've enjoyed this thread - as I do most of the t206 threads - and thought I'd chime in because Doug wrote that his first t206 was a Downey fielding. That was my first t206 as well probably 25 years ago - just so I could say I had one. I thought that was a great coincidence since Downey is a common from a very big set.

My second t206 was a Matty black cap, bought last fall while reading "the celebrant"

I've learned everything I know about t206's and prewar thanks to this board.

Some of the advice I've tried to follow:

1. define a focus
2. it's a marathon, not a sprint
3. buy the card, not the holder
4. learn the histroy of the set (probably the most important)
5. read books about the era
6. get most of the expensive cards out of the way first.
7. The Monster wants you to quit, don't listen


While I'm thinking back about my short time collecting pre-war I want to give a quick "thank-you" to net54 and it's regular contributors. Even though I don't post alot, I feel like I'm part of a brotherhood here. No other set or card I have ever collected has ever given me that sense. There seems to definately be something special about pre-war and especially t206!

Tony (45)

[Steve D]

Welcome Luke

I've been collecting baseball cards seriously for around 35 years (since I was 12). I always thought about collecting T206s, but just never quite got the itch. That is, until about seven years ago. Here's how I did it.

First off, I collected the hall of famers. Once I had obtained all of them except for Plank and Wagner, I stopped, thinking I was done. Thing is, every time I looked at the cards, they just kept drawing me in, until I wanted more. So, I moved on to collecting the Chicago Cubs cards. When I had obtained most of them (I now have all of them except Lundgren), I started looking for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. Once I had most of them, I moved to the Yankees. After that, I began to realize that I was reaching the "point of no return" so to speak. At that point, I just said "what the heck" (or something like it ), and decided to collect the entire set. The "Monster" had gotten me!

What I'm trying to say, is to keep a focus at all times. Don't just start by collecting random cards. If you're like me, when you look at them, all you'll see is a hodgepodge of cards, with no real rhyme or reason. Sure, they're all T206s, but beyond that, they aren't really connected. The set just seems so formidable at first, that you could talk yourself out of it. So.....

Start by collecting a team set. When that's done, or near done, go to another team. Keep doing this, but by all means, keep a focus at all times. That way, when you look at the cards, you'll see cards that are connected to each other, and eventually, you'll want to extend that connection by getting more of them.

There are of course other ways to collect T206. You could start by collecting the hall of famers. This way, you're getting nearly all the high demand cards out of the way first. You could also start with the portrait cards, or with all the non-portrait cards. Get the Southern Leaguers and/or the Minor Leaguers first.

The bottom line is, as I've said.....maintain a focus at all times. That way, you break down The Monster into it's sub-parts, and it doesn't seem so formidable. Before you know it, you'll be so far along the process, that the rest will be easy!

Edited to add that I'm now at 311 cards in my set. Only 209 more to go!

Good luck in your collecting!

Steve

[GoldenAge50s]

Hi Luke---

I'm 29 & have been collecting since the late 40's.

Start by buying a nice size lot of cards---A great way to get jump-started and get a feel for the set as a whole--usually at a better price than a few single cards.

[Rob D.]

Here's a somewhat different take that can be applied not only to T206s but just about and vintage set: Start by collecting the Hall of Famers (which was mentioned previously) and other high-dollar cards first. Even though you might find the cost somewhat prohibitive, and your collection might be built more slowly, there's an upside. If you decide to bail on the project or go in a different direction with your collecting, you're not going to be stuck with a lot of low-grade commons that are tough to sell. Instead you'll have a smaller group of cards that will be somewhat in demand.

My guess is that since you've posted, you've received e-mails with offers to sell you decent-sized groups of commons. It's a buyers market for these cards. There are a ton of low- to mid-grade T206s out there that you'll always be able to acquire. What you won't always be able to do in a timely manner is sell them for what you paid. Even though it might seem odd because you're just starting, try to buy with a discerning eye. It will pay off in the long run. If, after you've acquired a moderate number of Hall of Famers and/or Southern leaguers, you decide you're in for the long haul, it will be easy to fill in the holes with the commons you're missing.

[Luke]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Here's a somewhat different take that can be applied not only to T206s but just about and vintage set: Start by collecting the Hall of Famers (which was mentioned previously) and other high-dollar cards first. Even though you might find the cost somewhat prohibitive, and your collection might be built more slowly, there's an upside. If you decide to bail on the project or go in a different direction with your collecting, you're not going to be stuck with a lot of low-grade commons that are tough to sell. Instead you'll have a smaller group of cards that will be somewhat in demand.

My guess is that since you've posted, you've received e-mails with offers to sell you decent-sized groups of commons. It's a buyers market for these cards. There are a ton of low- to mid-grade T206s out there that you'll always be able to acquire. What you won't always be able to do in a timely manner is sell them for what you paid. Even though it might seem odd because you're just starting, try to buy with a discerning eye. It will pay off in the long run. If, after you've acquired a moderate number of Hall of Famers and/or Southern leaguers, you decide you're in for the long haul, it will be easy to fill in the holes with the commons you're missing.

This strikes me as a really good idea. I could basically just continue my RC collection this way and get a feel for the set. My initial plan was to try and pick up a few lots so that I would have around 100 cards fairly quickly and then I would start picking up the rest. Does this seem like too vauge of a plan to you guys? Has anyone started their set that way, and how did it work out? Or, if you started you're set with the HOFers and high dollar cards, how did that work out for you?

[Luke]

[QUOTE=Steve D;830936]Welcome Luke

I've been collecting baseball cards seriously for around 35 years (since I was 12). I always thought about collecting T206s, but just never quite got the itch. That is, until about seven years ago. Here's how I did it.

First off, I collected the hall of famers. Once I had obtained all of them except for Plank and Wagner, I stopped, thinking I was done. Thing is, every time I looked at the cards, they just kept drawing me in, until I wanted more. So, I moved on to collecting the Chicago Cubs cards. When I had obtained most of them (I now have all of them except Lundgren), I started looking for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. Once I had most of them, I moved to the Yankees. After that, I began to realize that I was reaching the "point of no return" so to speak. At that point, I just said "what the heck" (or something like it ), and decided to collect the entire set. The "Monster" had gotten me!

What I'm trying to say, is to keep a focus at all times. Don't just start by collecting random cards. If you're like me, when you look at them, all you'll see is a hodgepodge of cards, with no real rhyme or reason. Sure, they're all T206s, but beyond that, they aren't really connected. The set just seems so formidable at first, that you could talk yourself out of it. So.....

Start by collecting a team set. When that's done, or near done, go to another team. Keep doing this, but by all means, keep a focus at all times. That way, when you look at the cards, you'll see cards that are connected to each other, and eventually, you'll want to extend that connection by getting more of them.

There are of course other ways to collect T206. You could start by collecting the hall of famers. This way, you're getting nearly all the high demand cards out of the way first. You could also start with the portrait cards, or with all the non-portrait cards. Get the Southern Leaguers and/or the Minor Leaguers first.

The bottom line is, as I've said.....maintain a focus at all times. That way, you break down The Monster into it's sub-parts, and it doesn't seem so formidable. Before you know it, you'll be so far along the process, that the rest will be easy!

Edited to add that I'm now at 311 cards in my set. Only 209 more to go!

Good luck in your collecting!

Steve[/Q

I like you're approach to the set. I could definitely see myself attacking it the same way.

[Idiottax]

As another new collector of the Monster, I wanted to say this is a really great thread. It was nice to see all of this information collected in one thread and really hit home a lot of what I've learned from this group in a short period of time.

As another younger collector (31), I'd always wanted to collect T206 cards, but never thought they were readily available for purchase, until I saw some at a card show in the mall a few months ago and purchased my first card, an exceptionally beat up Orval Overall, which called to me, since I researched his life for the National League Deadball Era book.

I guess that gave me a natural starting point for my collection, which is National League pitchers, since as a group, they interest me the most. Of course, we all stray from time to time from our initial goal, but I've really enjoyed collecting vintage cards after being away from cards for over 15 years.

[Orioles1954]

I absolutely second the notion of buying Hall of Famers and stars first (for any set) and adding the commons later. For instance, for my 1933 Delong project, I picked up up Foxx and Gehrig early in the game. Now, it doesn't seem very daunting at all.

[Piratesfan1418]

Ultimately it's up you on how you go about collecting. Personally I enjoy picking up a card here and there and love picking up ungraded copies. I will say that when I purchase stars or scarce cards I will buy them graded and probably free them from their tombs.

Brad