Complete/Near Set Builders- Toughest Card?

[Tim Kindler]

Attention those who have completed sets or are near completion of a set! Seeing Ed's T206 Completion Thread got me thinking about a couple of things that might interest those of us who are starting towards or near completion of various sets:
1. What was the MOST DIFFICULT card that you came across in completion of your set?
2. What was the MOST EXPENSIVE card that you purchased towards your set.

Please list the set and the answers to questions #1 and #2.

I've listed some of the more popular sets below, but please feel free to INCLUDE any set that you have completed or are near completing. I think this thread can be especially valuable to the many new vintage collectors joining the forum lately or those of us like myself who are thinking about going towards the next goal in our collections.

Example sets: T205, T206 (Excluding the Big 4- Wagner, Plank, Magie, Doyle), T207, E93, E94, E95, E96, E97, E98, E101, E102, E103, E106, M101-4-5, N28, N29, M116, D304, T3, T200, T201, T202, 33-34 Goudey, etc.

Can't wait to see some of your answers.

I'll start out:
SET- E98
MOST DIFFICULT-Bill Dahlen
MOST EXPENSIVE- Ty Cobb

[jim]

T202 - toughest one is "Too late for Devlin" with Devlin (Giants)/Matty. PSA 1 just sold for $400 I think.
T3 - toughest is a tie between Doolin error card and Tenney (Bost/NY) variation.
1935 Goudey 4 in 1 - Dean and others with puzzle back #6a and #7a - still looking.

[Leon]

Can it be a subset, like the E94 Overprints? The Oh You Fan is the one I have only seen 2 of and therefore is probably the most difficult. And that being the case I would think it would garner the strongest price. Still waiting to see a different E94 overprint, and if I were a betting person, I would say there are one or more different ones still to be discovered.

[Kawika]

I have put together a few pre-war player sets (as distinguished from master sets - I don't have the jam for errors, variations, traded cards etc - if all the players are represented, I'm done).

D304:
Most Difficult: None impossibly tough. Tenney has that reputation but I saw at least a couple available after I got mine.
Most Expensive: No surprise here. Cobb. Matty, Wags & Young pretty spendy, too.

T3:
Most Difficult: Rhoades and Bransfield were supposed to be the toughies. Didn't have a hard time with Rhoades but have seen very few for sale. Bransfield seems to come around on a regular basis.
Most Expensive: Cobb again. What is it about that guy?

T209-1 Contentnea Colors:
Most Difficult: Probably Lane and Bourquise. Never, ever saw them until I won a lot with all the remaining cards I needed at one go.
Most Expensive: I'd be guessing here. Maybe Martin. He is one of your scarcer cards and as good of a poster boy for Contentneas as you'd want.

E97 C.A. Briggs:
Set still in progress. Kinda hot right now and any that show up besides the BIN dregs command crazy money.

Most Difficult: Maybe Hemphill, maybe Keeler.
Most Expensive: "Cy" Young. Never mind that the player depicted is Irv Young. Most sellers fail to make that distinction. It's a nice card; love to find a cheap one.

[jcmtiger]

Probably not part of a set but any Proof card.


Joe

[jim]

David, I think the calling the RHoades and Bransfield is more a myth and passed down legend. I hunted for the Doolin error and Tenney variation for a couple of years without even seeing one available, much less even being able to bid on it. Now it might be that they were not that scarce but rather not just being offered. Have seen a couple of the Tenney cards recently, finally got it, but the Doolin error still hasn't surfaced. The Cobb is very abundant but a little pricey, along with the Matty. no surprise there. The second tier hof'ers like Waddell don't come out that often too. There never seems to be a lack of Ames though; go figure.

[Exhibitman]

Salutations Exhibits: Gehrig is likely to be the most expensive, Rizzo the most difficult.