What If...1909 T206 Babe Ruth...

[HOF Auto Rookies]

What if Babe Ruth were to have played in the deadball era (and were to be the same legend, same statistics, drank the same beer and hot dog :P etc.) and had a 1909-11 T206 card.

What do you think the demand and value would be of that card?

I think after the Big 4, it's next in line for most valuable, with the highest demand over the Cobbs potentially...

[Cardboard Junkie]

Interesting, I think a t206 Babe Ruth card would be right under the big four. Maybe even higher priced than a couple of them. Backs too would be interesting, and also if different poses/portraits were used. I would like to place my order for a T-206 Babe Ruth with a Ty Cobb back! Ha ha!
I also think about 52 Topps. What if Paige or Ford or Stengal were in that set? Paige as a hi # would probably be crazy priced. JMO Aloha, Dave.

[dstraate]

Yeah, assuming it had a typical print run, it would probably rate above Cobb but below the Big 4.

I think a horizontal card with the Babe "calling his shot" may well be the coolest card in the set.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Yea Ruth under the big four, different poses, maybe a "Ruth" back, would be unreal. Calling his shot would be epic!

Paige in 52 Topps would be insane!

[vintagecpa]

Great thread. I would imagine if you have 4 Ruth poses, they would sell for about double to triple what the Cobb sells for in similar condition. The 1933 Goudey is probably a good benchmark. Obviously, rare backs would sell for similar multiples as you see with the T206 Cobb.

Assuming the card would be considered his rookie, and having a colored card with Ruth as a Pitcher for the Red Sox would create a card in high demand. Now that I think of it, you might have a similar dynamic happening with the T206 Ruth that you see with the 1952 Mantle. Despite the huge number of cards available, the demand from the non-T206 collecting public might drive the price of the card to obscene levels.

[Runscott]

Someone should dress up a Freeman T206 to create a Ruth.

I did a Speaker portrait T206 once - have to look around and find it.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Yea Ruth in a Sox uni pitching-pose would be THE most sought after card in the hobby EVER!

[zljones]

I think the value would depend on the rarity. I would guess that is would be worth like $50,000 if there were as many as your typical cards in T206 but if it was rare like the Demmitt card it would be worth like $200,000k plus, but if it was as rare as the Wagner card it would probably be the most valuable card ever and beat out the wagner card. I think we would have then seen a 5 million dollar card if that was the case

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Someone should dress up a Freeman T206 to create a Ruth.

It would look something like this. I think it could be a pretty good match!

[Bosox Blair]

I realize this is your hypothetical, and you can do what you want with it, but I have often thought what if there was a 1915 CJ Babe Ruth in a Red Sox uni...because that actually could have happened...

I'm sure it would sell for more than anyone, including Shoeless Joe, in the set.

Cheers,
Blair

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by HOF Auto Rookies

What if Babe Ruth were to have played in the deadball era (and were to be the same legend, same statistics, drank the same beer and hot dog :P etc.) and had a 1909-11 T206 card.

If Ruth played during the same era as the prominent T206 players, and was included in the set, his value would be among the players of equal comparison but wouldn't command an absurd premium. His card would more than likely fall in line with Cobb, Johnson and Mathewson based on it's availability.

Wagner, Plank, Doyle N.Y. Nat'l and Magie's value are all due to their scarcity in relation to other cards in a highly collectable set. If Ruth were included, and short printed for some reason, than his card may have an excessive premium based on it's scarcity and player notoriety. Otherwise he would be a top tier HOF'er and not command much more if any than the other notable players of equal stature in the set.

Had Wagner and Plank not been short printed and produced in common numbers they may bring a slight premium over Cobb but not much.

[benchod]

Originally Posted by Abravefan11

If Ruth played during the same era as the prominent T206 players, and was included in the set, his value would be among the players of equal comparison but wouldn't command an absurd premium. His card would more than likely fall in line with Cobb, Johnson and Mathewson based on it's availability.

Wagner, Plank, Doyle N.Y. Nat'l and Magie's value are all due to their scarcity in relation to other cards in a highly collectable set. If Ruth were included, and short printed for some reason, than his card may have an excessive premium based on it's scarcity and player notoriety. Otherwise he would be a top tier HOF'er and not command much more if any than the other notable players of equal stature in the set.

Had Wagner and Plank not been short printed and produced in common numbers they may bring a slight premium over Cobb but not much.

Well Tim,
I disagree with just about everything you wrote.
If the T206 was Ruth's rookie card I think it would be on par or exceed the value of the Plank and be behind only the Wagner and Doyle in terms of value. Heck the M101-4/5 Ruth is quickly catching up to the Plank, it's readily available and it's from a far less popular set. The Ruth would dwarf the Mathewson, Johnson , Young etc.

Also if all the cards were produced in equal quantities Cobb would sell for more than Wagner and Plank not the other way around
Jut my two cents on this hypothetical what if.

[sportscardpete]

Originally Posted by benchod

Also if all the cards were produced in equal quantities Cobb would sell for more than Wagner and Plank not the other way around
Jut my two cents on this hypothetical what if.

Plank would sell for less, but I would think there would be more demand for the Wagner. I'm assuming there would be more variations than just one portrait, but if he only had one card it would command more than any of the Cobbs. If he had four variations like the t206 Cobb, then it might be a bit even.

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by benchod

If the T206 was Ruth's rookie card...

I didn't base any of my speculation on a Ruth T206 being his rookie card. I considered the possibilities based on the card being as readily available as other T206 of HOF'ers. If that were the case I don't believe a Ruth T206 would sell for ten of thousands of dollars.

If other speculative parameters are considered, rookie card, short print, etc, the skies the limit on what a T206 Ruth would sell for.

The great thing about speculation is nobodies wrong.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by benchod

Heck the M101-4/5 Ruth is quickly catching up to the Plank, it's readily available and it's from a far less popular set."

If there was a T206 Ruth, so many different variables would factor into its price. If there were four of them, printed as often as the four Cobbs were -- and in particular the red Cobb was -- then I have to agree that it would be worth a similar price to Cobb, maybe a touch more.

Comparing the M101-4/5 Ruth to the T206 Plank is apples and oranges. You'd have to tell me the total numbers extant. My guess is that Ruth would be more prevalent, but not nearly as prevalent as if he would have been printed as often as all four T206 Cobbs. For instance, it would not surprise me if the M101-4/5 Ruth had over 100 more in existence than the T206 Plank and still commanded a comparable price (that's supply and demand, after all). But, if there were as many M101-4/5 Ruths as T206 Cobbs, I think you'd see the value of those Ruths come way down (because supply would closer match demand).