Washington T206 Mini-Set Comparison to High-Grade Competitor

[GeoPoto]

Card 20: Herman A. "Germany" Schaefer. Infielder for the Washington Senators in 1909-1914. 972 hits, 9 home runs, and 201 stolen bases in 15 MLB seasons. His "steal" of first base prompted rule making it illegal. Popular as a baseball "trickster" and "on-field clown", often in tandem with Charley O'Leary and, later, with Nick Altrock. Altrock eventually perfected the art with Al Schacht.

Germany Schaefer Sweet Caporal 460-30: Overall, Schaefer T206 cards are reasonably common (PSA -828), but because they are split between Detroit (PSA-417) and Washington (PSA-411), each variant is a little less common than some. PSA has graded five Schaefer Washington T206 cards at PSA 6.5, six at PSA 7, and one at PSA 9. The Schaefer Washington T206 card is in Print Group 4.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: The H/R card is graded PSA 6.5. It has the expected clear image with strong edges and corners. The surface is clean, with minor staining on the borders. It is centered left and a little high. The borders are tight. The back is centered a little high with moderate fading.

My Entry: My card is graded PSA 4. It is not the nicest of PSA 4s, showing moderate wear to the surface, edges, and corners. The card is centered low right. The borders are tight. The back is well-centered with good color and minor fading.

Comparison: Neither of these cards present all that well to my eye. The presentation of the H/R card is superior. Both cards are off center with tight borders, particularly side-to-side. My card might have slightly more border, particularly top-to-bottom. The back of my card is superior.

My conclusion: I think I like my card better. The tightness of the upper left corner of the H/R card, catches me every time I look at it. I find my card though rough, easier to look at. I would like to upgrade my card, but not to the H/R card. I'll continue to look.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. The borders on the H/R card are too tight for me to choose it, even though my card is no better and needs an upgrade.

Additional Germany Schaefer Fun Fact: On September 13, 1902, he was manning third base for the Chicago Cubs as Tinker, Evers, and Chance played together in their customary spots for the first time.