Washington T206 Mini-Set Comparison to High-Grade Competitor

[GeoPoto]

Card 18: J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.

Clyde Milan Sweet Caporal 350-25: Milan T206 cards are reasonably common (PSA-490). PSA has graded one Milan T206 card at PSA 7.5 and five at PSA 8. The MilanT206 card is in Print Group 2.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: PSA graded the H/R card PSA 7.5. The H/R card presents a nice clear image with sharp edges and corners. The surface is clean. The card is centered well, but a little left. The borders are moderately tight, with the upper left border particularly cramped. The back is centered well with good color and only minor fading.

My Entry: Graded PSA 4, my card is showing moderate wear to the edges and corners. The surface shows moderate wear with a few blemishes in the image. The centering is a little high and left. The card is cut on a slight slant. The borders are a little tight, particularly left-to-right. The back is centered with good color and minor fading.

Comparison: The presentation of the H/R card is superior. My card has presentation issues caused by surface blemishes and, to a lesser extent, the slant cut. Both cards are centered well, just a little left. Despite borders that are borderline tight, my card has stronger borders than the H/R card. The backs are roughly comparable with the H/R back slightly more attractive.

My conclusion: I like my card better, but only barely. Again, it comes down primarily to borders. My card is a strong candidate for upgrade. The surface issues are a significant detractor. Even my card's strength in this comparison -- its borders -- are not particularly strong. As usual, I would prefer to keep my card, blemishes and all, until a stronger card comes along.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I'll keep my card, blemishes and all, for now.

Additional Clyde Milan Fun Fact: He was the primary target of Washington's recruiting emissary, Cliff Blankenship, in 1907. As Milan signed for $1,000, Blankenship told him that he was going out to Idaho to look over some young phenom. "It looks like a wild goose chase and probably a waste of train fare to look over that young punk," Blankenship said. The "punk" was Walter Johnson, and he signed for $100 plus train fare.