Argument for why Tobacco insert cards cannot realistically be Grades of 8 or 9

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by MW1

Ted,

I usually agree with 99% of the things you write but on this issue, I think you're completely wrong. In the last 30 years, I have either heard of or seen in person a significant number of finds and original, untouched collections comprising significant quantities of ungraded NM-MT and even MINT condition T206s. I even encountered a collection that had about 50 T207s that were straight out of packs and, with the exception of centering, were Mint.

The assumption that 8s and 9s in PSA holders are frequently altered is mistaken.

Hi Michael

Nice to hear from you, it has been a while. Over the 40+ years that I've been in this hobby, I have been fortunate to acquire (or have seen) several original T206 collections.
Perhaps, not as many as you and your brother have, however here's an example of one of my more significant T206 "finds". In 2006, a fellow from South Carolina contacted
me regarding a T206 collection of approx. 400 assorted PIEDMONT cards. This collection had been in his family for 97 years. It was evident to me that the original owner of
these cards collected them from 1909 to mid 1910, since there were no PIEDMONT 350-460 series cards in it. Included with this group were 29 Southern League cards with
OLD MILL backs. Here's a breakdown of the condition of these T206's....80 % graded Vg-Ex, approx. 20 % were Ex, and 5 cards were near mint.

So, please don't misconstrue my argument here. Yes, in any given collection of original T206 cards there will be a small percentage of near mint cards that have survived all
these years; however, no where near the amount we are seeing in the various auctions, nowadays.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.