How much have things changed in 10 years?

[honus94566]

Looking back at old auction results etc, just for fun and this one caught my eye.

This T206 near set sold exactly 10 years ago, this same week (final week of March 2011)

http://mar11.hugginsandscott.com/cgi...l?itemid=31503

What would this auction end at if it were ending today? Predictions?

[brianp-beme]

No estimate, but I used to love seeing completely raw T206 near sets being offered. I think that time has passed. Here is the original lot description for those estimators out there:

1909-1911 T206 White Borders Near Set of (519/524) with O’Hara Variation
Lot Number 1

Quantity: 1 Bid Starts: 03/16/2011 12:00:00
Bid Open: 7500.00 Bid Ends: 03/30/2011 23:30:00
Bid Count: 11 Overtime: 30 Minutes
Currently: 19000.00 Time Left: Ended
View Count: 6125
Start <--> Next Lot

Description
Upon release by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) during the early summer of 1909, the pint-sized cardboard renderings of contemporary baseball stars became a runaway marketing success for the next two years. A century has passed since Cobb, Johnson, and most notably Wagner starred in the 1909-11 T206 White Border designation; however, demand for their “pictures” has not waned. Securing examples from this famed series is often considered a rite of passage, as holding a tangible piece of baseball history often leads to a lifelong quest to amass “The Monster.” Offered is an impressive 1909-1911 T206 White Border near set of (519/524) that includes an extremely challenging O’Hara team variation. The approximate condition breakdown is as follows: 5% (VG-EX to EX), 15% (VG), 35% (GD), 25% (FR) and 20% (PR). Nearly 20% of the lower-grade cards display a combination of wear including paper loss, tape residue or writing with an additional 10% having sustained varying degrees of trimming. The overall composition of the all-important advertising backs is as follows: (440) Piedmont/Sweet Caporal, (34) Old Mill, (27) Polar Bear, (13) Sovereign, (2) Cycle 460, (1) American Beauty 460 Unframed, (1) El Principe De Gales and (1) Tolstoi. Featured are Hall of Famers/Stars: (81 cards, all common backs, unless noted, 10% VG to EX, 26% GD, 35% FR, 29% PR with four trimmed) with Cobb (FR, Bat Off Shoulder), Cobb (FR, Bat On Shoulder), Cobb (PR, Green Portrait), Cobb (VG, Red Portrait, Polar Bear), Crawford (GD, Throwing), Evers (GD, Portrait), Jennings (VG, One Hand Showing, Old Mill), W. Johnson (PR, Hands at Chest, Polar Bear), W. Johnson (FR, Portrait), Lajoie (GD, Portrait), Lajoie (FR, with Bat, Sovereign), Lajoie (VG-EX, Throwing), Marquard (GD, Follow-Through, Cycle 460), Mathewson (GD, Dark Cap), Mathewson (GD, Portrait), Mathewson (VG, White Cap), McGraw (VG, Portrait, with Cap), Speaker (GD), Tinker (GD, Bat Off Shoulder), Walsh (VG, Sovereign), Willis (EX, Portrait), C. Young (GD, Bare Hand Shows), C. Young (PR, Glove Shows, Polar Bear), C. Young (GD, Portrait); Southern Leaguers: (48 cards, 27 Old Mill, 18% VG-EX to EX, 17% VG, 18% GD, 17% FR, 30% PR with five trimmed) with Breitenstein (VG), Foster (VG, Old Mill), Guiheen (VG-EX), Helm (VG-EX), Kiernan (VG), McCauley (VG, Old Mill), Orth (VG-EX, Old Mill), Paige (VG-EX, Old Mill), Revelle (EX, Old Mill), Ryan (VG-EX, Old Mill), Seitz (VG-EX), Shaughnessy (VG, Old Mill), C. Smith (VG), Stark (VG), Thebo (VG), Violat (VG-EX Old Mill), Westlake (GD), F. White (VG-EX); Key Variations/Errors: (7 cards, all common backs, unless noted) with G. Brown (trimmed, Washington), Dahlen (VG-EX, Brooklyn), Elberfeld (PR, Washington), Lundgren (FR, Chicago), O’Hara (FR, St. Louis, Polar Bear) and F. Smith (FR, Chicago & Boston, American Beauty 460 Unframed). This desirable near set is missing only Demmitt (St. Louis), J. Doyle (N.Y. Nat’l), Magie (available separately in this auction), Plank and Wagner for completion. Due to rudimentary factory printing techniques of the age, slight size variances are present. To view this magnificent collection in greater detail, several images are available on our website along with grades for all Hall of Famers/stars, Southern Leaguers, variants and tougher backs.

It should be noted that although nearly 20% of the backs have sustained varying degrees of back damage due to neat removal from period albums, the fronts appear nicer than the resulting technical grades.

Hall of Famers/Stars: (81 cards, all common backs, unless noted, 10% VG to EX, 26% GD, 35% FR, 29% PR with four trimmed) with Baker (PR), Beckley (FR), Bender (GD, No Trees), Bender (FR, Portrait), Bender (VG, with Trees), Bresnahan (FR, Portrait, Sovereign), Breshanan (GD, with Bat), M. Brown (GD, Chicago on Shirt), M. Brown (FR, Cubs on Shirt), M. Brown (trimmed, Portrait), Chance (FR, Batting), Chance (FR, Red Portrait), Chance (FR, Yellow Portrait), Chase (GD, Blue Portrait), Chase (FR, Dark Cap), Chase (GD, Holding Trophy, Polar Bear), Chase (PR, Pink Portrait), Chase (FR, White Cap), Chesbro (FR), Cicotte (FR), F. Clarke (PR, Portrait), F. Clarke (FR, with Bat), Cobb (FR, Bat Off Shoulder), Cobb (FR, Bat On Shoulders), Cobb (PR, Green Portrait), Cobb (VG, Red Portrait, Polar Bear), E. Collins (PR, Portrait), J. Collins (FR), Crawford (GD, Throwing), Crawford (trimmed, with Bat), G. Davis (FR), Duffy (GD), Evers (GD, Portrait), Evers (PR, with Bat, Chicago on Shirt, Polar Bear), Evers (FR, Cubs on Shirt), Flick (trimmed), Gandil (GD), Griffith (PR, Batting), Griffith (GD, Portrait), Huggins (PR, Hands at Mouth), Huggins (PR, Portrait), Jennings (GD, Both Hands Showing, Polar Bear), Jennings (VG, One Hand Showing, Old Mill), Jennings (GD, Portrait), W. Johnson (PR, Hands at Chest, Polar Bear), W. Johnson (FR, Portrait), Joss (FR, Pitching), Joss (GD, Portrait), Keeler (FR, Portrait), Keeler (PR, with Bat), Kelley (PR), Lajoie (GD, Portrait), Lajoie (FR, with Bat, Sovereign), Lajoie (VG-EX, Throwing), Marquard (GD, Follow-Through, Cycle 460), Marquard (PR, Hands at Thighs), Marquard (FR, Portrait), Mathewson (GD, Dark Cap), Mathewson (GD, Portrait), Mathewson (VG, White Cap), McGraw (FR, Finger in Air), McGinnity (FR), McGraw (FR, Glove at Hip), McGraw (trimmed, Portrait, no Cap, Sovereign), McGraw (VG, Portrait, with Cap), Speaker (GD), Tinker (GD, Bat Off Shoulder), Tinker (PR, Bat On Shoulder), Tinker (FR, Hands on Knees), Tinker (FR, Portrait), Waddell (FR, Portrait), Waddell (PR, Throwing), Wallace (PR), Walsh (VG, Sovereign), Wheat (PR), Willis (EX, Portrait), Willis (PR, Throwing), Willis (FR, with Bat), C. Young (GD, Bare Hand Shows), C. Young (PR, Glove Shows, Polar Bear), C. Young (GD, Portrait);

Southern Leaguers: (48 cards, 27 Old Mill, 18% VG-EX to EX, 17% VG, 18% GD, 17% FR, 30% PR with five trimmed) with Bastian (FR, Old Mill), Bay (PR, Old Mill), Bernhard (GD), Breitenstein (VG), Carey (GD), Coles (PR, Old Mill), Cranston (PR, Old Mill), Ellam (FR, Old Mill), Foster (VG, Old Mill), Fritz (GD), Greminger (PR, Old Mill), Guiheen (VG-EX), B. Hart (PR), J. Hart (FR), Helm (VG-EX), Hickman (FR, Old Mill), Hooker (trimmed, Old Mill), E. Howard (FR), A. Jordan (GD, Old Mill), Kiernan (VG), King (trimmed), LaFitte (GD, Old Mill), Lentz (FR, Old Mill), Lipe (trimmed, Old Mill), Mannion (GD, Old Mill), McCauley (VG, Old Mill), M. Miller (FR), Molesworth (trimmed, Old Mill), Mullaney (PR, Old Mill), Orth (VG-EX, Old Mill), Otey (PR), Paige (VG-EX, Old Mill), Perdue (FR, Old Mill), Persons (PR, Old Mill), Reagan (trimmed), Revelle (EX, Old Mill), Rockenfeld (PR, Old Mill), Ryan (VG-EX, Old Mill), Seitz (VG-EX), Shaughnessy (VG, Old Mill), C. Smith (VG), S. Smith (GD), Stark (VG), Thebo (VG), Thornton (GD, Old Mill), Violat (VG-EX, Old Mill), Westlake (GD), F. White (VG-EX);

Key Variations/Errors: (7 cards, all common backs, unless noted) with G. Brown (trimmed, Washington), Dahlen (VG-EX, Brooklyn), Elberfeld (PR, Washington), Kleinow (FR, Boston, Polar Bear), Lundgren (FR, Chicago), O’Hara (FR, St. Louis, Polar Bear), F. Smith (FR, Chicago & Boston, American Beauty 460 Unframed);

Horizontal Cards: (6 cards, all common backs) with Birmingham (GD), Mullin (VG-EX), Murphy (PR), Pattee (FR), Pelty (VG), Powell (FR);

Uncommon Backs: (36 cards) with

Cycle 460: He. Wagner (FR, Bat on Right Shoulder;

El Principe De Gales: Covaleski (GD);

Old Mill: (6 cards) with Dunn (GD, Brooklyn), P. Graham (GD), Lake (PR, No Ball in Hand), Owen (GD), Scott (VG), Weimer (VG);

Polar Bear: (19 cards) with Abbaticchio (VG, Blue Sleeves), Arellanes (GD), Ames (VG, Hands Above Head), Donlin (GD, with Bat), Doyle (FR, N.Y.), Elberfeld (VG, Fielding), B. Graham (FR), Knight (GD, Portrait), Mattern (VG), McIntyre (VG, Brooklyn & Chicago), Milligan (GD), O’Leary (FR, Hands at Knees), Rhoades (GD, Hands at Chest), Rucker (FR, Throwing), J. Sweeney (GD), J. Tannehill (VG), Wilhelm (VG, with Bat), Willetts (GD), Wiltse (PR, Portrait, with Cap);

Sovereign: (9 cards) with Batch (FR), Criger (FR), Dougherty (FR, Portrait), Doyle (VG-EX, Throwing), Kruger (PR), Leach (VG), Mullin (VG, with Bat), Murphy (VG, with Bat), Wiltse (GD, Portrait, no Cap);

Tolstoi: Doolan (FR, Batting)


Brian

[Harford20]

Nice!!
Imagine paying for 4 Cobbs and 2 Johnsons and getting 513 more cards for FREE.

[scooter729]

There was another similar T206 set that B-L Auctions had, maybe a bit after this one. I don't remember all of the details other than it was in the G-VG range, and went for around $20K. I was the underbidder and remember thinking the next day I should've tried one more bid, but I could always go after the next one. Er, maybe not....

Leon - any recollection of that set, and any other details?

[FrankWakefield]

Interesting post! Great to have that listing.

I saw about 520 of them in a slim ring binder in 15 pocket sheets... They were mostly EX. I believe it changed hands for $10k. That would have been about 1999, give or take a couple of years, in Cincinnati.

Today, seldom would you see a set / near set in a binder. Today, Cobbs, Youngs, Demmitt and O'Hara would most likely be in slabs.

Seeing all of them together made for a memorable sight.

[Kevin]

A few thoughts:

1. Why didn't I find this site in 2005 - in the midst of self indulgence and vice??!!??

2. 2011 - dropping 20K on a set like this would have been something I could have pulled off.

3. The real thing I have been meaning to ask since I got here in October: just how many sets of 520, 520+ are out there?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by scooter729

There was another similar T206 set that B-L Auctions had, maybe a bit after this one. I don't remember all of the details other than it was in the G-VG range, and went for around $20K. I was the underbidder and remember thinking the next day I should've tried one more bid, but I could always go after the next one. Er, maybe not....

Leon - any recollection of that set, and any other details?

don't remember that, Scott. Yes, times have changed. I sold Hal a 25 Gehrig in a 6 holder for 10k about 15 yrs ago.

.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Leon

don't remember that, Scott. Yes, times have changed. I sold Hal a 25 Gehrig in a 6 holder for 10k about 15 yrs ago.

.

And this one sold for $2400 at Goodwin only 6-7 years ago. I was underbidder. Still hurts.

1925 Exhibits Gehrig 74 goodwin 2014.jpg

[Orioles1954]

It’s weird to see one of my descriptions from 10 years ago! I remember that lot...it was rough!

[drcy]

To me, owning all your cards behind plastic is like owning digital online images of cards

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by scooter729

There was another similar T206 set that B-L Auctions had, maybe a bit after this one. I don't remember all of the details other than it was in the G-VG range, and went for around $20K. I was the underbidder and remember thinking the next day I should've tried one more bid, but I could always go after the next one. Er, maybe not....

Leon - any recollection of that set, and any other details?

Looks like there was a 520 card near set in their 2/2011 auction, but what comes up using their past auction results has no photos and no lot description. With buyer's premium the total was almost 19.5K.


Brian

[riggs336]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Looks like there was a 520 card near set in their 2/2011 auction, but what comes up using their past auction results has no photos and no lot description. With buyer's premium the total was almost 19.5K.


Brian

In 2009 I won this auction for $16K + 15% vig. I was shocked, surprised and happy.

http://oct08.hugginsandscott.com/cgi...pl?itemid=9335