Washington T206 Mini-Set Comparison to High-Grade Competitor

[GeoPoto]

Card 7: Norman A. "Kid" Elberfeld. "The Tabasco Kid". Shortstop for the Washington Senators 1910-1911. 1,235 hits, 10 home runs, and 213 stolen bases in 14 MLB seasons. Fiery temper involved him in numerous ferocious arguments and assaults on umpires. Managed the New York Highlanders in 1908. Debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1898. Had a career OBP of .355 and 7 MLB seasons with at least 500 plate appearances.

Kid Elberfeld Washington Fielding Piedmont 350: Elberfeld Fielding T206 cards are common (PSA-604). PSA has graded nine Elberfeld Fielding T206cards at PSA 7 and another six at PSA 8. The Elberfeld Fielding card is often designated as Washington despite it being the only Elberfeld Fielding card in the T206 set. However, there is another Elberfeld card in the T206 set, the Elberfeld Portrait card. The Elberfeld Portrait does come with different team designations, which requires the use of Washington and New York in titling Elberfeld T206 cards. The Elberfeld Fielding T206 card is in Print Group 3.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: This is another PSA 7 with strong corners, edges, and surface, suitable to the grade. The centering is excellent, debatably a tad high, which is exacerbated by the odd location of the name and team designation. The borders are good. The back is a disappointment with moderate fading and staining.

My Entry: This PSA 3 presents a clear image, with corner, edge, and surface wear typical for the grade. The centering is quite good, probably a little high. Note the more pleasing location for the name and team designation in contrast with the H/R card. The borders are good. The back is not good, showing moderate fading, staining, and maybe even a spot of paper loss.

Comparison: The H/R card presents extremely well with two minor exceptions: the back is drab compared to the front; and the name and team designation is located oddly. My card can match the H/R card for centering and borders but concedes the technical ground to be expected in a PSA 3 compared to a 7. The H/R card's back, while hardly excellent, is superior to the back of my card.

My conclusion: I can go either way on this one. The H/R card is quite attractive. My card is hard to dislike, however, as it presents well for centering and borders. This is another one where I would hope to upgrade my card to one with stronger borders, if I can find it. The H/R card is not that card as its centering and borders are no better than my card.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I might trade my card for the H/R card. Probably, wouldn't. I think it is a close call. I'll call it a tie. I'm probably biased in favor of the sincerity of my card over the technical excellence of the H/R card. Plus, I don't like the location of the name and team designation.

Additional Kid Elberfeld Fun Fact: He still ranks 13th on the career hit by pitch list, with 165.

[GeoPoto]

Card 8: Norman A. "Kid" Elberfeld. "The Tabasco Kid". Shortstop for the Washington Senators 1910-1911. 1,235 hits, 10 home runs, and 213 stolen bases in 14 MLB seasons. Fiery temper involved him in numerous ferocious arguments and assaults on umpires. Managed the New York Highlanders in 1908. Debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1898. Had a career OBP of .355 and 7 MLB seasons with at least 500 plate appearances.

Kid Elberfeld Washington Portrait Piedmont 350: Elberfeld Portrait T206 cards are less common (PSA-328) than most. PSA has graded fifteen Elberfeld Washington Portrait T206 cards at PSA 6, five at PSA 6.5, five at PSA 7, and two at PSA 8. There is another Elberfeld Portrait card in the T206 set, the Elberfeld New York Portrait card. The Elberfeld Washington Portrait T206 card is in Print Group 1, 350 Series Only.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Here we have a card graded PSA 6 that presents very nicely, with a clean, clear image and strong corners, edges, and surface. Overall, the borders are not bad, but the card is badly centered high and a skosh left, with a sliver of a top border. The back is okay with moderate fading.

My Entry: SGC graded my card an SGC 3. It presents well with a clear image and reasonably good edges and corners. The surface evidences minor wear and staining. The card is very well-centered. The borders are good. The back has good centering and color, showing only minor fading and moderate surface wear.

Comparison: I find both of these cards presenting attractive, clear images. The H/R card has stronger corners and edgers, but my card is equally pleasing to look at. Where my card pulls ahead is in the borders and the centering. My card's back is also nicer.

My conclusion: I like my card much more than the H/R card because it has a bigger top border and, as a result, is better centered. If I am able to upgrade my card, it will not be to a card with less border and poorer centering. Until then, I will keep my card.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I like my card better.

Additional Kid Elberfeld Fun Fact: In 1908, Baseball Magazine reported that he wouldn’t select the team’s (New York Highlanders, who he was then managing) starting pitchers without first consulting his wife.

[GeoPoto]

Card 9: Frank E. "Jerry" Freeman. "Buck". First baseman with the Washington Senators in 1908-1909. 142 hits in 2 MLB seasons.

Jerry Freeman Piedmont 350: Freeman T206 cards are a little less common than some (PSA-437). PSA has graded thirteen Freeman T206 cards at the PSA 7 level and four at PSA 8. The Freeman T206 card is in Print Group 2.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: PSA graded this card PSA 7. The image is clear and clean, and the edges and corners are sharp. The card is significantly cut on a slant. It is also centered high. The borders are fair, but the slant-cut makes them look tight. The back is centered right with moderate fading.

My Entry: Graded PSA 4.5, this card shows minor wear to the corners and edges and moderate surface wear. The card is very well-centered, just the slightest bit left. The borders are outstanding. The back is well-centered with moderate fading and staining.

Comparison: The H/R card presents a nicer image; the surface clutter on my card, especially near Freeman's face, is not ideal. The backs are comparable. The slant cut is an undesirable feature that offsets the surface advantage of the H/R card. My card has bigger borders top-to-bottom.

My conclusion: I like my card more than the H/R card despite the mark near Freeman's face. My card has superior centering and larger borders and is not slant cut. I think it will be hard to find a card with better centering and borders than mine. Perhaps, I can find one with comparable centering and borders and a better surface. Until then, I will keep my card.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I like my card quite a bit, despite the surface blemish. The borders are excellent. The slant cut on the H/R card is not.

Additional Jerry Freeman Fun Fact: He was nicknamed "Buck", presumably after the major league star Buck Freeman, whose eleven-year major league career ended with 4 games in 1907. Buck then played most of the 1907 season with the Minneapolis Millers, hitting .335, while Jerry Freeman played for the same team and hit .362 (in his fourth season with Minneapolis).

[GeoPoto]

Card 10: Robert S. "Bob" Ganley. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1909. 540 hits and 112 stolen bases in 5 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1905. His best season was 1907 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .337 OBP with 40 stolen bases and 73 runs scored.

Bob Ganley Piedmont 150: Ganley T206 cards are less common than some (PSA-549). PSA has graded thirteen Ganley T206 cards at PSA 7, one at PSA 7.5, and one at PSA 8. The Ganley T206 card is in Print Group 1.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: This PSA 7 has all of the surface, edge, and corner attributes one would expect at its grade. In addition, it has near perfect centering and strong borders. The back shows nicely with good centering and only minor fading. If I issued stickers, this card would get a good one.

My Entry: I have a PSA 4. My card has moderate wear issues with the surface, the edges, and the corners. The card is centered beautifully, maybe a little low for my taste. The borders are outstanding. The back is centered okay but shows considerable surface wear and toning.

Comparison: My card gives the H/R card a run for its money, but the H/R card wins out. It presents better in every regard, with better surface, edges, corners, and back. While my card matches it for centering and sizable borders, the overall nod has to go to the H/R card.

My conclusion: I like the H/R card better than mine. The H/R card is very attractive; my card is very likeable, but no match. The H/R card has outstanding centering and borders generous enough to tempt. Does the H/R card look like it could be trimmed? Of course it does. Any high grade T206 is going to prompt anxiety about trimming. That's the world we live in. But in this case, I would go with the H/R card over mine. (Note: It turns out I have a Ganley Piedmont 350 that I would not trade for this H/R Piedmont 150. I will show it in my next post. Unfortunately, it may resurface our anxieties regarding trimming.)

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would trade my card for the H/R card. I admire my card for taking everything 115 years could offer and be still standing, but I'm taking the H/R card.

Additional Bob Ganley Fun Fact: He moved around so much that he was called "the globetrotter of organized baseball". He played for New Haven, Albany, Brockton, Columbus, Toledo, Marion, Schenectady, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Oakland, Johnstown, Des Moines and Newark, and that was just in the minors.

[GeoPoto]

Bonus Post: It turns out I have a Ganley T206 card that I would not trade for the T/R Ganley T206 card. But the card of mine that I think is better than the T/R Ganley is a Piedmont 350 not Piedmont 150 like the T/R card. Still, I thought it was interesting enough that I decided to post the cards. The first card below is my Ganley Piedmont 150 that lost out in the previous post. The second card below is the H/R Ganley Piedmont 150 that won out in the previous post. And the third card below is my Ganley Piedmont 350 that I think is best of all. I won't document a rigorous comparison, but the bottom line is I like this third Ganley card (the Piedmont 350) better than the H/R Ganley card (which is a Piedmont 150).

Two things stand out in my mind about these cards. First is how much nicer my (PSA graded 3) 350 presents compared to my (PSA graded 4) 150. And two is how little trimming it would take to alter my PSA 3 350 to make it look as "good" as the H/R PSA 7 150. Puts me back to wondering about the H/R card.

[Leon]

Personally, you collect the way I do too. I would take your card on every occasion in the postings.

Great job!
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[GeoPoto]

(Scoreboard so far: My Cards 8, H/R cards 1, with 1 tie.)

Card 11: William D. "Dolly" Gray. Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1909-1911. 15 wins in 3 MLB seasons. Holds MLB record for walks allowed in an inning (8) and for consecutive walks allowed (7). In 1911, he threw the first pitch in Griffith Stadium and got the win over Smoky Joe Wood. Surprisingly, before joining the Senators in 1909 at the age of 30, he had enough success in the minors that he is a member of the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.

Dolly Gray Sweet Caporal 350-30: Gray T206 cards are common (PSA-509). PSA has graded three Gray T206 cards at PSA 8, none higher. The Gray T206 card is in Print Group 2.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: The H/R card is graded PSA 8. It presents a beautiful, clear image. It has sharp edges and corners. The back is okay with moderate fading. Having said all that, this is a very odd card. Having graded this card a PSA 8, presumably PSA convinced itself that this top border appears just as it did when it left the factory. Seems strange to me. I think I understand how some T206 come with top and bottom edges that have been "factory cut" with a "slant", meaning the cut lines, though parallel themselves, are not parallel to the edges of the card's image. I assume this results from the sheet being out of alignment during the cut. This card violates two rules about opposing cut lines that I would have expected: that they would be parallel to each other, and that they would be straight. The top edge of this card violates both rules. The top edge is not parallel with the bottom edge, and it appears to "change direction" during the cut, soaring up to the right. On top of that, the card is centered low, left. Also, while the top-to-bottom borders may be plausible despite the odd cut, the left-to-right borders are tight.

My Entry: Here we have a very humble card that was given a grade of PSA 2. It shows moderate wear to the surface, the edges, and the corners. The surface has several small blemishes. The card is centered well, though slightly to the left. The borders are good. The back is centered high with moderate fading and staining.

Comparison: The bizarre top edge and the lousy centering put me off the H/R card entirely. The wear shown by my card does not ruin its appearance, at least to my eye. The surface blemishes are a negative. I like a lot about my card though and would be reluctant to upgrade it to any card that was not at least as endowed with strong centering and wide borders.

My conclusion: There is no case I can make for the H/R card. Even if someone explained how an individual card could come from the factory with a cut like that, the centering is poor enough that I would prefer my card. My card is well used and a candidate for further upgrade, but, until then, it stands tall, and I am proud of it.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. The H/R card looks freakish to me. My card, on the other hand, looks nice, although a little tired and weary. Okay, very tired and weary, but also very plausible.

Additional Dolly Gray Fun Fact: Despite a career record of 15-51, he pitched 46 complete games.

[Vintage Vern]

Originally Posted by Leon

Personally, you collect the way I do too. I would take your card on every occasion in the postings.

Great job!
.
.

Leon, can you elaborate on your take? Some I would agree on others not so much. Is it price points or? Are you saying you'd take every card the OP has over the AH cards? I'm just trying to learn how's, and why's. Is it what some view as important vs other factors. So if someone wants sharp corners, bold colors, and isn't worried about price they would have a different take?