A Troubling Hobby Developement

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Posted By: John_B_California

I agree with Joe, that there are probably some biases that explain the different numbers.

I've seen far more ungraded T206's at shows and on ebay than T213. There's little incentive to get low graded, low dollar cards slabbed (i.e. 1's, 2's or those with writing). The population skews to the middle for a popular set like T206. There's also been notable T206 finds (southern find), plus the 7's, 8's and 9's are more likely to be cracked and resubmitted, thus artifically inflating their numbers.

There's enough holes in some of these early sets to make me question how widespread fraud really is. I remember in the 90's when I subscribed to SCD, there was always an ad in the back looking for high grade T204's (I forget the dealers name off hand). And now to look at the pop report 10-12 years later, and see that there's hardly anything above a 6, it makes me doubt this image I have in my mind of these shady guys trimming and altering cards in the wee hours of the night and then sending them to Newport Beach and fleecing the public. You can't even build that set in a 6.

Interesting discussion guys.

John