What makes a card rare

[MVSNYC]

"contemporaneous"

Thanks Marc, word of the day for me.

As mentioned above, the word "rare" gets discussed here often. Supply & Demand dictate "value", but the terms [rare, scarce & unique] relate specifically to the number of items still in existence. They are separate and distinct from "demand". Put the two together, then there is your market value.

Getting even more specific to your question- a lot of "rare" sets, brands, cards, etc. were regional, only distributed in certain areas of the country (southern league T206 cards for instance). So the supply is lower on them compared to cards with a larger distribution, hence the shortage of examples.

[jhs5120]

A "rare" card is a card with fewer copies available than there are threads defining the term "rare".

[drc]

I think some tobacco brands were regional, had shorter life spans, were less popular or distributed less-- thus were less often smoked and found todayl. Mr. Pibb is owned by Coca Cola, but is more a small niche brand for Coca Cola. Mr. Pibb bottles and ad signs are many many times rarer than the Coca Cola versions today. Sweet Caporal was clearly a tobacco company hallmark and was popularly smoked years before and after the T206s were made, thus Sweet Caporal stuff is all found over the place.

Big fashion or candy or tobacco companies make loads of different types and brands of produce, and distribute and brand them carefully. Some are ubiquitous brands, some are small amount local.

It's also sometimes happens that a brand sucks and no one buys it. Some card collectors have joked how bad Drum must have tasted.

Remember on Seinfeld when Elaine smoked a Peruvian cigar and said it was like trying to smoke a chicken bone?

Also note that a tobacco brand variations on the back a Walter Johnson T206 aren't different cards. They are just variations.