Helmar Discussion and Debate Here

[GregMitch34]

All good points and fuel or food for thought so keep them coming. However, when you say they don't take much work -- have you ever actually held one? Except for the t206 ones, they are on thick or ultra-thick stock, with many layers, and many of them oversized. Not to mention the "distressed" look and in many cases very, very cool backs. And, for all those those who complain about holdering vs. handling cards--you can really handle these all you want. Whether they appreciate in value is another question--but again, this responds to those who complain that people are only collecting cards these days as an "investment." Where else can you buy a gorgeous "card" of Lou Gehrig as a pitcher at Columbia? And, yes, someone paid $170 for it last night....and probably doesn't care much if it plummets in value.

Then, as someone who displays art and photos around the house--the cabinet cards, at least, are great to display on shelves and mantelpieces, or you can even frame them if you wish. Haven't done that with a little, graded, t206, that's for sure....And you can also buy the original art, signed by the artist, for some of the cards, some of them also 8 X 10 in size.

Finally, there's the scarcity, with only (Charles claims) a half dozen of each card produced per year, if that. True, many may not care, but on the other hand--if you see a card you love and lose out at auction (as I did last night) you DO NOT have a chance to then go buy it at ebay but wait for it to come up again many months down the road. You'll see very, very few great cards at the BIN at ebay now--they are almost all the more mass-produced stamps and early t206 inserts he placed in products he sold a few years back. That can be frustrating--all it boosts the "scarce" appeal.

This would all be heightened if he did a "pop report" for most of the cards. He could even go further and do a VCP type "sales" records, but the pop report itself would add to the appeal, and potential value, if you care, on its own.

As for licensing--a key question. Perhaps Charles can reply here. Probably doesn't matter with vast majority of the players, long deceased, but he is also offering throwback cards for people like Hank Aaron and Willie Mays....