Does rarity help or hurt value?

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Leon

This is rare, and it's Ruth, but it's not that valuable relative to other more mainstream Ruth's..
It is on cardboard stock and is 5 x 7....so size could be another reason for less value.

I wish rarity equaled value.
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Leon, what exactly is that? Clearly it is associated with “Babe Coming Home”, but how was it distributed, exactly when, and is a post card?

[drcy]

Sometimes rareness means obscure and people don't know what it is.

A collector had a circa 1850s cloth tintype (tintype photo on cloth instead of metal). I had heard these theoretically existed but it was the only one I've seen to this date. I told the guy it belonged in a museum. He had big trouble trying to sell it for fair $$ because people didn't know what it was or understand how unique it was.

[FrankWakefield]

You guys all conspired to post this stuff...

REALLY!!!!



Forget demand, for the moment. Don't forget it as to how it affects a card's price, I agree that it pretty much dictates it.

But THE QUESTION had nothing to do with demand. Does rarity help or hurt the value... It can only help it. But the help will be miniscule when compared to demand. I cannot imagine a scenario where rarity hurts value. I'm agreeing that demand is the 800 pound gorilla pulling the purse strings, but that wasn't the question.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Leon, what exactly is that? Clearly it is associated with “Babe Coming Home”, but how was it distributed, exactly when, and is a post card?

I got it from REA some years back. Most likely a premium given at the show, is my guess. It is a card and not a photo even though it has photo markings on the back. I have never seen another. I just wish Glyn was right on this one....
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