A PSA 2 Demmitt STL sold for almost $13k yesterday

[Bpm0014]

They are getting tougher and tougher to come by. I believe there are less than 200 of each in existence? 518 may be the new 520.

[iwantitiwinit]

Originally Posted by Bpm0014

They are getting tougher and tougher to come by. I believe there are less than 200 of each in existence? 518 may be the new 520.

Exactly not enough to go around.

[53toppscollector]

Originally Posted by Bpm0014

They are getting tougher and tougher to come by. I believe there are less than 200 of each in existence? 518 may be the new 520.

PSA's pop numbers are kind of weird for both Demmitt and O'Hara, but there are less than 400 of each, between PSA and SGC. Probably a bunch of crossovers in there, and also a handful of raw copies still floating around. But I think its fairly safe to say there are about 400 or fewer copies of each still in existence.

[RCMcKenzie]

The O'hara and Demmitt Polar Bear cards are a hobby mystery. The values are grounded in some odd mystique, not just supply and demand from T206 520 collectors, otherwise Bill Cranston beaters would be $10,000 cards.

Relative pop numbers from PSA...

Graded + Q

Honus Wagner 32 2 2
Ty Cobb Red 1856 379 106
Plank 70 7 1
Ohara PB 143 22 10
Demmitt PB 166 23 5
Cranston 171 36 10
Violat 180 34 11

[RCFire82]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

The O'hara and Demmitt Polar Bear cards are a hobby mystery. The values are grounded in some odd mystique, not just supply and demand from T206 520 collectors, otherwise Bill Cranston beaters would be $10,000 cards.

Relative pop numbers from PSA...

Graded + Q

Honus Wagner 32 2 2
Ty Cobb Red 1856 379 106
Plank 70 7 1
Ohara PB 143 22 10
Demmitt PB 166 23 5
Cranston 171 36 10
Violat 180 34 11

Great Point Rob. Was going to respond with something similar...but you beat me to it, and included the leg work 👍. Other "rarities" within the set also fall into this hobby mystery, as they really aren't all that rare. The x factor may have more to do with how often they come up for sale/auction than how scarce they truly are?

[parkerj33]

cranston is a little misleading because a vast majority of them (i suspect) are not graded and likely never will be. Demmitt and O'Hara are well known as polarbear-only rarities so a large % of known copies will be graded. not all of course, but many more than cranston's percentages.

another thing to consider is that within polar bear backs they are not any rarer than any other polar bear subject.....its just that all other polar bear subjects are available in common piedmont/sweet cap backs (and likely several other backs).

[MR RAREBACK]

I would rather buy rare backs

[Webster]

What does a Cranston go for these days? Couldn’t find any record of sales from this year.

[53toppscollector]

Originally Posted by parkerj33

cranston is a little misleading because a vast majority of them (i suspect) are not graded and likely never will be. Demmitt and O'Hara are well known as polarbear-only rarities so a large % of known copies will be graded. not all of course, but many more than cranston's percentages.

another thing to consider is that within polar bear backs they are not any rarer than any other polar bear subject.....its just that all other polar bear subjects are available in common piedmont/sweet cap backs (and likely several other backs).

I mean, they are actually two of the most populous Polar Bears, because they are the highest value.

I have the following as the Polar Bears with the most combined pop between PSA and SGC

Cobb Red
Demmitt
O'Hara
Chance Yellow
Cobb Bat Off
WaJo Pitching
Joss Pitching
Mathewson Dark Cap
Young Glove Shows

All of those have 200+ Polar Bears. The Red Cobb was the only one, last I checked, with more Polar Bears graded than Demmitt/O'Hara. Red Cobb had been graded almost 500 times.

[Pat R]

It's far easier to acquire a Cranston than a Demmitt or O'hara St. Louis despite what the pop reports say and if the price doubled on Cranstons tomorrow for some reason it would be even easier to acquire one.