T206 Matty's mystery.....missing backs.....where are they ?

[ty_cobb]

To 'find' a card today is not the same as finding a Red Hindu in the days when ebay first started, or trading with the old Full Count BBC board members (what a bunch of characters!) , or trading into my circle of collectors in texas and arizona. Ive had, or seen many Red Hindus from those days. Grading was a new thing, The Evers red Hindu was ungraded in my collection.

You could get Red Hindu's for a decent price. Some $500 apiece, then they went up according to HOF or rarity, and there was a lot of hard trading that went on as no one wanted to trade more than 1 , and it had to be for something rare they wanted. The collectors could bypass the dealers back then to some degree.

Explain to me how you are going to buy a Mathewson Red Hindu now? the days of 'collector to collector sale' where you work a reasonable private sale for that kind of card with your collecting circle are long dead.

Someone will insist on getting it graded , at which point dealers will get involved and then suggest it go to auction to realize best price, now cutting out the collectors , so only the top card sharks even have access to bid.

Now assuming that didnt happen , and the Mathewson Red Hindu falls into your hands at an estate sale, or a widow, or young kid who doesnt know any better, you wouldnt feel very good in you own conscience! finding this in an estate sale for next to nothing and not telling them you know the card is worth a fortune. I cant do that.

In either case I wouldnt want pay the dealers top dollar for this card, and I also would never feel right finding this card for cheap, and even though its a top card for me to find , the days to get it are over.
Maybe it's best not found! lol