Chronicling my T206 adventure

[53toppscollector]

I thought it might be interesting to post here again and add the last chapter, for now, to this adventure. The T206 set still fascinates me for so many reasons, and I will probably be back to it in some form in the future, but I reached a point where I just kind of felt paralyzed with the set. I believe that the high point, I had close to 375 cards toward the complete set, with lots of off backs. But it started to honestly feel like a slog. I found myself paying $35-40 for beat up commons, putting them in the binder, and then looking at my spreadsheet and seeing I still needed like 100 more of those commons. I watched the prices of Cobbs continue to creep up, and reminded myself I still needed all 4 of them, along with some of the other very expensive cards like the Cy Young Portrait, WaJo portrait, etc. I started with a goal of 520, then had conversations with myself like "am I really going to spend $8000 on a Demmitt STL?"...and then I started to negotiate down to 518, and then I started to wonder what the ultimate goal was.

About 7 months ago, I completed the Old Mill SL back run, 48/48, and it felt like a massive accomplishment, but it was really the only accomplishment I felt when collecting the T206s. I had minor moments of joy, where I'd find a really great deal on a HoF with an off back, but ultimately it just felt like a mountain I wasn't going to be able to climb. I mean, that is why they call it the monster, right?

I've thought about other possibilities, like just collecting the HoFs with an off back, but again, the prices on some of those cards are just tough to stomach, given how many there are to collect. I've considered just doing a pure back run, one of each back/factory, so I could have a small collection, with a few really hard/expensive backs. Ultimately, I will probably end up doing that, picking my favorite pose/front for each of the backs, and grabbing a nice copy. But that is on the back burner now, with other projects brewing.

Ultimately, the coolest part of this set is just how expansive and interesting it is. I've collected a TON of data on the set, and I have a lot more I want to do, including eventually revisiting my SweetCap census project, which had to be shelved for a while. This closes the T206 chapter of my collecting. For now.

[Kevin]

I need to be 40 instead of 50 right now. 300+ with no plan other than collecting all 520+.

Thanks for posting🙃

[3-2-count]

James, following your thread has been a fun ride.

Keep on truck’ in. I love this set too….

[Johnny T]

James,

Well I just read through all of your posts from the beginning and it was quite the ride. I too have quite a few higher end vinage sets that are all slabbed, but you're right...I don't look at them much because they are slabbed. My 1950, 51, and 52 Bowman sets are awesome, but they sit in the box. Same for my 35 and 38 Goudey sets.

Conversely, my 33 Goudey, 34-36 Diamond Stars, 40 & 41 Play Ball, 48 Bowman, and 53, 55, 57, 59 and 60 Topps sets are in binders and I look at them all of the time. My really high end cards and favorite cards that are slabbed are in curio cabinets (about 125 separate cards) and I look at them almost every day. My office is in my basement so no real danger of light ruining them (I think...lol). Anyway, if you can't enjoy them, what's the point???

That brings my to my T206 journey which started a year ago. I bought a collection from a friend of a friend who inherited about 110 of them from their uncle. Not in great shape...all were raw and in poor to good condition...mostly poor. But I loved handling them and I was immediately hooked. I did send a few for grading because they were some of the higher end cards...Cobb, Matty, Johnson, Young, etc...the rest I kept raw and in a binder. I was happy reading your journey until the last post, where the project is on hold....and obviously you're selling some because I've bought a few from you already on B/S/T. I too keep a limit of $35 for commons and I'm currently at 338 out of the 520. I didn't complicate things yet by worrying about backs, just getting to 520 and the backs are the backs...for now. With almost all of the HOF'ers done, with the exception of 3 Cobbs and 1 Young, I'm hoping I don't fall victim to the same decision to pack it up.

For now, I love following Leon's weekly T206 auctions (even won a few) and lately dabbling in B/S/T. Hoping I stick with it as I'm really done with almost all of the other sets I ever wanted to go after...I'm hoping this one keeps the chase going for some time.

JT

[RCFire82]

Sorry to see you go James! I can totally relate to the on-again, off-again feelings towards the monster. I've been in those positions a couple times on my current set build endeavor. Shooting for all off-backs, a marathon mentality has definitely been required.

[Luke]

I can relate. I was about 250 cards in to a set when I felt the same. Just seemed too daunting. What I did was I sold all the common backs and started collecting mid-tier and rare backs, with no rules other than I had to love every single card in the collection.

[3-2-count]

Originally Posted by Luke

no rules other than I had to love every single card in the collection.

This ^^^^

[MR RAREBACK]

I understand what your going through, I thought I could finish a brown hindu set, but they have went up a lot. Now I just keep buying less common backs and rare hope I get to 520 someday but I don’t keep track.
It will be a life long journey