T205 BACKS - Help Please!

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Posted By: Brian K. Hodes

I have the backs indexed for my (very near) set of T205s that I am forever (it seems) upgrading. In terms of scarcity I come up with this in order of most common:

1. Piedmonte
2. Sweet Caporal
3. Hassan
4. Sovereign
5. Honest Long Cut
6. Polar Bear
7. American Beauty
8. Cycle

I don't have any of the others, but I do have a blank back.
In terms of premiums or multipliers for price I really haven't seen any consistent evidence of ANY for at least 1-6 above.
The Polar Bears tend to defeat themselves in terms of added value because they usually suffer from product stains on the reverse.
The Hassans for some reason (elaborated by Lipset among others) go along with some of the variations in the set so they do have some added value. But I believe that this is caused by the variations, not the fact that the cards are Hassans.
The added value on 7 & 8 is generally at most 150% although even sophisticated sellers really don't seem to expect much extra for these backs. In fact the only sellers who tend to even reference this on Ebay are those who simply parot the price guides.
Because I am not generally a rare back collector I cannot comment on the other companies although I do see more of Broadleaf than the others (Hindu etc.)
I guess my overall comment would be that T205 collectors are mostly indifferent to the companies so that the few interested in rare backs only really drive up prices on the most rare ones -- otherwise supply seems to satisfy demand for all but the most scarce reverses. The price guides seem to assume that the relative scacity of say Piedmont to Sovereign or Honest Long Cut (well over 3:1) must translate into some price premium on the scarcer of the two (ie a multiplier). It doesn't because most T205 collectors are indifferent to this relative scacity.

Sorry to ramble.
I hope this helps.
Brian H.