Intrinsic Value of Nick Maddox

[JasonL]

You're not getting off that easy. Unless I missed it (entirely possible), you didn't explain what made you pull the trigger on this whim...why this card? why this player?
Regardless of the answer - congrats, and welcome to the dark side. Unless you have the needed funds, you may need to switch your screen name away from Mintacular...cuz that grade gets costly very quickly.

My story/nirvanic nightmare:
I have a pair of cousins who played MLB in the 1930s and 40s, and PCL ball into the 50s. Searching for their cards led me into a much deeper exploration of the history of baseball than I had previously been interested in as a yute (see My Cousin Vinny for prounounciation). I started learning about my cousins' careers, as well as the careers of their teammates and other contemporaries. That just led me back further, as I learned that my cousin Lee was chosen to play 3B for the Pirates by their previous thirdbaseman, turned mgr, Pie Traynor. Honus was one of his coaches and then close acquiantances (hello T200 Pitts). All of a sudden I found myself awash in stories of Nap Lajoie being so good that they changed the team's nickname(hello T200 Cleveland and T206 Lajoie with bat), about Lobert's famous horserace (hello T206 Lobert), and totally immersed for a time in the stories of the early NY Giants team (Hello T200 of NY Nats). I grew up a Cubs fan, and that really hurt. But what hurt even more was the fact that since they were one of the premier teams of the early 1900s, they had alot of material to collect! (hello team sets of T200, T201, T205, T206, and T207). Haven't the money to embark on the T202 and T204 just yet, and I may never.

But it is fun. Owning a piece of history is a satisfying feeling. It satisfies a selfish desire to have something that not many people own, it makes me feel closer to the game, and it's also a store of value that I can happily say isn't as destructive to my net worth as other habits or hobbies might be...The most satisfying items for me have stories or research attached to them.

Welcome Aboard!

[mintacular]

Thanks for your story Jason, it appears a few folks are firing "warning shots" in my direction that once the genie is out of the bottle it won't go back in. And to the other member, that's a real nice auto of him too, do you have a personal knowledge about this particular player?

I didn't put a whole lot of thought into this particular card. I've like this set because of the gold metallic borders and am not a big fan of T206s et al. as the white borders make the corners look grungy IMO. I remember seeing the famous Christy Mathewson card in a book and so that recollection also keyed this purchase to some extent. I grew up a PGH Pirates fan so there you go. I didn't want to pay more than $50 so any star card or one in EX or better was out of the budget. I like the idea of owning a card that was produced 100 years ago as well.

Anyway, I like the card, we'll see where it leads. I have caught myself on eBay the last couple days digging around a bit more for the pre-war cards. But until I learn more about the cards, I will not be going on a spending spree. I also don't really know what the market $ is for these cards and fear getting stuck with some reprints/counterfeits/doctored cards but I guess there are ways around that (buy graded, find a few rep. dealers, etc.)

Originally Posted by mintacular

I also don't really know what the market $ is for these cards and fear getting stuck with some reprints/counterfeits/doctored cards but I guess there are ways around that (buy graded, find a few rep. dealers, etc.)

Put up a post on the B/S/T and I am sure the guys here will help you out. Sometimes you pay more, sometimes less, but in the end you will always end up with a good deal you can be happy with. Raw or graded rest assured the cards are 100% authentic. As far as Ebay stick with those sellers who have track records of selling pre-war cards and can guarentee authenticity.

I like the T205's because they are easy to spot COU's. After a while of looking at others you will be able to spot real from fake and altered ones as well. Even those can sneek up on you.