Can someone explain the price on this T206 Johnson portrait?

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Posted By: Joe Drouillard

Hello everyone,

I was pleasantly surprised to see the hammer price on this ebay auction, since I recently purchased the same issue with the same grade for about 1/3 of the price about a month ago (also on ebay), but I'm wondering if I'm missing something. Does anyone think the card that was sold last night is undergraded? The corners are solid square, but the card has a purple stain on the player's chest. Can the buyer somehow remove the stain and receive a higher grade? I'm trying to buy the card and not the holder, but I don't see how the card could grade higher. There were several bidders, so obviously the card was desireable. I would like to become a better buyer, so if someone could educate me if I'm missing something please let me know.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280239103826&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=018

Thanks,

Joe

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Posted By: dennis

nice card but i think 2 high snipes in the last seconds drove the price up.

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Posted By: Bob

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nice corners and a decent card but a 40? I don't see it. I have many 30s which are much nicer, must have been a Friday afternoon slab.

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Posted By: Anthony S.

Good example of a) buying the card, not the holder and b) two bidders really wanting the same card. It's off-center, but those are tremendous corners for an SGC 40.


That was a heck of a price you got last month. I checked vintage card prices, and you spent $200 less than anyone else has recently.

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Posted By: fkw

The corners are brand new on these cards. I have one from this find, and thats the first thing that jumps out at you when you see them in person. These cards were not handled before they were put in the original scrapbook. Basically the flood stains and O/C is the only problems....... No real wear.

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Posted By: PAS

ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night

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Posted By: Brian

Nice big borders.

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Posted By: CN

The price might be a little high for the grade but I think the card presents well and the buyer in the long run got a decent deal. CN

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Posted By: Joe Drouillard

Thanks Anthony for the kind words and everyone else for the imput. Especially, the response from FKW who wrote:

"The corners are brand new on these cards. I have one from this find, and thats the first thing that jumps out at you when you see them in person. These cards were not handled before they were put in the original scrapbook. Basically the flood stains and O/C is the only problems....... No real wear" (fkw).


FKW. Obviously, you have quite a bit of knowledge of the history of the card. Do you think the buyer will resubmit the card for a higher grade? I would think that the flood stain is the real problem and it is the reason for the grade from SGC. Isn't the flood stain "real wear"? Can the flood stain be removed through soaking or some other process? Or is the card's providence and/or the squareness of the corners more important to some buyers than the technical grade?


Perhaps, my questions are naive. I know that tastes are subjective. I like, for example, clean cards without creases or paper loss. Centering is not that big of deal to me but I know plenty of collectors that believe a card's centering is more important than the condition of the corners. I'm just trying to figure out why the bidding went so high, it takes at least two people to raise a bid. So at least two knowledgable people wanted this card very bad. If I knew the history of a card I might overpay a little bit, but three hundred dollars seems like a very big premium to pay for a card evaluated by SGC.

Best wishes,

Joe

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Posted By: peter ullman

I would think the waJo could be
'cleaned" up a little bit...maybe re-emerge as an ex-mt...via soaking.

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Posted By: Deb Johnson

This seller must be a little pixilated. She leaves money on the table all the time: points out all the bad stuff and doesn't overly fluff up the good, provides measurements on every card, and back pictures for every card. Besides that, she has to be losing money on bullet-proof shipping, and one low flat fee for multiple auction wins, insurance included over 25.00! She uses a scanner that shows more than the naked eye, and answers messages promptly. Either she has a lot of respect for the needs and wants of fellow collectors, and/or she's nuts.

Signed,
Pixilated Seller

Joe, it had to be the corners... and the implied value, as in poker, of catching up on the turn or the river, i.e., down the road.

P.S. Leon, please forgive the large bump, and the shameless plug, but hoping I get one free ride for having this completed auction up for discussion before ultimate completion. Not a problem, just a heart-thumper.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmillijohndeb

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Posted By: leon

We'll give ya a free bump for being brave enough to play in an ocean of testosterone......Good luck with the cards.....BTW, I think the Johnson card was accurately graded......Can it be cleaned up a little? Probably, but I wouldn't know how to do it... I think others that read the board could though...