Washington T206 Mini-Set Comparison to High-Grade Competitor

[GeoPoto]

Some time ago I began assembling T206 back runs for all of the players who were featured on T206 cards and played for Washington at that time. As time has gone by, I have accumulated most of the cards before you get to the very rare (and expensive) backs, which I have pretty much ignored. My back runs generally peter out around American Beauty. Along the way of course I have become much more knowledgeable regarding the cards and eventually developed my own opinions regarding what to look for in a T206 card.

Perhaps I should pause here to clarify the world I live in. I'm engaged exclusively with graded (encapsulated) cards and internet-based transactions. This means I make bidding/purchase decisions based on scans of graded cards. I realize and admire the skills and tools that many collectors have developed to evaluate raw cards in person at shows and in card shops. I don't do any of that. I'm not proud to say that, in fact it pains me slightly, but, for me, it's the best I can do.

So anyway, a couple of years ago I began focusing on "upgrading" the collection. I use quotations around upgrading because now that I have more mature opinions regarding how I prefer that a card look, improvements often involve swapping out cards that are more highly graded and replacing them with lower graded cards, that I find more desirable. This has been going on long enough that I am becoming somewhat pleased with the results. I have also been curious regarding how the collection would stack up against others.

An opportunity to compare my cards to those contained in a highly regarded collection was recently presented by the Heritage auction involving The Rounders Collection, which included a high-grade set of T206 cards, including one card for each player I collect. Heritage's description did its best to create the impression that the provenance of the Rounders collection was rooted in card collecting that began decades ago. In reality, however, Heritage is vague about that, and I suspect that the vast majority of the cards Heritage auctioned joined the collection fairly recently. At any rate, I didn't want to get into this publicly while the auction was running, but I saved images from the Heritage Auction. My plan for this thread is to use those images to compare my cards with their counterparts from The Rounders Collection.

Note that I plan to compare cards with identical backs. This means I am not choosing my "best" candidate card for each player to compare with the Rounders card from the Heritage auction. Instead, I am using the card from my collection that has the same back as the H/R card. The backs included in the Heritage/Rounders auction were all common. One (the first one, it turns out) is Sovereign. All the others are Sweet Caporal or Piedmont.

I plan to largely ignore the financial aspect of these comparisons. The auction prices paid for the H/R cards fully reflect their high grades. All of my cards cost substantially less. In fact, during my "upgrading", I have recovered significant value by selling cards that were once in my collection but have been "upgraded" to cards with lower grades. But I wasn't motivated to save or recover money. Each time I have "upgraded" a card it has been to replace it with a card I liked better, not to "save" money. For the record, the 25 H/R cards that are relevant here sold for an average (including BP) of $5,259; the 25 cards of mine that I will compare to the H/R cards cost me an average of $535.

Disclaimer: I am hoping that I can do this without appearing to throw shade at Heritage, the Rounders Collection, or anybody who may have won any of the cards discussed at auction. Everything I say will merely reflect my opinions and preferences, which are no better than anyone else's. The evaluations documented here are derived from the seat-of-the-pants comparisons I performed during the auction period to allow me to decide whether to bid on the items considered. I delayed until the auction (and some planned travel) concluded to begin this public discussion of some of the auctioned cards and how (I think) they compare to mine.

A few preliminary comments regarding my standards. I am not very concerned with edges and corners. Everything else equal, I'll take the sharper card, but edges and corners lose quickly to better centering and borders. I don't like surface wear but can tolerate some for other advantages. An attractive image is important. The big drivers are centering and borders. I do believe that backs are important, especially in a back run. I would avoid paper loss, but centering is not paramount for the back. Moderate surface wear, staining, fading, and toning are acceptable for backs, hopefully not all on the same card. Backs were not much of a factor in comparing my cards to the H/R cards. In general, all of the backs were acceptable.

I think that's enough introduction. My next post will address the first card up.

[GeoPoto]

Card 1: George E. Browne. Right fielder for the Washington Senators in 1909-1910. 1,176 hits, 18 home runs, and 190 stolen bases in 12 MLB seasons. Led the NL in runs scored in 1904. 1905 World Series champion. Debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1901. His best season was 1903 for the New York Giants as he led the league in games played and posted a .364 OBP with 27 stolen bases in 652 plate appearances. In all he had 7 seasons with more than 500 plate appearances.

George Browne Washington Sovereign 350: Overall, George Browne cards are common (PSA has graded 809), but because they are split between Chicago (PSA-458) and Washington (PSA-351), getting the variant you want can be a little harder than some commons. PSA has graded eight Browne Washington T206 cards at the PSA 7 level and three at PSA 8. Browne Washington is in Print Group 1, 350 Series Only. When it comes to Sovereign 350 backs, the Washington variant is the only option and comes in Forest Green. All of the Browne T206 cards misspell his name as Brown.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Graded 7 by PSA this card sports the sharp corners and edges you would expect for the grade. It also presents a clear image with an unblemished surface. The back is okay with moderate fading. The problem with the card is obvious and off-putting. It is badly centered high (also slightly right). This creates a cringeworthy upper border that barely exists. Overall, the borders are not horrible as the bottom border is excellent, benefitting from the skinny top border. The side borders are okay, but nothing to brag about.

My Entry: Graded 3 by PSA this card evidences its age and handling. The edges are fair, but the corners are well rounded. The image is good with a few minor surface scuffs. The centering is virtually perfect to my eye which favors a little extra bottom border to accommodate the name and team designation. The borders are very strong, providing some comfort that the card may not have been altered. The back is clean, marred only by one small stain.

Comparison: The H/R card is a clean, nice image with no blemishes and sharp edges and corners. My card has a nice image but does show some surface and edge wear with severely rounded corners. The backs are similar with my card showing one distinct stain. The H/R card is badly centered while my card is extremely well-centered. The two cards have comparable bottom borders, while my card has a significantly larger top border and slightly larger side borders.

My conclusion: I like my card. In my mind, the larger borders and superior centering more than offset the crispness of the H/R card, which is remarkable, but also hard to look at, with its vanishing top border. It is much easier to look at my card without being reminded of how easy it is to improve edges and corners through trimming. The backs are very similar, except my card has a small stain that doesn't detract much, to my eye.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I think my card is better.

Additional George Browne Fun Fact: On June 29,1905, Browne played right field for the New York Giants in a game against the Brooklyn Superbas. At the end of the eighth inning, he was replaced by Moonlight Graham.

[bnorth]

I agree that your card is much nicer that the other. One thing I have noticed on high grade T206 sets/groups is that there are so many very obvious altered and extremely over graded stuff even Stevie Wonder would cringe when facing them. Collect what you like as there is really no reason to compare with others unless you are going all in on the PSA registry.

[stutor]

This is a well constructed, thought provoking thread.

I collect t206, and I would say that my preferences in card condition closely resemble yours. My set focuses on back rarity for the most part, but I have some higher graded cards sprinkled in. Inevitably, as I scroll through my cards, I find myself quickly passing by many of the higher graded cards that have centering issues, etc. That is to say that I enjoy the cards with great centering and full borders much more than those with sharper corners and 70/30 (or worse) centering. I have even ‘downgraded’ cards occasionally as you do. Perhaps I should consider doing that more often.

Can’t wait to see the rest of your cards. BTW, I like your Browne better than the other example.

[GeoPoto]

Card 2: William T. "Bill" Burns. "Sleepy Bill". Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1908-1909. 30 wins and 2 saves in 5 MLB seasons. His career ERA was 2.72 in 717.2 innings pitched for 5 different MLB teams, ending in 1912 with the Detroit Tigers. He twice lost no-hitters with two outs in the ninth. He was key go-between in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.

Bill Burns Piedmont 350: Bill Burns cards are common (PSA-580). PSA has graded seven Burns T206 cards as PSA 7s with one 7.5, four 8s and a 9. Burns is in Print Group 2. One of the features of this card that has always fascinated me, is that the image shows Burns awkwardly brandishing what appears to be a glove for his left hand but wearing it on his right hand!?

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Graded 7 by PSA this card also sports the sharp corners and edges you would expect for the grade. It also presents a good image with an unblemished surface. However, to my eye, the registration is off a tick. The back is okay with moderate fading. This card is centered significantly left but is well-centered top to bottom. With the exception of the left border, the borders are good. Unfortunately, it appears that the left border is missing half of itself.

My Entry: Graded 6 by PSA this card presents well. The edges and corners are sound, and the image is clear with a few minor surface scuffs. The centering is slightly left, but good overall. The borders are strong. The back is clean with vibrant color, marred only by minor staining.

Comparison: The H/R card is a clean, nice image with no blemishes and sharp edges and corners. My card has a nice image but does show some surface wear. The H/R back is okay, but my back has more vibrant color, which is offset by mild staining. The H/R card is not well centered and while my card is also centered left, my card's centering is much better. The top-and-bottom borders are similarly good on both cards. However, my card has a clear advantage side-to-side as the right borders are similar and my card has a larger left border.

My conclusion: I like my card. While the H/R card has cleaner surfaces, the blemishes on my card are minor and the underlying image is sharper than the H/R card. I think the clearer image would make my card slightly preferred even if it wasn't significantly better centered and didn't have stronger borders. But it is and does. Seems like a clear tilt in favor of my card.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I think my card is better.

Additional Bill Burns Fun Fact: Twice in May of 1911, Reds manager Clark Griffith wanted to put Burns into a game as a relief pitcher, only to find that Burns was not warming up as instructed but was asleep on the clubhouse bench.

[GeoPoto]

Card 3: William E. "Wid" Conroy. Utility player for the Washington Senators in 1909-1911. 1,257 hits, 22 home runs, and 262 stolen bases in 11 MLB seasons. Debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. He had at least 384 plate appearances in each of his 11 MLB seasons. He was the first-string SS on the NL champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1902. He moved to 3B in 1903 with the New York Highlanders, twice leading AL third basemen in total chances per game. He was an opening day starter for the Highlanders for the first five years of the team's existence. In 1907 he swiped 41 bases second only to Ty Cobb. He finished his career with Washington and in one of his last games set an AL record with 13 total chances at 3B.

Wid Conroy Fielding Piedmont 150: Conroy Fielding is one of two Conroy T206 cards. Conroy Fielding appears to be slightly less common (PSA-430). The other Conroy card is Conroy with Bat (PSA-462). PSA has graded five Conroy Fielding T206 cards PSA 8 (none higher). Conroy Fielding is in Print Group 1.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Graded 8, this card shows extremely well with good image quality; the corners, edges, and surface are all sharp. It is very well centered, straying only very slightly right. (For my taste, it is also slightly low, which crowds the name and team designation only slightly.) The back is clean with only moderate fading. The borders are fair all the way around giving rise to very good centering.

My Entry: This card is graded 3.5 by PSA. The image is clear, but the surface (particularly the borders) shows evidence of dirt and age. The edges show evidence of handling and the corners are moderately rounded. The centering is low, but not terrible overall. The back is okay with moderate fading and its surface also shows signs of grime and age. The appeal of this card lies in its borders, which are ample, particularly top and bottom. The bottom border is highly acceptable while the top border is very wide.

Comparison: The H/R card is an extremely nice card with no blemishes and sharp edges and corners. My card has substantial subtle surface imperfections. The H/R card shows better centering than my card, which is over-endowed at the top border. Both backs are okay, but the H/R back is cleaner and presents better than mine does.

My conclusion: I like my card but have to concede the H/R card is better to look at and I believe there is considerable room to replace my card with a better one. The H/R card has cleaner surfaces, sharper edges and corners, and is almost perfectly centered. My card is centered low with an abundant top border. But abundant borders is a good thing because it supports confidence that the card has not been altered. My card clearly has more border than the H/R card does. As I see it, the two cards have comparable left and bottom borders, but my card has a slightly larger right border and a much larger top border.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I like my card better, and while I look forward to finding a better version of my card, I don't think the H/R card is the one I want. I would constantly worry that the near-perfect centering of the H/R card was achieved by alteration. Not worth the doubt.

Additional Wid Conroy Fun Fact: In 1902 he became Pittsburgh's starting shortstop, replacing Honus Wagner, who moved to the outfield.

[GeoPoto]

Thanks Val. And everyone else who has commented. I "upgraded" from this PSA 4.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[GeoPoto]

Card 17: George F. "Pinch" McBride. Shortstop for the Washington Senators in 1908-1920. 1,203 hits, 7 home runs, and 133 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. Debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. Has the lowest batting average of any player with 5,000 MLB at-bats. Managed the Washington Senators in 1921 but was struck in the face by a line drive during batting practice and forced to retire.

George McBride Piedmont 350: McBride T206 cards are reasonably common (PSA-550). PSA has graded fourteen McBride T206 cards PSA 7 and another three PSA 8. The McBride T206 card is in Print Group 2.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: The H/R card is graded PSA 7. While the edges and corners look good, the surface shows minor wear and toning, particularly the left border and the upper corners. The card is centered a little high. With the exception of the bottom, the borders are tight. The back is centered with moderate fading.

My Entry: With a grade of PSA 4, my card has strong edges and borders. The surface is clean, and the card presents very well. The card centering is near perfect, and the borders are excellent. The back is well centered well with good color and minor fading.

Comparison: My card presents well in competition with the H/R card. The H/R card has better edges and corners, but not by all that much. My card wins on centering and borders. My card also has the better back

My conclusion: I like my card better. The overall condition of the H/R card does not appear to be significantly better than mine. And my card has equal or better centering and has far and away more reliable borders.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I'll gladly take the card with the bigger borders.

Additional George McBride Fun Fact: His nickname "Pinch" is derived from his reputation as a clutch hitter, despite his all-time record poor batting average (see above).

[doug.goodman]

This is a great thread

[GeoPoto]

Card 18: J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.

Clyde Milan Sweet Caporal 350-25: Milan T206 cards are reasonably common (PSA-490). PSA has graded one Milan T206 card at PSA 7.5 and five at PSA 8. The MilanT206 card is in Print Group 2.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: PSA graded the H/R card PSA 7.5. The H/R card presents a nice clear image with sharp edges and corners. The surface is clean. The card is centered well, but a little left. The borders are moderately tight, with the upper left border particularly cramped. The back is centered well with good color and only minor fading.

My Entry: Graded PSA 4, my card is showing moderate wear to the edges and corners. The surface shows moderate wear with a few blemishes in the image. The centering is a little high and left. The card is cut on a slight slant. The borders are a little tight, particularly left-to-right. The back is centered with good color and minor fading.

Comparison: The presentation of the H/R card is superior. My card has presentation issues caused by surface blemishes and, to a lesser extent, the slant cut. Both cards are centered well, just a little left. Despite borders that are borderline tight, my card has stronger borders than the H/R card. The backs are roughly comparable with the H/R back slightly more attractive.

My conclusion: I like my card better, but only barely. Again, it comes down primarily to borders. My card is a strong candidate for upgrade. The surface issues are a significant detractor. Even my card's strength in this comparison -- its borders -- are not particularly strong. As usual, I would prefer to keep my card, blemishes and all, until a stronger card comes along.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I'll keep my card, blemishes and all, for now.

Additional Clyde Milan Fun Fact: He was the primary target of Washington's recruiting emissary, Cliff Blankenship, in 1907. As Milan signed for $1,000, Blankenship told him that he was going out to Idaho to look over some young phenom. "It looks like a wild goose chase and probably a waste of train fare to look over that young punk," Blankenship said. The "punk" was Walter Johnson, and he signed for $100 plus train fare.

[GeoPoto]

Card 19: Frank R. "Flossie" Oberlin. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1907 and 1909-1910. 5 wins and 227 innings pitched in 4 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Boston Americans in 1906-1907.

Frank Oberlin Sweet Caporal 350-30: Oberlin T206 cards are fairly common (PSA-537). PSA has graded fifteen Oberlin T206 cards at PSA 7 and two at PSA 8. The OberlinT206 card is in Print Group 2.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Here is another H/R card graded PSA 7 that delivers a clear image, with clean surfaces and strong edges and borders. The card is centered well, maybe a little high. The left-to-right borders, though well centered, are tight. The back is centered well with moderate fading.

My Entry: My card, which is graded PSA 7, presents a good image, with moderate surface wear, decent edges, and modest rounding at the corners. The card is centered high right. Overall, the borders are okay. The back is off center with considerable fading. The back reveals a crease of the upper right corner (looking at the card's front), which is faintly visible.

Comparison: The H/R card presents a better image with a cleaner surface. The two cards compare favorably with respect to edges and corners, with the edge going to the H/R card. The H/R card has better centering, but also tighter borders. The H/R card has the more attractive back by a considerable margin. My card also has a crease.

My conclusion: I like the H/R card better in most ways. The borders are the usual problem: To the extent that my card shows larger borders are possible, why settle for an attractive card with tight borders. I would rather continue to look. My card has serious deficiencies though that I would like to improve.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I could trade my card for the H/R card. I probably wouldn't, but I could live with it. Either way, I would be hoping to upgrade as soon as I can find one with stronger borders.

Additional Frank Oberlin Fun Fact: He lost the index finger on his pitching hand to a buzz saw, but apparently pitched better as a result, once it healed.

Overall Results Update: My Cards -- 14; H/R cards -- 2; with 3 Ties.