T206 through the eyes of The Old Judge
From spring 1985 to the start of 1994, The Old Judge – “A Newsletter for the Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards and for Baseball and Sports Memorabilia” – delivered to readers commentary and insight from its editor, Lew Lipset. In addition to its surveys, price guides and updates to a wide range of card issues, The Old Judge typically was packed with tidbits from around the hobby, as seen and heard by Lipset, who thankfully wasn’t shy about letting his readers know exactly where he stood on a plethora of topics.
Throughout The Old Judge’s run of 50 issues, news and notes about the T206 set popped up not only in short articles but also in Lipset’s Hobby Notes column. What follows is a T206 timeline, if you will, through the eyes of TOJ.
(Note: The excerpts below, except in a few cases, appear just as they were published. If a word or phrase has been added for clarification, they have been placed within [ ]. In cases where the original content from TOJ is longer or includes an image, a link to a .pdf file of the text follows the beginning of the story. The dates of TOJ issues are underlined, and headlines of the articles are italicized.)
– Rob Dewolf
Winter 1985 (Issue 4)
Statistical Analysis
The figures in the following chart show the price appreciation for various T206 cards since the first price guide was published in 1980. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
Hobby Notes
Last month we ran an article on the “Alteration of cards.” One of the first reactions we received was at Willow Grove when I was introduced to a gentleman who repaired T206s for the fun of it. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
Hobby Notes
The September 27th SCD gave Ted Taylor’s thoughts on tobacco cards. “These cards should be the most expensive cards around. Heck, you can buy T206 Ty Cobb cards cheaper than the 1963 Rose rookie card.” Then Taylor makes the observation that you can “buy a 1910 T206 set without a Plank and Wagner for less than a 1952 Topps Baseball Set.” This is like saying you can buy a Ferrari without an engine for less than a Cadillac. It makes no sense. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
Spring Supplement 1986 (Issue 5A)
The Restoration of Cards
In the winter issue of TOJ I made mention of a collector I was introduced to who had the ability to take a T206 card with rounded corners and make it into a “mint” card. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
The following should serve as a guide to 20th Century (Pre-World War II) Tobacco Cards. Prices should be associated with excellent to mint condition cards.
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $6,000
Wagner, Pitts: $22,000
Plank: $4,500
Magie: $2,000
O’Hara, St. L NL: $500
Demmitt, St. L AL: $500
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $225
Brown, Washington: $120
Smith, Chi & Boston: $110
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $60
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $40
Common: $12
HOF: $25
Cobb, Red Background: $200
Cobb, Green Background: $300
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $225
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $250
Johnson: $100
Mathewson (Portrait): $110
Mathewson (Black cap): $90
Mathewson (White cap): $100
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $2,000
Drum back: + $75
Uzit or Lenox back: + $35
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf ea.: + $15
Summer 1986 (Issue 6)
Hobby Notes
[At the Willow Grove show in March] … A good condition T206 Wagner sold for $5,500.
April 1987 (Issue 10)
20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
The following should serve as a guide to 20th Century (Pre-World War II) Tobacco Cards. Prices should be associated with excellent to mint condition cards. Mint condition cards in today’s market may bring 25-50% more.
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $11,000
Wagner, Pitts: $27,500
Plank: $5,500
Magie: $3,500
O’Hara, St. L NL: $900
Demmitt, St. L AL: $900
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $400
Brown, Washington: $175
Smith, Chi & Boston: $175
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $125
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $100
HOF: $50
Cobb, Red Background: $300
Cobb, Green Background: $500
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $350
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $350
Johnson: $175
Mathewson (Portrait): $190
Mathewson (Black cap): $150
Mathewson (White cap): $175
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $2,000
Drum back: + $75
Uzit or Lenox back: + $35
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf ea.: + $15
Tobacco Update
T206 White Borders – We have two additional variations to report in T206. One, recently discovered by Washington area store owner Bill Huggins involves a T206 Doyle card. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
June 1987 (Issue 11)
Hobby Notes
The “new” T206 Doyle card described in the last TOJ was auctioned off and brought an unconfirmed price of $10,000! This probably requires more comment but I’ll try to let it sink in for now. …
August 1987 (Issue 12)
Interesting cards
While much of my time at the National was spent looking for things to buy, the best was waiting for my return home. A phone message indicated someone had a Ty Cobb card for sale. A call revealed not only a T206 Ty Cobb but after some questioning, a Ty Cobb tin, which I ultimately obtained. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
October 1987 (Issue 13)
Tobacco update
Some months ago Keith Olbermann sent us a letter with some comments on our tobacco book. Some of them are quite interesting and we’d like to pass them on.
T206 – “I was a little confused by your references to issue dates.” [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
Hobby Notes
… In our conversation, Larry [Fritsch] revealed that he was the one that had bought the T206 Doyle card that has received so much publicity. What was more interesting was the story that Larry told about the Doyle card. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
April 1988 (Issue 16)
$100,000 for a T206 Wagner?
We’ve had several inquiries as to whether a Wagner went for a reported $100,000 or not. We were also amazed at the report and curious enough to make some inquiries. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
The following should serve as a guide to 20th Century (Pre-World War II) Tobacco Cards. Prices should be associated with excellent to mint condition cards. Mint condition cards in today’s market may bring 25-50% more.
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $13,000
HOF: $50
Wagner, Pitts: $27,500
Doyle: $7,000
Plank: $5,500
Magie: $3,500
O’Hara, St. L NL: $1,200
Demmitt, St. L AL: $1,000
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $500
Brown, Washington: $225
Smith, Chi & Boston: $200
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $150
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $125
Cobb, Red Background: $375
Cobb, Green Background: $600
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $425
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $425
Johnson: $200
Mathewson (Portrait): $250
Mathewson (Black cap): $175
Mathewson (White cap): $225
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $3,000
Drum back: + $100
Uzit or Lenox back: + $50
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf ea.: + $15
June 1988 (Issue 17)
Hobby Notes
Herman Kaufman, formerly of Lelands, auctioned a T206 Wagner in poor condition recently and realized $3,400 for the card. …
October 1988 (Issue 20)
T206 Larry Doyle
… a baseball card threatens to make Larry Doyle famous. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
April 1989 (Issue 23)
20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
(Prices should be associated with excellent-to-mint condition cards)
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $16,000
HOF: $80
Wagner, Pitts: $50,000
Doyle: $10,000
Plank: $7,500
Magie: $5,000
O’Hara, St. L NL: $1,600
Demmitt, St. L AL: $1,400
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $600
Brown, Washington: $275
Smith, Chi & Boston: $225
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $175
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $175
Cobb, Red Background: $450
Cobb, Green Background: $750
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $525
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $525
Johnson: $250
Mathewson (Portrait): $300
Mathewson (Black cap): $225
Mathewson (White cap): $250
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $5,000
Drum back: + $175
Uzit or Lenox back: + $75
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf, etc.: + $25
Hobby Notes
A fourth T206 Doyle card has been acknowledged by Charles Conlon of Michigan. Our guess is others will continue to surface. … A lot of unnecessary commotion is also being made of a T206 card of Snodgrass being found without the “S.” TOJ subscriber Roger Spencer has indicated to us that he advertised a “Snodgrass” without the “S” in the February 5, 1988 issue of SCD (page 259). In TOJ #16 we quoted an SCD spokesman indicating a “legitimate” variation was not one which involved a broken piece of type. We hope that that hobby is not getting to the point where the rarity, value and legitimacy of a card does not depend on who finds it.
August 1989 (Issue 25)
Brief conversation at a dealer’s table at the National
TOJ: Boy, you sure have a lot of T206’s. I’ve noticed about a dozen dealers with major holdings.
Major dealer: There’s no shortage of them, that’s for sure.
TOJ: They’re beginning to look as common as 1978 Topps.
Major dealer: (Smiling). Yeah, they are. Hey, you’re not going to print that!
TOJ: Nah.
December 1989 (Issue 27)
Interesting Cards and Items
TOJ subscriber and variations expert Keith Olbermann has sent us an interesting item to study. The card was what appeared to be a common T206 of Simon Nicholls. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
Hobby Notes
We are very skeptical about the reports of the T206 Wagner selling for $115,000 (more next issue) but can confirm the sale of a mint Lajoie for $35,000.
January 1990 (Issue 28)
Hobby Notes
We have reports (unconfirmed) that the Wagner from the Chicago Times show which was auctioned for $31,000 was subsequently sold for $50,000 (or the equivalent in trade) to a collector who already had two T206 Wagners. … On the subject of that Wagner, the consignor of that card did not know what it sold for on January 5th, almost one month after it was sold.
February 1990 (Issue 29)
Twentieth Century Tobacco Cards Price Guide
(Prices are for ex-mt cards)
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $13,000
HOF: $50
Wagner, Pitts: $65,000
Doyle: $12,000
Plank: $10,000
Magie: $6,000
O’Hara, St. L NL: $1,750
Demmitt, St. L AL: $1,500
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $650
Brown, Washington: $300
Smith, Chi & Boston: $250
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $190
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $190
Cobb, Red Background: $550
Cobb, Green Background: $850
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $550
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $550
Johnson: $275
Mathewson (Portrait): $350
Mathewson (Black cap): $250
Mathewson (White cap): $275
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $7,500
Drum back: + $250
Uzit or Lenox back: + $100
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf ea.: + $35
Hobby Notes
Two issues ago we promised comment on the alleged sale of a T206 Wagner for $115,000. We can’t prove that some kind of transaction didn’t take place but we do have serious doubts, backed by logic. It is remarkable that transactions like these are related by the press, without the slightest interest in verification of the prices. … Speaking of Wagners, it was interesting to read in SCD that Alan Rosen had purchased Barry Halpers strip of 5 T206’s including Wagner and then read everywhere else that the card was leased, rented or on loan.
June 1990 (Issue 31)
Hobby Notes
We’ve been told there is an interesting variation being offered of the rare T206 Doyle. The card, which was shown to us, had a Polar Bear back, unlike the other T206 Doyles. The card was also unusual because the print was different. All the T206’s we’ve seen have the team name in slightly smaller print than the name. This card didn’t. They were the same size. Everything else looked fine, however, the owner of the card is a well known comic book restorer of incomparable ability.
October 1990 (Issue 33)
Hobby Notes
At least two T206 Ty Cobb back cards have surfaced in the last couple of months. It should be expected that all sorts of rarities will be “coming out” in the coming months. Economic commentators are finding it more and more difficult to not admit a recession is here and it’s certainly apparent to almost all baseball card and memorabilia dealers. Cities are on the verge of bankruptcy, businesses are failing, the Real Estate market is awful and retail sales are off in almost all but the most essential items. Baseball memorabilia sales, especially for higher priced items are difficult, and even the most optimistic dealers are expressing caution. The worst is yet to come!
April 1991 (Issue 37)
The Copeland Collection
March 22-3, 1991
Sothebys, N.Y.
The T206 Honus Wagner was the 192nd lot in the auction and when the bidding reached into the $300,000’s I turned around for the first time since the auction started. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
June 1991 (Issue 38)
Twentieth Century Tobacco Cards Price Guide
(Prices are for ex-mt cards)
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $30,000
HOF: $100
Wagner, Pitts: $150,000
Doyle: $20,000
Plank: $15,000
Magie: $16,000
O’Hara, St. L NL: $2,500
Demmitt, St. L AL: $2,500
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $1,000
Brown, Washington: $500
Smith, Chi & Boston: $350
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $250
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $250
Cobb, Red Background: $800
Cobb, Green Background: $1,200
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $900
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $1,250
Johnson: $400
Mathewson (Portrait): $550
Mathewson (Black cap): $400
Mathewson (White cap): $400
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $20,000
Drum back: + $400
Uzit or Lenox back: + $200
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf ea.: + $75
Hobby Quotes
A well known California journalist told us that, “I think the Sotheby’s Wagner was trimmed but McNall tells me he’s holding onto it despite similar doubts.”
July 1991 (Issue 39)
The Du Muchelle Auction
The cover of the catalog illustrated the first baseball item (Lot 1152). An obvious reprint of a Honus Wagner card. A spokesman for the firm told me the card went for $14,000 (plus 10%) and the buyer was aware the card was a reprint. [Click here to read a .pdf file of the entire story.]
September 1991 (Issue 40)
State of the market
In a casual conversation with a major dealer who dealt in all era of cards, I was offered everything he had in pre-World War II cards. It was clear he had given up on this area and buying and selling new products was where the market was for him. It became clear that the market for much older material, especially the more common material such as T205, T206’s, 1933 and 1934 Goudeys has weakened. Material is easily available. …
December 1991 (Issue 41)
San Francisco’s Auction Week
Wolffers “Treasures Of The Diamond”
… As we have come to expect many items were seen before, especially in the recent Sothebys sale. The T206 Wagner offered was the same that was unsold in the 1990 Guernseys sale. Unsold at the time, despite a bid of $45,000 … it went for $125,000.
Hobby Notes
SCD had a cover story on a recent story giving hype to a find of 400 T206’s. It would appear to be a most significant find considering that the new cards bring the known T206’s, according to our estimate, to 4,703,882. …
January 1992 (Issue 42)
The State of the Hobby – 1992
Last month we mocked an SCD headline story relating to the find of 400 T206’s. After some thought it occurred to us that 99% of SCD’s readership would have thought it to be exactly what SCD portrayed it as. That is 99% of today’s market look at any T206 card as a rarity because they don’t know better. …
Auctions – Proceed With Caution!
Item 5. A restored Wagner card is auctioned. Prior to the auction the auction firm is notified the card is restored and evidence is offered illustrating the card before it was restored. The same information is offered to SCD and the New York Times. No one is interested.
June 1992 (Issue 43)
Sothebys Auction
Among the highlights were the compulsory T206 Wagner, which was sold for $200,000 to an owner who wanted to solely for publicity.
August 1992 (Issue 44)
Twentieth Century Tobacco Cards Price Guide
(Prices are for ex-mt cards)
T206 White Borders:
Set of 520 -- $40,000
HOF: $80
Wagner, Pitts: $225,000
Doyle: $35,000
Plank: $30,000
Magie: $25,000
O’Hara, St. L NL: $3,000
Demmitt, St. L AL: $3,000
Elberfeld, Washington Port.: $1,250
Brown, Washington: $600
Smith, Chi & Boston: $450
Kleinow, Bos; Lundgren, Chi ea.: $300
Dahlen, Brooklyn: $300
Cobb, Red Background: $1,200
Cobb, Green Background: $2,000
Cobb, Btg. black cap: $1,250
Cobb, Btg. gray cap: $1,500
Johnson: $600
Mathewson (Portrait): $750
Mathewson (Black cap): $450
Mathewson (White cap): $500
Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back: $30,000
Drum back: + $450
Uzit or Lenox back: + $250
Carolina Bright, Broadleaf ea.: + $100
December 1992 (Issue 46)
Christies Auction
… Of the unsold lots, aside from the Gehrig uniform, the one which would cause Christies the most embarrassment was the T206 Wagner. The card, which was recognized by your writer as the one sold some ten years ago and was offered in a Lelands auction a couple of years ago, did not meet the reserve though there was a floor bid (pre-arranged according to some for effect) of $70,000.
Jan-Feb 1993 (Issue 47-48)
The Auction (Ob)scene
Sothebys February 29, 1992 sale offered a T206 Magie in only excellent condition and specifically stating rounded corners, went for over $58,000 while an obviously better Magie in the Christies sale mentioned above [October 1992] brought a little over $26,000. …