Many vintage baseball card collectors want to own cards of the players that they believe will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. And a Hall of Fame induction means that the player will be enshrined in history in a stronger light. But what happens to the card prices when a baseball card of a player who is being revisited decades after that players life and death? And what happens when that player’s cards are already priced above the common players and priced above many of the Hall of Famers in the sets already?
Bill Dahlen is one of those players that may be voted into the Hall of Fame long after his death. There is just one problem for vintage baseball card collectors. Dahlen’s baseball cards from the early 1900s tobacco sets are already priced handily above the common players of that era. In fact, his cards are currently listed for more (or have sold for more) than many of the Hall of Famers from the same era and same card sets. (Image below courtesy of Heritage Auctions)
Dahlen should be a shoe-in for a Hall of Fame induction based on his stats. His life may have had something to do with his exclusion from the HOF. There is a book (See writeup below) about him from 2004 titled Bad Bill Dahlen: The Rollicking Life and Times of an Early Baseball Star that may shed more light into why his face isn’t enshrined in Cooperstown.
The Hall of Fame’s Early Baseball Era Committee (covering the years before 1950) and the Golden Days Era Committee (covering the years 1950 to 1969) will meet to vote on 10-player ballots for Hall of Fame inductions. The results will be announced live on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET. Of the 20 players on that list, Bad Bill Dahlen in on the list — more than 100 years after his retirement as a player.
Bill Dahlen was one of the star players during the Dead Ball Era and played from 1891 to 1911. The MLB site stats showed career stats s follows: .272/.358/.382, 2,461 hits, 84 HR, 1,234 RBIs, 548 SB. Dahlen was a fast short stop who held many records in his era, one of which was a 42-game hitting streak that stood the test of time for years. He also played in more games than any player in his time.
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) named Dahlen its Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend back in 2012. According to the MLB player report (after the SABR nomination):
One year later, he received 10 of the 16 possible votes from the Pre-Integration Era Committee — two shy of the threshold for induction to the Hall of Fame. When that committee met again in 2016, Dahlen received eight of 16 votes in a year when the committee did not elect any new members… Dahlen finished his career with 75.2 bWAR. To put that in perspective, 41 players had a bWAR of at least 65 over the 100-year speak from 1871-1970. Of those 41, Dahlen is the only one not already enshrined in Cooperstown.
Another interesting statistic is that Bill Dahlen is still also only one of ten players in AL/NL history who tallied up over 2,000 hits, 1,000 RBIs and 500 stolen bases. And of those players with those stats, only Dahlen and Barry Bonds do not have a plaque in the Cooperstown HOF. The other players with those same overlapping stats are Rickey Henderson, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner, Joe Morgan, George Davis, Fred Clarke and Paul Molitor.
Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. These vintage baseball cards worth thousands of dollars have no assurances that their prices will only rise. Some prices will almost certainly fall. And in an effort for more transparency in the hobby, the premium that card collectors are paying for Dahlen is not like a Shoeless Joe Jackson – but it is a significant premium nonetheless.
Baseball hasn’t been kind to the players who abused the game of baseball. Here is the writeup from Amazon about Bad Bill Dahlen:
He was often nonchalant and unfocused, showing up minutes before a game. He was rumored to get himself ejected so he could get to the racetrack. He was feisty, and abusive towards umpires even by today’s standards. And he’s among the best shortstops ever to play the game. “Bad Bill” Dahlen retired having played in more games than anyone in major league history; he was in the top ten for walks, extra base hits, RBI’s and stolen bases; and he led all shortstops in games, assists, putouts and double plays. He starred in both the 19th century and the deadball era, and managed as well. He’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, right? Wrong. Player after player with lower career ratings has been admitted, yet Dahlen has been ignored. Maybe time has clouded memories of the brilliance of this offensive dynamo and master of his position–but how much longer can it be before Bad Bill Dahlen takes his rightful place in Cooperstown? This examination of Bill Dahlen’s career as a player and manager highlights his strengths and weaknesses, personal and professional. Chronicling his achievements and placing him in context with the greats of all time, it makes a strong case that Bill Dahlen is a Hall of Fame shortstop, head and shoulders above many inductees. Seventeen chapters and 49 photographs trace his career; appendices compare his numbers to his Hall of Fame contemporaries, Hall of Fame shortstops, and list his lifetime batting and fielding statistics.
And as for all the card prices, a PSA 9 of the 1909-11 T206 Sovereign back of Bill Dahlen sold for a whopping $55,200 back on February 28, 2021. Here are some other sales from Heritage Auctions that show how high-priced his cards have sold for:
- 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/30 Bill Dahlen (Brooklyn) PSA NM-MT 8 (Pop Three, None Higher!) – Sep 20, 2018 for $10,800.00
- 1909-11 T206 Sovereign 150 Bill Dahlen (Boston) PSA Mint 9 – Pop Two, None Higher! – Sep 20, 2018 for $9,600.00
- 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/30 Bill Dahlen (Brooklyn) PSA 8 (Pop Two, None Higher With This Brand/Series/Factory) – Oct 22, 2020 for $8,100.00.
- 1895 N300 Mayo Cut Plug Bill Dahlen SGC 80 EX/NM 6 (Pop Two, None Higher) – Feb 28, 2021 for $6,900.00
- 1909-11 T206 Sovereign 350 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn SGC 86 NM+ 7.5 (The Best SGC Example!) – Nov 5, 2015 for $3,107.00
Collectors Dashboard has also looked at eBay’s current listings. Any vintage card collector can look at these prices and notice that they are significantly higher than many peers in the same sets from the tobacco card era.
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1909 T206 BILL DAHLEN POOR PIEDMONT RARE BASEBALL BOSTON DOVES
Pre-Owned$240.00Seller: vintagecardco (2,753) 99.8%View seller’s store: VINTAGE CARD CO
+$4.00 shipping -
(66284) 1909-11 T206 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn-PR
$250.00Seller: www-707sportscards-com (25,383) 100%View seller’s store: 707SportscardsLtd
Free shipping -
1910-11 T3 Turkey Red Cabinets #11 Bill Dahlen Checklist Back Gd Ex
Brand New$250.00Seller: amintcollector (8,178) 99.8%View seller’s store: The goods
+$10.00 shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Boston Braves 1 – POOR
Pre-Owned$295.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
+$4.99 shipping -
1909-11 T206 Baseball Bill Dahlen Boston Piedmont PSA 2 BOSTON
$415.00Seller: g.funk (1,813) 100%
+$9.75 shipping11 watchers -
T206 Bill Dahlen SGC 10 Old Mill Brooklyn
Pre-Owned$444.00Seller: hofbrett5 (1,033) 100%
12 bids · Time left2d 16h left (Wed, 01:48 AM)+$5.00 shipping -
1911 T206 RARE Bill Dahlen Brooklyn – SGC 20 Piedmont 350/25. See Description.
Pre-Owned$495.00Seller: willow5 (1,710) 100%
0 bids · Time left2d 11h left (Tue, 08:30 PM)+$4.50 shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Boston Portrait Piedmont 150 SGC 2.CLEAN SLAB/TUFF CARD !
Pre-Owned$499.99Seller: trn311 (2,247) 100%
Free shipping11 watchers -
1911 T3 Turkey Red #11 Bill Dahlen PSA 3 Dodgers Checklist Back
PROBSTEIN123 is actively accepting CONSIGNMENTS !!$530.00Seller: probstein123 (921,306) 99.6%View seller’s store: probstein123
13 bids · Time left2d 11h left (Tue, 09:00 PM)
+$12.00 shipping -
BROOKLYN VARIATION T206 BILL DAHLEN 1910 PIEDMONT STRONG FRONT UNCREASED *TPHLC
$570.50Seller: toppsaholic (19,243) 100%View seller’s store: TOPPSAHOLIC
Was: Previous Price$815.00 30% offFree shipping -
1912 T202 Hassan Bill Dahlen / Doc Scanlon – Hartzell Covering Thi PSA 4 – VG/EX
Pre-Owned$580.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
+$5.99 shipping -
1909 T206 PIEDMONT – BILL DAHLEN, BOSTON – SGC 45 VG+ 3.5 (SVSC)
$599.99Seller: aztechengineer (5,398) 99.9%View seller’s store: Stan’s Vintage Sports Cards
+$8.95 shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Boston Portrait PSA 2.5 – Piedmont 150 *BEAUTIFUL*
Pre-Owned$625.00Seller: tiger8mush (1,548) 100%
+$8.25 shipping15 watchers -
1911 T205 Bill Dahlen Dodgers SGC 3 – VG
Pre-Owned$630.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
+$5.99 shipping -
1909 T206 Piedmont Tobacco Dahlen Brooklyn NICE! NO Creases!
Pre-Owned$789.99Top Rated Plus
Seller: darby-s (9,988) 100%View seller’s store: Darby-s Vintage Baseball Cards
Free 4 day shippingFree returns -
1912 T202 Hassan Bill Dahlen / Zach Wheat – Wheat Strikes Out Dodgers PSA 5 – EX
Pre-Owned$790.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
+$5.99 shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Boston Braves PSA 3.5 – VG+
Pre-Owned$940.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
Free shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers) PSA 1.5 – FAIR
Pre-Owned$960.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
Free shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Boston Braves PSA 4 – VG/EX
Pre-Owned$1,140.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
Free shipping -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers) PSA 2 – GOOD
Pre-Owned$1,230.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
Free shipping -
T206 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn Variation SP PSA 3 ** Piedmont 350 Great Appeal
Pre-Owned$1,795.99Seller: cardboardcloud (2,883) 99.8%View seller’s store: CardboardCloud
+$4.60 shipping -
1909 T206 Piedmont BILL DAHLEN Brooklyn NM Stamp
$1,799.00Top Rated Plus
Seller: desert-ice-sports (8,925) 100%View seller’s store: Desert-Ice-Sports
+$16.75 shippingFree returns -
1909 T206 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers) PSA 4 – VG/EX
Pre-Owned$2,220.00Seller: deans_cards (44,014) 100%View seller’s store: Dean’s Sports Cards
Free shipping -
1909-11 T206 Bill Dahlen Brooklyn SGC 35 ***Low Pop Old Mill***
$3,499.99Seller: lukesvintagecards (3,717) 100%View seller’s store: lukesvintagecards
+$14.95 shipping -
1909-11 T206 – Bill Dahlen Brooklyn – PSA 5 – EX
$4,446.00Seller: trendingart (3,998) 100%View seller’s store: TrendingArt
+$3.99 shipping -
1910 E98 Set of 30 11 Bill Dahlen {Green back} Brooklyn NL PSA 7 19871867
$10,350.00Seller: sports-cards-forever (11,224) 99.3%View seller’s store: sports-cards-forever
+$4.00 shipping
