Baseball

The Miraculous T206 Collection Just Keeps Smashing Estimates

The T206 set from the American Tobacco Company is called “The Monster” by vintage set collectors because the set is so massive. With 524 different cards, there are error cards and multiple back variations that make a truly complete set a seemingly countless number of cards. And then there was the David Hall T206 Collection — so large that the T206 collection has had 8 different sessions over the months.

The David Hall T206 Collection ended on April 14, 2022 and the prices realized were more than impressive. A PSA 8 Ty Cobb sold for what you could have bought a house fore before the post-pandemic economy of free money and remote work sent housing prices skyrocketing.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates collectibles as an alternative asset class. In short, the same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds is being used to buy high-end collectibles. This includes high-end vintage ball cards in this case. Collectors with a deep passion also now have to assume that they are competing against investors in an ongoing battle for who can win these prized items and lots in auctions.

We have accounted for the Hall of Fame T206 cards that sold above $3,000.00 along with some photos and sale prices that came directly from the Heritage Auction website. We have then accounted for all of the common and non-HOF cards that also sold at prices of $2,000 and higher because of their strong PSA grades or because of their ultra-rare backs like Uzit, Cycle, American Beauty, Carolina Brights, Broadleaf, El Principe De Gales, and others. Ty Cobb gets his own tout here, but the rest of the cards are in order of Hall of Fame players followed by commoners, semi-stars and others.

The Ty Cobb was the star of the show, so to speak. With over a week out it had a current bid at that time of $77,500 and it had a $100,000+ estimate. The final sale, after 42 bids, was a whopping $264,000.00. Here is what Heritage used to visually describe the card, with references to Cobb’s career omitted:

“… Look closely at the image of the Peach, painted over a century ago, and you can see it in his eyes. Though he stands before a serene background of soft pastel, the stare is one of great determination. It’s one of the finest portraits in the long and impressive history of baseball card art… Graded PSA NM-MT 8. Among the just over sixty cards with a “Piedmont – 350 Subjects” population, this card is one of just two at the grade, with none superior. Glowing white borders diverge only slightly from equality, while corners expose just the slightest touches at two tips.”

Images below are all directly from Heritage Auctions.

The following are grouped as HOF Cards above the $3,000 mark and the rest of the commons are featured without images on sales of $2,000 and higher.

 

Below is a summary of all of the T206 common players, semi-stars and other non-HOF cards that sold for $2,000 and higher because of their grades or because of their rare backs.

  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 150 Neal Ball (New York) PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Brand/Series. Sold For $6,600.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Al Mattern PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop Three, None Higher for this Brand/Series. Sold For $6,300.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Uzit Harry Steinfeldt (With Bat) PSA VG-EX 4 – Only Five Confirmed PSA-Graded Examples. Sold For $6,000.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Fred Burchell PSA NM-MT 8 – Only One Higher for this Brand/Series. Sold For $5,880.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 150/30 George Stovall (Portrait) PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Combination. Sold For $5,880.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 150 Bill Shipke PSA NM-MT 8 – None Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $5,040.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 150/649OP Frank Owen PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop Three, None Higher with this Brand/Series/Overprint; Sold For $4,920.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 150/25 Boss Schmidt (Throwing) PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop One, None Higher for this Combination. Sold For $4,920.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350-460/25 Patsy Dougherty (Arm In Air) PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop One, None Higher for this Combination. Sold For $4,020.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 150/30 Ed Killian (Pitching) PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop One, None Higher for this Combination. Sold For $3,960.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/25 Bill Milligan PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Combination; Sold For $3,960.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Broad Leaf 350 John Anderson PSA Good+ 2.5 – Only Two PSA-Graded Examples! Sold For $3,840.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 150 Glenn Liebhardt PSA NM-MT 8 – Pop Three, Four Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $3,660.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350-460/30 Chick Gandil PSA EX-MT 6 – Pop One, Only Two Higher for this Combination. Sold at $3,600.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Old Mill Lena Blackburne PSA NM 7 – Pop One, None Higher for this Brand; Sold For $3,360.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Broad Leaf 350 Sam Strang PSA VG 3 – Pop One, Only One Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $3,360.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/25 Sam Strang PSA NM 7 – Pop One, None Higher for this Combination; Sold For $3,360.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Carolina Brights Bill Sweeney (Boston, Batting) PSA Good+ 2.5 – Only Four PSA-Graded Examples! Sold For $3,120.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Ed Lennox PSA NM-MT 8 – Only Two Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $3,000.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Chappie Charles PSA NM 7 – Pop Four, Just Five Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $2,760.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 150/25 Hal Chase (Pink Portrait) PSA EX 5 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Combination; Sold For $2,760.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Harry Hinchman (Toledo) PSA NM 7; Sold For $2,760.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/30 Dave Brain PSA NM 7 – Pop One, Only One Higher for this Combination; Sold For $2,700.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Old Mill Harry Coveleski (sic Covaleski) PSA EX 5 – Very Low Total Pop; Sold For $2,640.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350-460/25 Rube Geyer PSA NM 7 – Only Two Higher for this Combination; Sold For $2,640.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Old Mill Fielder Jones (Hands At Hips) PSA EX 5 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Brand; Sold For $2,640.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 American Beauty 460 Bob Bescher (Hands In Air) PSA EX-MT 6 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $2,520.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Jack Hayden PSA NM 7; Sold For $2,520.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350-460/25 Al Bridwell (With Cap) PSA NM 7 – Pop Two, Only Three Higher for this Combination; Sold For $2,460.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Nick Maddox PSA NM 7; Sold For $2,340.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Jake Pfeister (Seated) PSA NM 7 – Only Two Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold for $2,340.00
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Hal Chase (Blue Portrait) PSA NM 7 – Only Two Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $2,220.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/30 Heinie Berger PSA NM 7 – Pop Three, Only Three Higher for this Combination; Sold For $2,160.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350 Emil Batch PSA NM 7 – Pop Two, None Higher for this Brand/Series; Sold For $2,100.00.
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350-460/25 Chief Meyers (Portrait) PSA EX-MT 6; Sold For $2,100.00
  • 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 150 Bull Durham PSA EX-MT 6; Sold For $2,040.00

That’s quite a collection on its own. And to imagine that there were 437 of the T206 cards that were ending on April 14 alone… and this was the eighth such auction for the David Hall T206 Collection.