There are 5,257 known possible card combinations in the full T206 set. Combinations consist of players, poses, and advertisers on the card backs. I have approximately 20!
Card collector, David Hall, has a collection of over 5,000 of these combinations, the largest collection known. The collection is estimated to be worth over $10 million.
Later this week, a few of the rarest cards in the $10 million collection will be on display at the Long Beach Expo.
Hall, the President of Collectors Universe, began attacking the T206 set
with a vengeance just nine years ago, chasing not only each of the more
than 500 subjects in the famous tobacco issue, but each of the
different advertising backs. No other collector as assembled even 3,000
different.
. . . . .
The collection includes 55 Ty Cobb cards (out of 57 possible), all 31
Walter Johnson possibilities, 40 out of 41 Christy Mathewson, 38 out of
a possible 39 Cy Young cards and two of the four possible rare Eddie
Plank variations.
“I was an animal about this,” he joked. “The dealers found out and
would offer me cards. I advertised to buy and would go to the National
and look at everyone’s cards. Everyone knew. I had a bit of a target
on my back.”
. . . . .
Hall said he’s hoping that the Expo will give collectors a chance to
learn “how much fun T206s are” even if you don’t have the disposable
income to build a collection like his. His advice? “Do your homework
and buy what you like,” he stated. “With the internet, prices are pretty
transparent now. Don’t buy what someone else tells you to buy. Just
buy what you enjoy.”
Hall says he's close to being done and putting the collection up for sale since adding to it is nearly impossible now. At least it's a hobby where you can retain some value, not all wasted money, which is nice. That's what I tell my wife anyway.
You can read the full article here.
