Episode Guide

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Jay and Justin have a fascinating conversation with award-winning sportscaster, newsman, consummate card collector and baseball historian Keith Olbermann about his early days of collecting in the 1970s, the stories behind the elusive Honus Wagner and other T206 ultra-rarities, collecting during the pandemic boom and more.

Some recommended reading: 

• https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/t206-proof-strip-with-wagner-brings-316250/
• http://www.t206museum.com/page/ga_proofscollins.html
• http://www.t206museum.com/page/periodical_20.html
• https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-47-listen-highlights-keith-olbermanns-talk-baseball-cards/
• 30 for 30 "Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner" feat. Keith Olbermann

Jay and Justin chat with Luke Lyon of ThatT206Life.com about his collection's origin story, how to find hidden gems in the T206 set, collecting advertising backs, buying what brings you joy, trends in the hobby, and more.

Some recommended reading: 

• http://www.thatt206life.com/

Jay and Justin discuss how to spot reprints, fakes, and altered T206 cards and avoid getting burned. There's also a short conversation about the future of T206 collecting.

Some recommended reading: 

• https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/authenticating-1909-11-t206-baseball-cards/
• https://prewarcards.com/2018/04/07/ten-ways-to-help-avoid-fakes-in-the-vintage-card-market/
• https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/artificially-aged-fakes-still-fooling-buyers/
• https://prewarcards.com/2018/12/05/reprints-and-fakes-t206-honus-wagner-reproductions-baseball-cards/

Jay and Justin welcome special guest Paul Mifsud of SignedT206.com for a fascinating discussion about collecting autographed T206s, including their history, rarity, value and how to spot authentics and fakes. 

Some recommended reading: 

• Web: www.SignedT206.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/SignedT206

Jay and Justin welcome former MLB pitcher Dean Kiekhefer (Cardinals, A's) for a fun discussion about his time in the big leagues and his quest to amass the ugliest T206 sets ever with his "beater binder" project.

Jay and Justin discuss the benefits and drawbacks of grading companies' population reports and how to use them to guide decisions about collecting T206s.

Some recommended reading:

• https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/pop-report-comparisons-of-pre-war-and-post-war-vintage/
• https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/while-helpful-population-reports-have-limitations/
• https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/t206-hall-of-famers/
• PSA Population Report for T206s: https://www.psacard.com/pop/t206/ &
• https://www.psacard.com/pop/t206/?byback=1&pf=0
• SGC Population Reports: https://sgclegacy.com/PopulationReport.aspx
• Scot Reader's "Inside T206: A Collector’s Guide to the Classic Baseball Card Set": http://www.oldcardboard.com/t/t206/InsideT206-Centennial-edition.pdf

Jay and Justin discuss collecting in the COVID-19 era and take a deep dive into the Big 4 (including the elusive Honus Wagner treasure) and the other limited run cards (aka "short prints") in the T206 set.

Some recommended reading:

• Scot Reader's "Inside T206: A Collector’s Guide to the Classic Baseball Card Set": http://www.oldcardboard.com/t/t206/InsideT206-Centennial-edition.pdf
• http://t206resource.com/The%20Big%20Four.html
• http://www.thatt206life.com/2019/10/26/gettysburg-eddie-plank-and-his-t206-rarity-a-110-year-old-puzzle-solved/
• https://prewarcards.com/2018/04/20/what-if-the-honus-wagner-t206-wasnt-a-short-print/

Jay and Justin cover the basics on what the different advertising backs on the reverse of T206 cards are all about, and why collectors care.

Jay and Justin present a blueprint for building the complete T206 set on a budget.

Jay and Justin sit down with the Library of Congress's Peter Devereaux for a conversation about the T206s featured in his new book, GAME FACES: Early Baseball Cards from the Library of Congress. The book features rare and colorful baseball cards from the Library of Congress's Benjamin K. Edwards Collection, bringing to life an era of American history that saw the game explode in popularity.

• AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Faces-Baseball-Library-Congress/dp/158834634X
• SMITHSONIAN: https://www.smithsonianbooks.com/store/history/game-faces-early-baseball-cards-library-congress/

Jay and Justin visit the Library of Congress for a conversation with Sara Duke, curator of Popular and Applied Graphic Art in the Prints and Photographs Division. Among other memorabilia, Sara is responsible for the LOC's collection of baseball cards, including a near complete T206 set.  We discuss the history of the collection, Sara's role at the LOC, and what earns T206s a spot in American history. They also discuss the LOC's 2019 exhibit, Baseball Americana. 

Jay and Justin introduce the podcast, discuss what T206s are and why they're special, and tell their T206 collecting origin stories.