1988 article on T206s

[trdcrdkid]

This doesn't go back as far as most of my hobby history posts, but I thought people might still be interested in seeing how T206s were being collected almost 30 years ago. This article by John Spalding appeared in the October 1988 issue of Baseball Hobby News, accompanied by some nice color illustrations. There's nothing in there that a T206 collector of today wouldn't know, but it's interesting to see the differences from today. There is no mention of the Joe Doyle rarity (which had come to the attention of the organized hobby the year before), and T206 backs are mentioned only in passing, with Spalding admonishing the reader, "don't laugh" at the idea of collecting backs. It's also interesting to see the discussion of the differently-organized checklists then available, something that is no longer an issue today, when everybody uses a checklist that has all the cards in one alphabetical list.

I've posted the top part of the issue's cover, with illustrations of some cards, and then each of the two pages of the article, first the whole page and then the sections of the text, blown up for easier reading.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9138.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9140.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9141.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9142.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9143.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9144.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9145.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg98/dkathman1/IMG_9146.jpg

[Tao_Moko]

I remember that article. I was about 3 years into collecting tobacco cards and don't recall a full photo checklist at the time so seeing a new card surface that you'd only ever seen in print by name was cool. Backs were mostly irrelevant in conversations that I can remember amongst us small town collectors. We knew that some were less common but I don't think we applied any premiums. My big score in 1988 was a Clark Griffith portrait for somewhere around $25. I also traded a Will Clark Fleer for Sweeney and Chase with trophy for close to the same price. Crazy that I remember those acquisitions.

[ullmandds]

1 year after I graduated high school. At this point I had maybe 2-3 t206 in my collection...one of which was a lenox back. Over the next 4-5 years I started actively trying to get 1 copy of each back...adding a drum in 92...and a few red hindu's in 94.

The only one left in my collection is my first...a white cap matty beater.

[BruceinGa]

My son was 12 then. We went to a card show in Marietta and he bought a couple T206's and a t202. I remember thinking why is he wasting his money. 😳