Picked up a T218 Blank Back - anyone have other T218 oddities?

[G1911]

T218's are one of the easiest tobacco sets to find. I've owned hundreds and am building a complete master set, but have hardly seen any scrap or oddities. The set certainly appears to have had tighter quality control or less cards that escaped from the factory in an unfinished state than other common issues.


Image: https://imgur.com/a/L02uU


I picked up this Handy last week (not a boxer, but there isn't a swimming card forum!), only the second blank back I have seen (Rector is the other). The card appears handcut and is the correct thickness.


An Abe Goodman with a bad scan that was purported to be printed on thick cardboard appeared on eBay over a decade ago. I've never seen a partially printed card or anything like that. Never even a miscut bad enough to tell what the adjacent card is. Anybody have any?

[Exhibitman]

Does this work for you:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/1910%20T218%20Summers%20miscut.jpg

[G1911]

Does this work for you:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/1910%20T218%20Summers%20miscut.jpg

That's just what I'm looking for! I have an unhealthy fondness for ugly miscuts

[scooter729]

Big fan of the set and its Canadian cousin the C52s, and have completed both sets. But you're right - I don't recall any real printing issues on these, aside from some miscut backs. Nice pickup with the blank back!

[Bill77]

The only printing issue I have so far in my collection is this Tom Collins:

[Exhibitman]

That's just what I'm looking for! I have an unhealthy fondness for ugly miscuts

Me too. That’s the only one I have seen in T218. I had it slabbed for protection only.

[G1911]

The only printing issue I have so far in my collection is this Tom Collins:

I love the off registered or misaligned colors like this and I always try to grab them when they appear. Thanks for sharing, they’re pretty tough to find in T218

[G1911]

Big fan of the set and its Canadian cousin the C52s, and have completed both sets. But you're right - I don't recall any real printing issues on these, aside from some miscut backs. Nice pickup with the blank back!

I’m working on the C52’s alongside my T218/T219 sets. Thankfully they aren’t too expensive but I’m making very slow progress because they so rarely come up for sale. In my mind, C52 belongs as part of the T218s and I’ll have to finish them to have a master set. Maybe in 20 more years I’ll be close! Beautiful set to have completed

[Exhibitman]

I love the off registered or misaligned colors like this and I always try to grab them when they appear. Thanks for sharing, they’re pretty tough to find in T218

Now I see it..that porn 'stache distracted me.

Coincidentally, picked up this T220 miscut last night:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/N1UAAOSwWMhahkME/s-l500.jpg

This is my favorite T-wreck:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/T220%20ungraded%20Coburn%20printer%20freak.jpg

[G1911]

Now I see it..that porn 'stache distracted me.

Coincidentally, picked up this T220 miscut last night:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/N1UAAOSwWMhahkME/s-l500.jpg

This is my favorite T-wreck:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/T220%20ungraded%20Coburn%20printer%20freak.jpg


T220 doesn’t have many oddities either, I think. You beat me on the Ryan, my placeholder bid was the under and then I forgot to go back before it ended to bid again lol. First T220 miscut where you can see part of the next cards caption that I recall seeing. I believe your Coburn scrap came up on eBay many years ago and I lost it too. That Coburn is one of the coolest T cards I have ever seen, absolutely love it.

Besides these, the blank back silver border McAuliffe (without the silver applied) that came up at an auction house a couple years ago is awesome. I wish I had seen this card before it sold. Only blank back I’m aware of. I have a really weird white Lavigne missing a lot of partial inks that I’ve posted before. I’ll check my saved scans by put can’t think of any others. Many cards you can see the back frame on the front right of the card as a grey ghost looking image

I don’t believe I’ve seen anything weird or cool in T219 at all. I have a Welsh that is significantly oversized and a Papke that seems to have a printing alignment mark in the border but that’s it.

[steve B]

No misprints in T218 for me, but I do have one in T220. I'll have to scan it or see if I already did one. It's got the yellow from a different card. Not really obvious since yellow is light, and the design is a bit busy.

[Exhibitman]

That's the first T220 miscut I've seen as well with the caption from the next card on it.

I've had that Coburn for a long time. I did get it off eBay back in the days before freaks were popular. I actually sold off my T206 freaks when the prices got stupid for them.

I did get this recently:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/E8-E78%20Wrong%20Back.jpg

E8 card with an E78 back.

[G1911]

That's the first T220 miscut I've seen as well with the caption from the next card on it.

I've had that Coburn for a long time. I did get it off eBay back in the days before freaks were popular. I actually sold off my T206 freaks when the prices got stupid for them.

I did get this recently:

E8 card with an E78 back.


E78’s are tough to find even printed correctly! Sweet pickup

[x2drich2000]

That's the first T220 miscut I've seen as well with the caption from the next card on it.

I've had that Coburn for a long time. I did get it off eBay back in the days before freaks were popular. I actually sold off my T206 freaks when the prices got stupid for them.

I did get this recently:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/E8-E78%20Wrong%20Back.jpg

E8 card with an E78 back.

Well that's an interesting card, based on my Young I think it is safe to say E8 and E92/E101/E102 were printed at the same factory. I wonder if there is any possibility the E8 and E92/E101/E102 were actually printed on the same sheet(s).

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4506/37530762551_cd9fb41497_b.jpg

[G1911]

Well that's an interesting card, based on my Young I think it is safe to say E8 and E92/E101/E102 were printed at the same factory. I wonder if there is any possibility the E8 and E92/E101/E102 were actually printed on the same sheet(s).



I’ve wondered the same, and I think they were in some cases at least. The couple of these oddities I’ve seen appear machine cut to me, not handcut or unfinished cards from pre-production. The upside down backs would happen if they ran the sheet through the press the wrong way, I think.

[Exhibitman]

Yup, that's how they happen. Either that or they were using the sheet as scrap for some reason, and happened to accidentally put it in with the pile to be finished and sent out.

[G1911]

Tolstoi backed Jeffries Ghost/wet sheet/something. The red aligns exactly perfect with the red inking on the front of the card

The Kline is unusual too. It's not strange to see the darkness of the back text shift slightly, but this card is far, far darker than normally seen. Not sure it comes through quite well in the photo, but each character on the back is somewhat wider than normal as well. It looks like the back was printed over twice or something

[Exhibitman]

Yup. They ran the sheet twice.

[butcher354435]

I've also got a few e78's with an e8 reverse... so just the opposite of the one Adam shows above.

[G1911]

Not as awesome as E78's with the wrong back or front, but a cool Lunghi. Partial wet sheet transfers or ghosts aren't all that rare, but the vivid brightness this card has retained of the Irish American Athletic Club logo from Emilio's shirt is.

[G1911]

And a second card for today, that I've shown before but belongs here. Something of a train wreck. Picked up years ago for a few bucks alongside some normal T220's from a seller who didn't know anything about the cards.

The manner in which it was acquired and that I can find nothing funky or wrong with the card on physical examination has me thinking it probably did come out of the factory this way as opposed to being a card doctor's practice card to try and remove some ink.

I kind of like the "Snow" background more than the properly printed one. Card has a Mecca Fact. 649 back.

[G1911]

And finally, a less cool but still cool-in-my-book Beecher card. The "silver" applied to the cards usually only varies very slightly. This one is about twice as dark as anything else in my stack of T220's or that I have seen in person. Presumably, it got some extra applied during whatever the process was American Lithographic used to apply the Gold/Silver borders on their cards. Placed alongside a few other regular Beechers to the left of it. Hope the file condensing in the website upload doesn't dilute the effect:

[G1911]

Top and middle cards have an ink defect on the top left of the grass.

This one is a recurring print defect or variation depending where one draws the line. I have had one of these 2 cards for a long time and thought it was just a cool one off. The location on the edge and the shape of the ink smudge was, I thought, the result of a worker at the printing shop touching a sheet that hadn't dried yet with his thumb. That there are at least 2 with the exact same smudge lends me to think perhaps it was dust or dirt on the printing plate instead. Both of these cards have Mecca 30 backs. I would love to know if anybody else has a McGrath like this, and if you do, what brand/factory

[Marslife]

Hey Greg!

picked this up at the National this weekend, cool double tap on the name and off register a bit!

Cliff

324798

324799

324800

[Bill77]

I just recently found these T218s and T59s. The Harry Sedley Jr has a slight misalignment with the green and I thought the color misalignment on the T59s were cool. The Smythe Northridge looks to have just a hint of another card at the top as well as a wet sheet transfer of the border of the back of the card.

[G1911]

I just recently found these T218s and T59s. The Harry Sedley Jr has a slight misalignment with the green and I thought the color misalignment on the T59s were cool. The Smythe Northridge looks to have just a hint of another card at the top as well as a wet sheet transfer of the border of the back of the card.

That is a really cool Northridge. It's not rare to see part of the next cards back border, but I believe that's only the second one I've ever seen with another card showing on the front, after Exhibitman's awesome Summers.

[rhettyeakley]

Here are two that I had set aside some time ago (I have a soft spot for "freak" print cards)...

http://starsofthediamond.com/t218miscuts.jpg

http://starsofthediamond.com/t218miscuts2.jpg

[Marslife]

Nice Miscuts Rhett! was good to see u again in oHIo.

cliff

[G1911]

Sweet miscuts, and a C52 to boot. interesting that the card above Sheridan doesn't appear to be another Sheridan. Perhaps Moran?

[G1911]

Couple of T220 printing variations. Maher should have a red background, Sharkey a Burgundy. I have a lot of missing red ink and orange background cards that I'm not convinced are 'natural' and came from the factory that way, but I think these 2 are. The Maher, I think actually looks cooler than his regular card

[G1911]

Back with another cool Maher. This card originated from the same collection as the Maher and Sharkey 'sans red' cards above. This one shows a bright image of another card's reverse on the front, though a bit misaligned. Always enjoy finding little oddities like these

[G1911]

Miscut with name at top card of Donovan. The text at top shows the bottom of the "of To Day" line, showing that like the other ATC sets, at least some sheets had multiple of the same card stacked on top of each other in a column

[Marslife]

Hey Mr. G!

scored a nice t220 sharkey with a red shift, thought you would appreciate it!

TTYL!

342660

342661

342662

[G1911]

This is not the only "yellow streak" printing error in T220, but the first Fitzsimmons I've seen. Card on the left is the regular card, the card on the right has yellow ink splotched over much of the lower half of the card.

[G1911]

Found another blank back, this one of Harry Porter. That makes 3 blank backs I am aware of, Handy and Porter, both handcut from series 1, and James Rector from the 3rd series. I suspect Handy and Porter were from the same sheet here, and thus intended to have Mecca backs. Both are fully printed and show no sign of being proofs or anything like that; just an unfinished sheet that escaped the factory and got cut up by hand.

[Marslife]

Nice Blank Back G! have not run across one yet :-(


I did snag a nice Loughry with a printing plate scratch or hair on the front (it is not a crease) you can see the ink bleed across the line. It also has a sweet top of adjacent card cut across the bottom on the back side!

TTYL!

Cliff

398296

398297

398298

[Bill77]

Another H J Handy oddity. I noticed the wet sheet transfer on the top when I got it but then noticed another transfer at the bottom that is hard to see in the scan. I was able to pull more detail out by playing with the contrast. I don't think I have ever seen a card with 2 transfers before.

[G1911]

Another H J Handy oddity. I noticed the wet sheet transfer on the top when I got it but then noticed another transfer at the bottom that is hard to see in the scan. I was able to pull more detail out by playing with the contrast. I don't think I have ever seen a card with 2 transfers before.

Very cool piece, looks like a Mecca logo from a card back at both top and bottom in two different orientations? I have a lot of single wet sheet transfers but I’ve never seen a T218 with one like this

[Bill77]

After playing with the card some more I was able to pull a little more detail on the transfer and found out which card left the upside down transfer. It is from the James J. Jefferies card. I can make out 3 1901s on the left and the round numbers 25, 23, and 4 on the right.

[G1911]

After playing with the card some more I was able to pull a little more detail on the transfer and found out which card left the upside down transfer. It is from the James J. Jefferies card. I can make out 3 1901s on the left and the round numbers 25, 23, and 4 on the right.

Very nice detective work! Nice little clue to the layout of the early Series 1 sheet(s) as well.


Here's another contribution, though I can't yet make out what the text is on the first Klaus in upper left to ID what back is showing.



A small oddity here, these 3 Klaus cards are all Factory 30 backs. While breaks in the thin black border on back are ubiquitous throughout the set, Klaus has a recurring print defect (RPD) on the front, with these two gaps in the upper right. I only observed this recently and have not yet seen it on a factory 649 card. There's a few RPD's in T1218, the McGrath 'finger splotch' shown previously in this thread being the only really cool one, I think. Would be interested in your guys' Klaus cards, if they do or do not have this border gap and which factory(ies).

[DaveW]

Hi Greg - I have two Klaus cards, both factory 30, and neither of them has the border breaks like your cards.

[Bill77]

My Klaus is a factory 649 and does not have the border breaks.

[G1911]

Thank you gentlemen - all of the Klaus' on eBay are 649's without the break. Thinking this probably only F30 then, but is unlikely to be tough, as 2 of my 3 copies have it.

[Marslife]

Hey G!

I think you have cornered the market with this particular print defect! Both of Mine (Mecca F30 on top, and Mf649 on bottom) have solid lines :-(

TTYL!

Cliff

400320

[G1911]

A Goldman miscut with Goldman at top. Hard to tell from scan that it's Goldman and not Jack Goodman above, but in person, the difference can be seen. That's 4 T220 miscuts I know of, all showing the same card was above.

[Tao_Moko]

Just picked these up. Both are in the mail so hopefully I don't jinx their arrival.

[G1911]

Just picked these up. Both are in the mail so hopefully I don't jinx their arrival.

Nice! Toying with the idea of going for a full set of the T225 poster cuts to go along with the cards. Love the art on that set.

[Tao_Moko]

Nice! Toying with the idea of going for a full set of the T225 poster cuts to go along with the cards. Love the art on that set.

I'll have this one in reserve if you decide to go for it. Also, I have some Tolstoi backs(T218) coming in a lot I purchased. I'll hit you up when they get here and see if they're on your needs list. Or, you can email me the ones your missing.

[G1911]

I'll have this one in reserve if you decide to go for it. Also, I have some Tolstoi backs(T218) coming in a lot I purchased. I'll hit you up when they get here and see if they're on your needs list. Or, you can email me the ones your missing.

Email sent! Thank you

[Marslife]

Frayne ghost image for your enjoyment!

413273

413274

[david_l]

https://i.ibb.co/PrnRW2C/9773-BF8-D-916-F-4828-AEEA-5-F59-FE975-BE4.jpg

[Marslife]

NICE score David!

[david_l]

Hehe thanks!

[G1911]

Jeff B. stamp on another card. Normally don't really care about who owned a card before me, but Burdick I guess is as cool as that gets. Didn't think I would win, definitely question it's authenticity. Anyone recognize the other names? If it's a fake stamp the seller certainly seemed to not know anything about that, and didn't mention it at all. I'm always a sceptic of things that can be faked like this.

This was the listing:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JOHN-FLANAGAN-1910-T218-HASSAN-TOBACCO-CARD-IRISH-AMERICAN-ATHLETIC-CLUB/164665401190?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[DaveW]

Hi Greg - I guess that you and I were the only ones that noticed the stamp. I thought it might have been you that outbid me. I thought the stamp was real, but I suppose those could be faked, but there’s not enough price increase to make it worth it in my opinion, so congrats on a cool card.

[G1911]

Hi Greg - I guess that you and I were the only ones that noticed the stamp. I thought it might have been you that outbid me. I thought the stamp was real, but I suppose those could be faked, but there’s not enough price increase to make it worth it in my opinion, so congrats on a cool card.

Should have guessed your eyes would have been the other spotter! I know the Burdick stamps carry some not insignificant value on baseball but no clue if they did on cards like this. I always like adding little variants, oddities and supplemental cards to my set runs



Thanks to my friend Marslife (Cliff) for pointing out one of the other stamps is William Beyer.

"H.E. Ross" might be Harold Ross, another early contributor to Burdick's publication and one of his known trading partners.

Not sure what the "J" above Breyer's name is, but the rest of the marks appear to be poorly stamped and incomplete versions of Burdick's. I guess nobody wanted to keep Mr. Flanagan for long

[DaveW]

I think that the J above Breyer’s name is the last part of the k at the end of Burdick. Compare it to the Burdick stamp just below it.

[G1911]

I think that the J above Breyer’s name is the last part of the k at the end of Burdick. Compare it to the Burdick stamp just below it.

Your eyes are better than mine, thank you sir! It looks like this is it to me now

[G1911]

Similar to the recurring (albeit it must be difficult, I've yet to see a third copy) McGrath in post 23, I found a Jack Sullivan with a similar "splotching". In hand, the light black layer over much of the card that appears smudged in several places at top is not dirt or damage. On right is a normal Sullivan with the same Mecca 649 back.

None of my other Sullivan's, or those on eBay at present, have this effect, but it is probably recurring, because of how this fits with the McGrath.

The more interesting thing about this card is how it fits with the McGrath I have. I have been looking for another series 1 card with a smudge defect like this in the bottom right of the card since I found the second McGrath, as it may suggest which card was the column/partial column next to McGrath. The second images shows the two defects with their backs oriented facing down, how they would presumably appear on a sheet. It is not conclusive evidence, but it does seem to suggest these cards may have been sheet mates. The matching defect, the matching shape with the 'two humps' and the matching location of the primary defect area would seem to indicate something in the way of the ink in this spot while printing. The evidence against this is that both the McGraths in my possession are F30 backs, Sullivan an F649, but this sample size is awfully small to conclude anything about.

I would be very interested in other folks Sullivan's (and McGrath's) to see if there are more examples (there must be, I am sure), particularly a F30 Sullivan or an F649 McGrath.

[G1911]

Showing card to left was the same - like the Summer, T218-3 repeats cards horizontally and not just vertically like most ATC sets show. Consistent with T220-1.

[G1911]

Surprised to find this one in a batch of 183 cards I bought. At least some T218-1 sheets clearly had cards printed upside down from other cards for some reason. The front is uninteresting and properly centered.