T202s
 

I've started picking up some Hall of Famers from this set and I am smitten! The prices seem reasonable for a tobacco issue (relative to others) and the selection of top tier HOFs is outstanding. Commons are, well, common prices. I have a couple of questions that perhaps our esteemed board can help me with:

1. Reference material - I repeatedly find the usual two paragraph description of the issue (Standard Catalogue). Is there a work on these addressing conception, issue, relative scarcity? The Net54 thread on the Joe Jackson panel is fascinating.

2. Prices - they have been stagnant, at best, for the past decade. Thoughts?

3. Storage - I have received my purchases is a variety of wrappings (cellophane, cut down sleeves, etc. Anything "standard" out there that folks know of?

4. Do TPGs get them right? In the early 1980s they were very popular; I seem to remember them getting a bad rap for being trimmed.

5. Show me your favorites! I'll post a couple below.

Thanks!

Lew Lipset wrote about T202s in his Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards in the 1980s, and there was an article about them in Old Cardboard in 2006. I can post those when I get home tonight.

T202
 

Of the ones I have, I only have one brown ink back. These appear to be harder to find than the typical black ink backs. All my cards are NY Americans....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151843924@N04/albums

Old Net54 threads - very cool
 

My Back Breakdown
 

Out of 33 cards:

Red Factory 30 - 8
Black Factory 649 - 24
Black Factory 30 - 1

Gary,

Thanks. Are you sure there is a brown variation? Yours is the first reference to brown reverse printing I have found. Perhaps it is just a bit faded black? I don't know - just looking for input. Appreciate it.

These might work as sleeves, although I have never used them:

https://www.perfectfitsleeves.com/Pe...sa-dna-001.htm

Check out a Numismatic Supplies Shop - they have sheets for currency which seems to be a good size for T202s.

Chuck,

Thanks! I ordered some - I'll let you know how they fit. I have been searching everywhere for these - hope they are good. With the variety of packaging I have received, I'm not sure how many other folks are aware of these. Again, thanks!!

T201/T202 Archival Sleeves - graded cards
 

Hey There! have a couple T202's. mostly the Double folders. I place the SGC graded cards in archival plastic sleeves, Bags Unlimited STT25 (timetable sleeves) they fit great. the sleeves are longer, I just fold them over in the back and tape them closed.

good luck!

Cliff

http://www.bagsunlimited.com/product...metable-sleeve

Do they fit PSA slabbed T202s? Is there anything that does?

t202 sleeves
 

Hey Adam and John!

SGC T202's fit nicely into these sleeves. I hate finerprints on my holders, soon as I get back from SGC I slip'm in the sleeves, they display nicely on my office display shelves. couple of pix for you.

I couldn't tell you if PSA T202's fit, I don't have any, cards look so much better in SGC holders!

TTYL!

Cliff

Attachment 271959

Attachment 271960

Attachment 271961

Signed T202s
 

I have a few signed T202s. There are some really great ones out there (Cobb and Baker), which I don't have. The ones I have are here:

<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/34294097842_db20bd85f7_o.jpg" width="1024" height="599" alt="Wheat T202"></a>

<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4168/34069053860_210f8dea8f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="560" alt="T202JonesAutoSGC30"></a>

<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8102/28945620594_9b8fb6f3c6_o.jpg" width="1440" height="658" alt="download (1)"></a>

I think what I'm referring to as brown the rest of the gang is saying red.....I most likely will always be a student of the hobby....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/554519474738304/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/151843924@N04/albums

For the OP, here are the articles on T202s that I mentioned earlier in this thread. The first one is Lew Lipset's T202 entry in his "Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards" from 1986, and the second one is Lee Behrens and Brian Hodes's article from the Spring 2006 "Old Cardboard" magazine.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0001.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0002.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0003.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0004.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0005.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0006.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0007.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0008.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0009.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0010.jpg
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...70504_0011.jpg

David,

Awesome - thank you!! Kudos to Lew, Lee, and Brian.

John

You're welcome, John. Let us know how the sleeves work out.

Also, you've probably seen this thread, but just in case you haven't:


Classic Net54 thread about Sholess Joe and the T202 set

I have one card from the triple folder set:

http://i.imgur.com/1f8MxIr.jpg

John, you have a nice Cobb with the scarce black Factory 30 back. I have this WaJo-Street with this back, and I'm looking for a WaJo-Knight example.

Great cards guys...definitely an underrated set...likely due to the size?

I used to have a handful...now only Ty and Hughie!

Love the T202s! Congrats on your pick ups John. I've been able to snag a few of these Black 30s. Seem to see the same combos pop up every so often-- Johnson/Street, Cobb/Moriarty.

My favorite set. I as able to complete a low condition intact set fairly quickly all at very reasonable prices. In fact I dont think i paid more than $250 for any of them. I think the prices are stagnant due to them being so different from a classic baseball card. However, that is exactly what makes them so appealing to me. i lvoe that you get great artwork and a wonderful original baseball action photo all in one. Also I love that whomever created these actually put some thought into who they paired together. Tinker - Evers - Chance. Bresnahan and Mcgraw. Jennings and Mcgraw. Lots of batteries too

Attachment 272106

Lee's T202 Set
 

Sean, Very cool.

i reached out to Lee and he sent an email saying he's liquidated a lot of his set but still has 40 or so of the Factory 30 Black cards. Here's a picture of his set:

I saw Sean's picture of his set and reminded me of the picture I had taken of my set and how similar it was. I had sold all of the set except the black factory 30s to help buy Sterling Sports Auctions. Still my favorite set of all time!

Lee Behrens

Is it known (or believed) that every T202 card can be found with each of the 3 backs - black 30, red 30, and black 649?

Val,

The belief is that each can be found with black 649 and red 30. However, the jury is still out on the black 30. I just went through 300+ ebay listings (because I have no life) and found one black factory 30 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/401300219246...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Now I'm sure these have been picked through, but they do seem very very tough. The one I bought in REA was an accident!!

When I was trying to catalog the backs. I was able to catalog all the black 649s and red 30s and about a 40% of the black 30 backs. I would guess they are out there but obviously a slow task to even catalog them.

Lee

Check this out. I did not buy this card; it went off on ebay last night for under $1k. I did buy a Cobb yesterday from a fellow board member, at market, for 1/4 of the price of a similarly graded T206 and maybe 1/3 of a T205.

I saw a post above saying that T202s are relatively unpopular because of their size. Any other reasons, ya think? Multi-player cards have always been kind of the red-headed step child - maybe that is a factor. I'm happy because I can pick up nice cards at what I think are bargains and the trend has been flat for a decade or more with no uptick in sight.

Comments?

I agree they've been relatively flat overall, but I seem to have noticed a recent uptick in key/iconic cards like Ty Cobb steals third, and Tinker/Evers/Chance. I don't have VCP, so cannot confirm through their history, but I have many of these cards in my eBay searches, and track sales that way. The Tinker Evers Chance could be a Cub thing, but maybe some of the key cards are just seeing an overdue trend upward.

I'm with you though John, if they remain flat, I'll just keep picking up nice ones that come available. Absolutely love the set, and think if there was a "size" thing, it may soon become a non issue since other larger collectibles like PCs, Premiums and Exhibits have all been mainstream gaining momentum/mainstream acceptance of late.

I bought a few packs, they arrived today, and they fit PSA slabs perfectly! SGC slabs have about 1/4" to spare. Excellent!

Thanks for the reccomendation, Chuck.

Sean, great set. I love seeing them all laid out like that.
Here's my only T202. It was my way of getting a Joe Jackson card Cheap. :D


Attachment 272463

Nice Cards guys, I have a few.
I love them
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...ze/johnson.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...ize/9young.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers.../t202matty.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...eakerfront.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...202collins.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...size/wheat.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...size/walsh.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...thletics_1.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers...3FF2E8087_.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/ruckers.../bresnahan.jpg

Courtesy of a fellow board member - thanks!!

I only have one:
https://caimages.collectors.com/psai...voe-Becker.jpg

Great looking cards, guys. Thanks for sharing the scans...

A Black Factory 30 Sold on Ebay
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1912-T202-Ha...p2047675.l2557

What I found interesting was tht the card had 14 watchers. To me, that means people are aware, if not jumping on, the scarcity of the Factory 30 Balck variation.

I collect T202 end-panels (i.e. cut T202s). If anybody has any they want to sell or trade to a fellow hobbyist please let me know.

-David

Although having some guy named Mathewson on the front may also explain the attention.

Truth - but the other T202 Mattys dont have that many watchers. A SGC 50 of that card goes for less than $300 for a Factory 649.

About 25 years, no doubt as a result of Lew Lipset's book on tobacco cards, the T202 Birmingham's Home Run card became highly sought and chased after. As I recall, T202's were more popular back then for their originality than today. I still have a Birmingham HR card somewhere but damned if I can remember what made it special.

Excerpted in post #15 above - it appears that Lipset asserted it was a tougher card in the set, which ironically may have driven further scarcity.