Posted By:
Ted ZanidakisSome new and interesting notes from doing some research at the Philadelphia Library this past Sat.
1st....I'll reprise my theory....it conjectures that the scarcity of the T206 Plank card can be explained
by the American Caramel Co. (ACC) forcing the American Tobacco Co. (ATC) to stop issuing their Plank
card.....ACC having 1st acquired the exclusive rights to Plank and 1st to issue his BB card .
Here are the series of events.....
Eddie Plank went to Gettysburg (his hometown) College. The Director of this Coll. back then was David
Franklin Lafean.
Milton Hershey started the Lancaster Caramel Co. in 1896 and sold it to David F. Lafean in the early 1900's.
Lafean then established the ACC in Philadelphia in 1905.
During this period, Connie Mack's Phila. A's were winning pennants with a formidable team of players.
Most outstanding and the "hometown" favorite was Eddie Plank, a very deliberate southpaw pitcher.
Lafean....being a sharp businessman, capitalized on this "A's fever" and enhanced the marketing of his
Candy product with BB card premiums; thus, the E90-1 cards were issued in series from 1908 - 1911.
Lafean was also a shrewd politician (in his later life he became a US Congressman). Therefore, it's very likely
that Lafean legally enforced his exclusive rights to his "guy", Eddie Plank; causing ATC to remove their Plank
from the market.
Final proof of this theory will require actual documentation, which I will try to find, next time I am in Philly.
Until then, this circumstantial evidence that I have presented here, is quite plausible....and certainly very
thought-provoking.
Gentleman.... a very similar scenario occurred in 1954, when Sy Berger (of Topps)....an avid Ted Williams
fan....forced the Bowman Gum Co. to cease and desist from issuing their Ted Williams card (#66).
I am very grateful to Frank Wakefield for all the research he presented in support of this theory in the
initial Thread on this subject.
OK....I am open to any and all questions regarding this subject....so, shoot away ?
TED Z