Show and/or Tell us about your 1st Tobacco card

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

My very 1st T-card is this T206 Hal Chase (blue portrait) shown in the upper left corner (a Piedmont 350).
I acquired it 27 years ago at the Willow Grove Show. It got me hooked on T206's and also motivated me to get
every back it was printed on. Little did I know at the time that this T206 Subject is a "super-print".....and, that
this Chase is available with about 24 different backs. Well, I have 14 and possibly 10 more to go.


So, tell us about your very 1st Tobacco card....19th Century or 20th Century....any type or brand ?






T-Rex TED

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Posted By: barry arnold

received a t205 mathewson and a t206 o'neil in 82 or 83 from a good friend of mine as a gift from an inheritance. first card i ever bought was a 206 matty dark cap with polar bear back in 84 or so.
still have the o'neil and dark cap.
barry s. sold the mathewson for me ages ago when i finally decided to be
singleminded about the Monster.
great thread, Trex.

best,
barry

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Posted By: Addie_Joss

First T-card I ever got was a Miller Huggins hands at mouth. I bought it probably 12 or 13 years ago when I was 10 or 11 at a card show in White Plains. Still have it.

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi Ted,
I got this baby 30 years ago at the Super Flea in Greensboro, NC for I think 15-20...Be well Brian

It was everything I had.....

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Posted By: MVSNYC

about 20 years ago, i was at a mall show in Bethlehem, PA and bought T206's of Devlin, Elberfeld NY Port, and Kroh...they were all in fair-good condition. from the second i held them in my hands, i was in love...shortly after that weekend, i watched "glory of their times"...and was absolutely hooked.

i still have the Devlin & Elberfeld to this day, since they both have red backgrounds, i have them together in a red frame. i'll never sell them.

my other fond memory of early tobacco card collecting, was being educated by Jay Wolt in his little shop in Phillipsburg, NJ...spent many an afternoon at the back counter talking about Hugh Duffy, Hal Chase, Three-Finger Brown...etc...

great times.

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Posted By: Paul Carek

When I was about eight, my uncle gave me a half dozen or so T206's, which I promptly lost. I was old enough to appreciate their significance, but evidently too young to take proper care of them. Shame about that. I distinctly remember having Tinker, Evers (batting), and Chance. Ever hopeful, though, I intend to scour my parents' attic -- yet again -- when I go home to Ohio for a visit this summer.

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Posted By: CN

My first tobacco card was Happy Smith which I acquired at one of the Hofstra shows in the late 70,s which I still have. I was looking through a stack of T206,s when I saw the name I figured I had to have it. CN

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Posted By: Doug

My first tobacco card was a T206 Tom Downey (fielding) with a Piedmont 350 back that I bought 8 or 9 years ago.

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Posted By: Gene Palmer

Got it in the early 80's I believe. Think I paid $5 for it...

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Posted By: JimB

Got this Lajoie and a red port. Cobb back in 1979 at shop in the San Fernando Valley. The Lajoie is still my favorite T206 pose and this card is still a centerpiece of my set. It is still raw.
JimB

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Posted By: Bruce MacPherson

$10 from a shop in Crystal City, VA. The back is an Old Mill. I vividly recall picking this back, since the dealer had a full nine pocket page of Red Cobbs and that was the only unique back.

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Posted By: MarkC.

I got my first tobacco card at a baseball card shop in Cooperstown in the early '90's. It was a T206 Piedmont 150 Leifield (Pitching). I caught the bug and bought a couple more Pirates on that trip, and haven't looked back since.

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Posted By: DMcD

Bought this T206 Matty Dark Cap raw off eBay six or seven years ago when I was a hobby newbie. Thought it was a beauty then and still do. I didn't know yet that eBay had a darkside of fakery and forgery and base dishonesty. Thus I was relieved when I had it graded at the Anaheim National and SGC gave it the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It was my first tobacco card and third vintage card (preceded by a '33 Goudey Dean and a Zeenut Oana), and it's been a long, slippery slope since then.

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Posted By: DD

CN,
Are you sure it was Hofstra, and in the late 70's? I went to Hofstra from 82-86, and do not remember any shows at the PFC. Maybe when I was a senior, but pretty sure they started afterwards. Could have been the occasional show there before that. I was setting up at shows all over NY at that time with my brothers, so I am pretty sure we would have done one there if there was one.

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Posted By: bernie

I got my first four together at a card show that came to my high school in Warwick, RI in 1989-1990. I bought four HOF'ers ... M. Brown (chicago), McGraw (finger up), Speaker and E. Collins for $8 each. All are in fair-good condition. If only I knew then what I know now.

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

When I was 9 and my brother was 10 my father gave us each one T206 card. I got the only player in the t206 set to sport a mustache (John Titus) and my brother got Pryor McElveen. About the same time my father also bought us each a 1933 Goudey (I got Pepper Martin and Rhys got a yellow background O'Doul). I still have the Martin but have long since traded away the Titus (really wish I had kept it). Every time I see a Titus it reminds me of how excited I was when I got it.

The first card I ever purchased myself was a fairly nice 1957 Don Drysdale RC, which I took to church to show of to my friends and creased it in my pant pocket, I think I actually cried. (In my defense I was 10)

Great memories.
-Rhett

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Posted By: Vincent

About twenty years ago, I made the jump from collecting rare coins, to vintage sportscards. Modern sportscard never held much appeal to me. I was advised by a veteran collector to trade quantity for quality, and to buy the best I could afford. So my first purchase was an Ty Cobb T206 Red Background, Ex condition, from dealer Tony Galovich. It was well worth the reach.

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Posted By: John S

Purchased in the mid-80's for somewhere around $5...still part of my collection.

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Posted By: Ken W.

From about 2002, when I was just getting started (off ebay). Still love the images!

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Posted By: Richard Cline - RC

Not a big name but this Bates was my first venture into tobacco cards. Bought it at a show in Dayton, OH just over a year ago. Since then I have completed the Reds in T206 and picked up a few "name" players to the collection.

Taking the advice of Net54 posters at the time of purchase, I intend to make this card a keeper since it was my first T206.

RC

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Posted By: Jantz

My first T206 was a graded version of Nap Rucker throwing. My intention was to buy just one for my collection. When it arrived in the mail, I was hooked. I now own 40 and bought 6 more last week. I'm finding that the Monster is relentless!

Nice post,
Jantz

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Posted By: leon

I might have had one before but I got a T202 Cobby that turned out to be about a 40 from a trade about 9 yrs ago.....it was from a guy who worked at a jail and I can't remember his name now. I bought an altered T205 Cobby in Nrmt-Mt (raw...yeah, I know).....

On a different note I sat next to Kid Elberfeld's great grand daughter on the trip to NY this last weekend. She was really nice.....and asked about acquiring one of her great grandfather's cards. I told her I could help and gave her my # but don't know if she will call. That was kind of neat.

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

I bought a t207 joe Tinker and Frank Chance in the mid 90's. Still have both only they are now graded by SGC.

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Posted By: Kevin Andrews

First two I purchase from Barry Sloate about 20 years ago.

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Posted By: bruce Dorskind

We began collecting seriously in the Fall of 1975, Whilst our initial purchases
were ultra rare high grade (then just called near mint) Delongs and and three
excellent to mint George Miller candy cards, our initial foray into Tobacco
cards was a four card acquisition from Rob Lifson

1. Just So
2. Four Base Hit
3. Two NY Kalamazoo Bat Players

Our focus has been on the ultra rare ever since


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List
(212) 734-7362

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Posted By: Leslie Westbrook

...wee as it is, I first purchased 3 T206 BEATERS on Ebay about a year and a half ago. Ever since, I've been absolutely hooked on the pre-war side of collecting (I'd been a post-war collector already for about 20 years).

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I'm surprised that no one has posted any 19th Century cards....yet ?

Here is my 1st....thanks to Barry Sloate....who sold me all 42 (non-baseball) Goodwin Champions.....back in 1984.
The N162 cards (circa 1889) are my all-time favorite sportscards. Barry, you really got me hooked on these, as I
have put together 4 complete 50-card sets....and, my collection includes the beautiful Goodwin Champions Album.




TED Z

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Posted By: Rob Ray

My late mom's uncle was Nap Rucker. When I was very young (late 60s),we visited him down south (first time I had ever met him,he was some sort of a town politician at the time and I belive he died a few years after our visit). He had a bunch of his tobacco cards,although at the time I had no idea what they were. He gave my brother and me a couple of his cards (I think one was a triple-folder) as well as a B-18 blanket (still have the B-18 prominently framed on my bookshelf at home)...again,these did not hold any interest for us at the time,so exscept for the blanket,we somehow lost them over the years.
he also gave me his dodgers cap,which I gave to my brother when I went away to college in mid 70s...which he "lost" at some point. Anyway,mid 80s I suddenly remember those cards of his,but after he died my mom lost touch with his family. I scrambled around at shows looking for his cards at that time....and became interested in other tobbaco cards and packs.
Rob

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Posted By: CN

Dave, Hofstra hosted some pretty big shows from 1977-to at least 1979. I remember going to one show where Mickey Mantle was signing autographs for the then unheard of price of $10. The press made a big deal out of it.CN

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Posted By: Paul S

T206 Cobb bat off, in 1967-68. Put it atop the fireplace mantle. Still have it.

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Posted By: Ron

Hi Ted,
My first Tobacco card was Pelty Vertical. Bought it for $1.50 off an east coast dealer by the name of Paul Pollard back in 78 or 79. It was funny he had a Cobb for $13 but was more than I could afford at 13.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Back in the late 1970's and early '80s that was the going price for a T206 Cobb. I remember getting outbid
at a show auction, where a Green Cobb went for $20 and a Red Cobb went for $15.

TED Z

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Posted By: Mike Ernst

Late fall/early winter 1971/72 I had an old North Dakota farmer pour out onto an oilskin tablecloth on a round oak clawfoot table 1100 tobacco cards (almost all T205 and T206--a few T201 and T202). I had no idea what their value was, and I knew that I couldn't afford them---ultimately I had to force $20 on him. I remember needing a Johnson portrait to complete my T205's, and feeling like I was held up at gunpont when I had to pay $6 to a dealer for it.
The farmer had collected them when he was a boy in New York city --so I guess that they are second-owner cards (with low miles?)

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Posted By: Scot Reader

Card: T206 Charlie Rhodes Piedmont 350 VG-EX
Purchased: 1983
Place: The Baseball Card Shoppe (Claremont, CA)
Price: $3

There were about 250 T206 commons in plastic sleeves for $3 each.

How I wish I had bought the whole album.

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Posted By: boxingcardman

Picked it up for twelve bucks at a Labor Day show in Anaheim, California. As I recall, the seller was Mike Berkus. It now resides in a PSA 2 slab.

Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

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Posted By: Phil Garry

I just sold it to another Network 54 board member tonight but this was my first tobacco card purchase......

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Posted By: Eric

This was my first tobacco card. Purchased in January 2007, when I started on vintage cards. I sold it back in October, in a massive selloff of all my T206's, after I gave up on the "Monster" to type collect.

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

My first pre-War card:

 

I've had it a little more than 1 year.   I just started collecting pre war cards and the best part is almost every card i see is new to me.  That is also the worst part.

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Posted By: brian p

I can't claim a first tobacco card, but I can tell what I got with the first $11.00 I spent toward vintage cards. At the first baseball card show that I ever attended, in 1981, I purchased the following Pre-WW2 cards (at the table just inside the door): a T206 Matty dark cap, a T206 W. Johnson pitching, a T205 Breshnahan, a T205 Wheat (Broadleaf), and a E98 Cy Young, all for $11.00. That was just about all the collecting money I had brought. They are in F-G condition (still got them all), and they set the tone for my future in collecting cards in lower grade.

Brian

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Posted By: peter ullman

brian...are you sure the cy young e98 doesn't have an old put stamp on the back?!?!

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Posted By: brian p

Yeah, the E98 Young makes my previous message off-topic. In the early 80's if a E98 had a stamp on it it probably would have gone for less than if it didn't (all that messy ink on the back). Thankfully I have an Old Put stamp handy so now Cy and all my other E98's can be officially classified tobacco cards.

Brian (permanent smiley face--a form of paralysis)

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Posted By: barrysloate

Hi Ted- haven't looked at this thread in several days and noticed the credit for the 42 N162's. Was it really 1984? Hard to believe it was that long ago. Maybe more like 1987 or 1988, as a guess.

And the first tobacco card I bought was a T206 Buddy Groom for $4, probably in 1983. Thought it was pretty cool at the time.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I recall either 1984 or 1985 when we made the deal for the 42 cards from the N162 set.
I remember you giving me a really nice deal since you sold the 8 baseball players for a
nice price.

In 1987 an old friend, Alan Miley, was very interested in these cards. And, when he saw
them, I think I had them for at least a year(or two). Anyhow, check your old records.

TED Z

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Posted By: Richard Masson

In about 1970, I purchased T206s of Marquard, Snodgrass and Livingston at a local antique store. I sent them to each of the players and they were returned autographed. I still have them.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

That's a great 1st card(s) story. And, you were quite lucky in that Marquard, Snodgrass and Livingston lived very long lives.
Paddy Livingston lived to be 97 years old.

TED Z

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Posted By: Jason L

Here he is, old Joe.
$60 in 2006, raw.
I may crack him out again someday, to enjoy the tobacco smell this one has retained.

It's been downhill fast ever since.

This is one of T206's best images, I think. Classic baseball guy, glove in the back pocket.


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