T206 Back Advertisements Display Piece - Updated w/ Previews

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Posted By: Trae R.

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UPDATED: All backs acquired, thank you!!!
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Greetings, and thanks in advance to everyone that helps me accomplish this display piece for my office. It is my intent to collect high resolution scans of very well centered and clean T206 backs to have printed and framed to display in my office.

I would like to do all of the T206 backs except Ty Cobb... but unfortunately I only have common backs and a crappy scanner, so I was hoping any of you that had high quality scanners and cards wouldn't mind scanning some of your high-grade T206 with clean well centered backs at 300 DPI and emailing them to me individually so I can use them for my prints.

I will gladly share the display piece and even the printing templates when the job is complete. My significant other is going to put this together for Christmas for me, but I need to gather the necessary ingredients and prepare them for the print and craft shop.

I will knock the list down as I receive them.

I need the following:
American Beauty 350 (With Frame)
Broad Leaf 350
Carolina Brights
Cycle 350
Drum
Hindu Brown
Lenox
Old Mill (Regular, not SL)
Uzit

Any help is appreciated, thanks!
-Trae

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Posted By: Max Weder

Trae

You can download high resolution backs from the Library of Congress site:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bbhtml/bbcardsSets1.html

I'm not sure you can search by backs, but some of the ones you want are in there.

Max

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi Trae,
I can send you scans of all of them, but it will be next weekend before I can get it done. I have PSA 6's or 7's of each back, so they should turn out nice. LMK Brian

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks very much to both of you! Brian, I will see what I can dig up on the LoC website and go from there to let you know what I still need. I really appreciate this!

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Posted By: Trae R.

Please see the updated post above with the backs I still need. Sorry to bump this, but this project means a lot to me. I've gotten 3 of the backs print ready already and they're coming out great.

The 1125 DPI TIFFS on the LoC website are great, thanks again Max! I just wish there were more backs on the site or a similar site with scans of that quality.

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Posted By: Robert {Bigb13}

Try this site. All you have to do is click on the brand. Rob http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/sak1985/page/backs.htm

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thank you, Robert unfortunately those are too low quality for my needs. I am in search of the same images/scans in a much higher resolution.

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Posted By: Trae R.

I have prepared for printing one back for each T206 advertiser (no Ty Cobb!), thank you to those who helped me collect the back scans that I needed, especially you Brian!

I am going to have them framed by Christmas, and in the meantime will prepare and offer the print quality backs for download for anyone that would like them. They will be posted to a new T206 website that is in the works right now... link coming soon.

The framing will be done with all 15 in one long row with a 1.5 inch gap in between each back. They'll also each be inlaid with a two-tone double matting. I can't wait to show it off.

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Posted By: Josh K.

nice idea Trae - will they be to scale or enlarged?

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Posted By: barry arnold

Great work, Trae!
You have quite a supportive significant other!

all the best,

barry

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks, they will be exactly 1x scale for this project. You do however pose an intriguing question that gets me thinking about some future projects with larger scaled back advertisements.

I've put together a photoshop mock-up of what I envision the final framed version to look like. This isn't the for sure final choice as I am still tossing ideas around... I really want this thing to "POP"! I was even considering replacing the brown/gray area with tiled T206 portrait fronts and then enlarging the margin around the advertisements some to really make them stand out. We'll see...

Actual size in inches ends up being about 32 1/2w x 4 1/2h. One way or another it's going to end up being one great display piece!

Framed Preview 1

Framed Preview 2

And thanks Barry, yah, she rocks!

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Posted By: Anonymous

I really like the frame idea you have put together. I love to display my vintage cards. I have a framed print of the Burdick collection from the metropolitan museum of art on one side of my bedroom window, and a display case close to same size as the print on the other side of the window which im attempting to fill with the actual cards the museum has (minus the T206 Wagner, and Lajoie 33 Goudey) However I think a display of the actual card backs framed in a manner like your printouts will be is a goal worth working towards as well. Thanks for the idea, and good luck

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks Dylan, I would enjoy seeing a photo of the display pieces you have referenced above.

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Posted By: Josh K.

very cool looking Trae - are you printing the backs out on cardboard or thick stock to mimic a real t206 or just on paper.

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks Josh, they will be printed on thick stock for sure.

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Posted By: jackgoodman

Hi Trae,

Great display. Can't wait to see your final product. I'd love to have a download of the backs or access to your site when they are there. Will you let me know please?
Thanks.
Jack

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks - You got it, Jack. I will post here when that site is live.

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Posted By: dd

Would be a nice forum background, when it's time to change of course....

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Posted By: Dylan

Are you considering making copies of your final product and putting them for sale? I think itd be a popular item

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Posted By: Trae R.

Please know I am not encouraging the ever popular Ty Cobb back debate, I am simply posting to let everyone know I've prepared a Ty Cobb back for my xmas gift display. Many thanks to he who helped me acquire a high quality scan - you now who you are.

I can't wait to show this thing off when it's all done! 17 backs total...

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Posted By: barry arnold

Lookin' great, Trae.
i'm eager to see the final product!

all the best,

barry

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Posted By: dd

What great wrapping paper!and just in time for christmas.

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Posted By: Joe D.

just awesome.

I will be downloading that display to print one out for myself.

Thanks.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Can't wait to see the final product!

If you will frame one, I will buy it!

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Posted By: MVSNYC

i am a back collector, and i can really appreciate what you are doing...i have all of the different backs (sans cobb), PSA graded and i pull them out and "play" with them almost daily...they are so cool to look at...

some ideas for you:

1. try lining them up alphebetically
2. " in order of scarcity
3. grouped by colors (red, red, red, green, green, blue...etc)
4. simpliest design all the way to the most complex design...

very cool idea, i like it alot, good luck!

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Posted By: JimB

I would buy a framed copy too.
JimB

(or unframed print)

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Posted By: MVSNYC

i would also be interested in buying one (framed or unframed)...

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks for the interest, appreciation and display ideas. Based on the demand, once I have mine produced and run some QA on it I will get another 10 or so made for you all to purchase. If it's an easy process I will take custom orders - we'll see how that goes.

I'm not exactly sure when I will have it done, but I do have everything I need to produce the piece at this point. I want to make one last run of cleaning up the images in Photoshop, making sure they're all perfect, and then I will print the first run. I'm won't be positive until I try it, but I think I can also print the ones I have at 2x scale so the detail of each back would stand out a little more. It would increase the overall framed width to 70+ inches though... I'm not sure how everyone feels about that. Thoughts?

Thanks

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Posted By: MVSNYC

no...do it actual size, will look more authentic & the frame would NOT get too big...

my vote = actual size (100%)

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Posted By: MINE'S MINT

unfortunatly if you increase your overall frame size to 70 inches in a particular dimension your going to start running into some problems.. maximum mat and glass sizes stop at 40 X 60.. you could possibly go with a plexi.. but your mat options now become extremely limited.. think Henry Ford saying you can have your car in any color you want as long as its black.. although in this case if your lucky and an oversized mat can be located your only option will be white.. you could splice together two mats but this usually appears tacky and disrupts the image.. so if you want to increase the scale of the t206 display backs, work them out so that they dont go beyond the maximum size possible.. another thing to keep in mind is that when you have your prints made for your display pieces leave plenty of space around their boarders.. generally in custom framing at least an 1/8 of an inch is required for proper matting.. so it may be better for you to leave the cutting to whoever does your framing for you.. as far your dimension of height is concearned some shops have minimum length requirements depending on how they chop their mouldings so hopefully you dont have any issues there, ive seen it be as much as 6-8 inches although some shops will make exceptions.. hope this information helps.. good luck with your project.. as a former custom framer i look forward to seeing it..

psa/dna authenticated signature -> Richard M.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

I'm for whatever is easiest for you...

but don't make them smaller than actual size!

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Posted By: Joe D.

I 100% believe you should do it actual size.

otherewise it will look look 'wrong' to you everytime you look at it.

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Posted By: Dylan

Id like to show you a picture of my display piece but the photo i took is 645KB and i can only load a max photo size of 128KB

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Posted By: barry arnold

Trae,

i'm eager to buy an unframed one!
please put me on the list.

great work!

best,

barry

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Posted By: Trae R.

Dylan, I would like to see it. Please email me at trae@mlbvintage.com with the photo as an attachment.

Barry, I have some thoughts on this as an unprinted give away... but I want to illustrate those thoughts... as simply put I am a very visual person and often have hard time explaining myself with words. I am preparing some graphic aids to help out, I will post as soon as they are complete.

Thanks

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Posted By: barry arnold

thanks for all your efforts, trae.
keep me posted.

all the best,

barry

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Posted By: Trae R.

Hi Barry, I probably went too far on trying to convey my thoughts here. I think final framed production pieces are going to be the only thing worth selling with regard to this project. 3-D Modelng isn't my strongsuit, but I threw together a crude mock up of a typical framed example... the main thing I want to illustrate is the fact that each card is printed separately. I have one Photoshop file for each card. I imagine the process being:

1) Print each card on fairly thick card-stock.
2) Take the stack of card stock to the framer and explain how each one should be cut and displayed within the piece.



So, in short I could've just said I'd be happy to give you the files to print yourself, since there's no "one" to sell/giveaway aside from the framed piece. If there was a great enough demand and getting them framed goes smoothly I could create an online order script through PayPal to customize your own display piece using any backs you wanted. Does that strike the interest of anyone? I have no idea of the cost yet...

Please also note that the backs in my model above are stuck to background... this will not be the case in the final product. Each card will be matted (sunk) into the backdrop with a half-inch border all the way around it.

like so...
Click Here

However I think the Black frame and black card BG doesn't create enough contrast, so I may go grey (or something) on the matte background for the border around the cards.

Sorry for the sporadic thoughts... I just need to get one put together and go from there. Thanks for listening.

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Posted By: JimB

I think the way you did it in the link above looks great! I am looking forward to it. Thanks again.
JimB

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Posted By: Zach S.

Trae,
I've been reading this thread since you posted it but I've been unable to load the mlbvintage.com page (something about unable to detect IP address). I was wondering if you or someone who can get these pictures to load would mind emailing them to me. I've been wanting to check out your progress but I'm having technical difficulties.
Thanks,
Zach S.

zsmith@as39.navy.mil

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Posted By: barry arnold

Hi Trae

I clicked on the link and love what you're doing with things.
Do keep us posted!!

all the best,

barry

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Posted By: Trae R.

So, I am running into a problem... I can't find thick enough card stock to print these on. I'm thinking 200lb would be adequate, but I don't know enough about it to say for sure. Regardless I have been to Staple's, Michael's and Wal-Mart and the most I've been able to find is 110lb which is too whimpy to mimic a T206 in thickness. I am sure it's obvious the interest in this project has turned semi-commercial but I would still appreciate help if anyone knows much about paper and where I cna purchase thick enough stock for this project.

Thanks!

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Posted By: Trae R.

Alright, so I have conquered the paper problem on my own.

Soon I am going to take the final products to the printer and have the loose "sets" made for those of you who are interested. I am cleaning up all of the files now and normalizing the background patterns for each card so that they all match.

Thanks

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Posted By: Jason Duncan

Trae-

Count me in for 2 if you will.

Thanks,
Jason

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Posted By: Trae R.

I've just dropped off the files at the printer. I had a hard time finding a printer with 15pt/160lb paper required to print these thick so they would be "card like". I will be picking them up next Wednesday at the latest. When I receive them I will then put up an order form online for those of you who wish to purchase the loose sets. They're going to be $16 per set of 16 (1 of each back) and $2 to ship for First Class Mail so $18 total per set - shipped.

If I find time this weekend I will get the order form up for those of you who wish to pre-order them - I will begin shipping the day after I receive them.

Thank you for the continued interest. The framed display pieces will be available in the coming weeks as I piece that process together. I don't know the cost of materials and labor yet so I can't even give a rough estimate of the framed cost - but they will be of quality - I won't settle for less.

Once I have the framing process down to a science I will likely consider taking custom orders.

Stay tuned!

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Posted By: jackgoodman

Trae, put me down for two sets. But are you cheating yourself on the shipping and packaging costs at $2. I know we will all be willing to pay a bit more to ensure safe flight thru the mails.

Jack

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Posted By: Trae R.

Thanks Jack, I didn't consider the bubble envelopes and such. I think an additional $1 is fair. I appreciate the suggestion.

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Posted By: Jeff Prizner

VERY NICE!

I have a framed large uncut sheet of t206 reprints that this would look perfect next to! Can't wait until they are available!

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Posted By: Trae R.

Hi Jeff, I also have an uncut reprint set sheet framed. Mine is split up onto two standard sized posters. I will hang them together as well.

Also, here are the preliminary framing formats/options I plan on offering:
(they will all display the card backs at ACTUAL SIZE)
I won't know the exact dimensions until I take them in for framing.

4x4


8x2


16x1

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Posted By: Trae R.

Leon, I am only replying to this thread because the interested parties may have it bookmarked or something. I hope you don't mind the redundancy.

The loose backs reprint sets are now available for purchase here:
http://www.t206.org/

Thank you to all who helped and are interested.