Best pre-war set in terms of photo quality
 

I have not seen enough pre-war black and white cards in person to really have a good idea of what set offers the highest quality in terms of photo reproduction - sharpness, contrast, etc.

The M101 series seem better than most, but it’s tough to tell from a computer screen. Any thoughts? I’m mainly a Detroit Tiger collector and I’d like to pursue cards from the teens and 20’s when nothing in color was really being produced besides strip cards, of which I am not a fan. Does any set even approach the quality of a good original photo? Or, to simplify things, what's the best looking Harry Heilmann card out there?

There are some sets with great photo quality, D381 is one of them (to me). The reason I think I started collecting real photo postcards is because of their great clarity..

http://luckeycards.com/billm.jpg

While it doesn't have a Heilmann that I recall and can't think of many Tigers in the set, the T222 set has great images. The biggest drawbacks to the set are that it is extremely difficult to complete due to some of the shortprints being nearly impossible to find, and when they are found, are insanely expensive, and the set is extremely condition sensitive so looking for anything about VG is extremely difficult.

DJ

The T222s, and T200s, are actual photographs.

M101-6 Larger size and most are unique shots.
love this shot and background building (not mine)-
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...Doak-20-CU.jpg

Fatima if you want actual photos.

Old Judge cabinets (N173)

Yeah, but those aren't cards.

M101-2s
 

I really like these. Donie Bush has particularly great contrasts between light and dark -- chiaroscuro, as the artists like to say!

<img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8727/28947614703_063e160f0c_z.jpg" width="518" height="640" alt="Bush M101-2"></a>

This is another good suggestion. I also like the Police Gazette inserts.

http://www.oldcardboard.com/m/m128/m...cardsetID=1116

I agree, Fatima T222 has some of the best photographic images of any early 20th century set.

Great photos Leon!

I have always considered the W503 set (not a strip card) has the sharpest photos seen on smaller size PreWW2 cards. Here are a couple of low condition but still fantastic looking examples...my old scans don't do their clarity justice.

Brian

D381

As far as your tack on question about Heilmann cards, I have always liked the E121 of him in batting pose.

Brian

Thank you men - lots of good suggestions. What, exactly, does "Rubber" refer to? Was he the team masseuse? 3 rubs for a quarter?

Hello Scott,

If you lift the 20th century requirement, I agree with Jay, Old Judge cabinets or the small N172s. Hobby friend Joe Maples and I have both completed full run of the 1887 N172s(Detroit's Championship year), 28 cards in all. I've attached a sample of the 1887 cards. Most Old Judges have taken a sepia tint with time but were black and white when produced/distributed. The Twitchell example below being close to how they looked when produced.

- added scan (card not mine)

Erick states a great case for those d381s. Amazing portraits. And that Chief Myers is as cool as it gets.

Some of the center panel pictures on the T202s are pretty impressive.

I'll throw a vote towards the D381 set if for no other reason than for its uniqueness of poses.

I'll suggest Rotograph postcards. Want to show a couple, Jeff?

No, N173s are cards. Unlike postcards, they have always been in card catalogs.

Frederick Fotos and Fatima T222s
 

With regards to photo clarity, my choice would be for the following photo cards; Frederick Fotos and Fatima T222s.

Here are two of my favorites: Oscar Stanage and Jimmy Archer.

Patrick

But aren't there many postcard issues in card catalogs and with ACC designations if that's the criteria?

A lot of the "Exhibits" issues have very nice photos, and are relatively inexpensive. Here's my poor conditioned Heilmann.

A d381 & Police Gazette
 

Here's my 2¢

I thought I would bring some top condition firepower from the web to showcase the photo quality of the W503 set.

Brian

How about E107?

Which one wears it better...E107 or Fan Craze?

Brian

Scott, lots of great suggestions, however, if you are looking to choose a set that includes a Harry Heilmann card (unfortunately, the W503 set does not), this listing may be useful to you:
http://www.vintagecardprices.com/bas...&page=2&page=1

W503 does not, but I already provided what I think is a pretty attractive b/w photo Heilmann card with my E121 posts which also include a scan. The list Val included is a good one, but some cards are hard to even track down an image on the internet, like the V89 Patterson.

Brian

Too early for a Heilmann, but I always thought the cards in the National Game/Tom Barker were not only underappreciated, but also quite often offer nice b/w photos.

Brian (not mine, nor am I a Getty)