T206 Back Stamps
 

I collect T206. I do not collect T206s with back stamps. In fact, I will avoid them bc, to me, the back stamp is a marking (like a signature or doodles) that takes away from the base-card and hurts the overall appeal and value of the card. That said, there are many who collect cards with back stamps, and I respect that interest. Recently there was a post about an auction that contained several cards with a certain back-stamp (if anyone here wins lot 373 in REA, please give Ed (StuckInOmaha) a shot at the McCormick back stamps for his collection), and it made me wonder -- why did people stamp the backs of T206s?

Was there a practice among kids back in 1910 to put your name on your cards so you don't lose them, like kids do their clothes when they go to sleepover camp? Was there a movement to put your name on your card, send it out into the world and see if it ever comes back, like people do sometimes with dollar bills? Was there a promotion where some company advertised send-away name stamps for your tobacco cards?

Why did people stamp their name on the back of their cards, and why does this appear so prevalent on T206s as opposed to other issues?

I would guess its like why kids had their names on their clothes when they go to camp. To show ownership. Condition of cards didnt mean anything in 1911 but I would assume during that time people wanted to keep whats theirs... but this is just a guess..

Jefferson Burdick himself would stamp the backs of his cards to show ownership and facilitate trades. He would send stacks of cards to fellow collectors, ask them to choose certain ones, and then return the balance to him. My understanding is that this was a fairly standard practice among some of the most dedicated fore-fathers of our hobby. Owning a card once owned by them establishes a connection to them and makes our hobby more fulfilling to many. There are always threads about the original owners of our cards. We are only holding these cards for a short period of time until the next generation gets their hands (and stamps) on them!

<img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8081/28945493074_eab4dc4a83_z.jpg" width="640" height="584" alt="Leifield_AUTO_BURDICK_SGC_JSA_A"></a>

It's funny that you posted this just now. I was digging around in my desk at work this morning and found a T206 Street with an Edward Buckalew back stamp that I forgot I had.

https://i.imgur.com/sJI58CZ.jpg?1

When I was 12 or 13 back in the early 60's it was cool to have a stamp with your name and address. At that time I collected coins and stamps and remember having a stamp with my name and address. For no reason (other than being cool) I would stamp my coin box and the small 2x2 coin envelopes. I didn't think to stamp my bb cards. It would be awesome to run across one today if I had.

A couple of reasons they might seem more common on T206s:

1) Even if the stamping rate is the same across issues, there are just so damn many T206s out there that there are many thousands of stamped ones and most of us have seen well over 100 of those by now.

2) Many stampers would be more hesitant to stamp a T205, T207 or any other issue that provides a player bio or other reading of interest than a card whose back is blank or otherwise identical to those of many other cards in the same set.

The stamp never bothered me, as long as I wasn't buying the card for the back.


Attachment 332073

It is akin to what people did with bookplates in books; just IDs it as from your collection. Heck, I knew some kids who used to write their names on their cards. It isn't like they were worth anything back in the day. I love this card:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...20Hull%201.jpg


To me it is a blank-backed scrap from an OPC sheet but to Carmine 40 years ago it was a valued part of his childhood collection. Or this folk-art card:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...Island%202.jpg

Someone took a 1940s Coney Island card of Sullivan and created a custom mount for it. It is part of the charm of collecting old items to see how the wear they accumulated reflects how they were owned and used over the years. Someone went to a lot of effort to make this card; they actually made a whole set like this.

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...Island%201.jpg

One explanation could be through the mail trades and "on approval" batches of cards being sent around. It would be a way to ID who the cards belong to while being circulated for such purposes. Not the sole reason but certainly one once you get into the post WW2 years.

There was also a rumor at the time that stamping one's T206 would lead to a great career as an author. :)

Great responses and thoughts. Thanks to all who posted. I think it may certainly be from when people would send cards all over the country and needed to designate which ones were theirs; and I think the explanations why stamps on t206s are more common than others makes sense. Keep on with the thoughts/theories, and please post your back-stamped cards (not just t206). I don’t have any.....:o

The only 2 that I have in my collection are this pair of Mordecai Brown Portraits. I have found nothing on the WM McNUTT CALAIS, ME, but was told the one stamped with the ornate D J was formerly from the collection of actor David Janssen. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I guess until I can prove different, this "three fingered Brown" will remain a fugitive.

Either way I think the back stamps are cool, and make some really nice presenting T206 cards very affordable!

Ryan, could it be because there weren't any TPGs around back in the day to grade and slab cards? :D

Excellent topic Ryan! I used to avidly collect T206 back stamps. I started with the purple number style that is on the Hindu back in my avatar (and below). Then I picked up any stamp I could find. I admire Ed's pursuit of Howe's cards and am amazed at how many he has found so far. I have only been able to locate around 20 of the purple number stamps over the years. The highest number I've seen is 122 so I assume there were at least that many at some point in time.

I think some of the ideas of why folks stamped the cards are great. Some adults also stamped the cards, not just kids. I have one example from a Saturday Evening Post salesman named John Anderson that appears to have been use like a business card (pictured below). I also believe that many children would stamp the backs of the cards just for fun as a way to use a stamp they had and the things they had to stamp just happened to be tobacco cards. Since they didn't care about condition or resale value, they just used them to stamp.

I created an online project called The Great T206 Back Stamp Project where I documented as many stamps as I could for years. Bryan (Jobu) was a big help with the project and several other board members contributed as well. The link is always in my signature at the bottom of my posts if you ever wanted to visit the project. I'd love feedback from anyone who wants to offer any.

Thanks,

AndyH

Awesome website Andy!! Great project and great work. That clown back, that thing is nuts. Is that a back stamp? That is mucho detailed and significantly more involved than any of the other stamps on the project site.

I doubt I will start collecting back stamps, but I will now keep an eye out for them and I will cross-reference with the project; if i find a new one, i will get it for the project

Andy- I used to own another John Anderson stamped card...was on a Cobb. If interested, PM me and I'll find scans for you. I never cared for back stamps, and this Cobb was no exception...but it was my first Cobb (acquired in 1993), and I was just delighted to have a Cobb (so I guess it was the exception). :)

I am a sucker for one particular T206 stamp...in fact, they are the only ones in my collection (Hal Chase aside). I think that stamps probably also helped kids/collectors who may have played games with the cards (think flipping) to be able to tell whose cards they were. So far I have six of these and they are all Piedmont’s...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3230416a12.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anderson is not the only Agent for the Saturday Evening Post with the same back stamp design. There are at least 5-6 others from around the country with the exact format to their stamps.

Including Howe, who also was a SEP Agent
 

Have this stamp on three of Howe's cards

Thanks a lot for the kind words Ryan. The project was a labor of love for many years but has lagged for a little while recently. If you find any unique stamps and have scans, I'd be very happy to add them to the project.

Michael, if you have a scan of the Anderson back you had I would add it to the project as well and it would give the Anderson back it's own page as it would be two of the same stamp.

Judson, I have never seen another agent for the Saturday Evening Post other than Anderson! That's pretty cool that you have seen several others from around the country. I'll have to keep an eye out for more.

Matt, here's a stamp similar to your "bobby" cop stamp. This one looks like a old time cop saluting.

Let's see some more back stamps guys!

Magee Batting
 

I personally enjoy them as long as the back isn't entirely covered.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ2Z-W1cx...gee%2Bback.jpg

Love the back stamp. I have 40ish with one name. I researched the person and look for them. They are also cheaper as the stamp knocks the grade down 2 spots. A piece of history and a piece of the collectors history. To each their own.

I rather like a back stamp on a blank-back card, but not otherwise. I wonder if anyone is building a collection of cards back stamped by hobby icon Charles "Buck" Barker.

Nice Barker Val! Here is a card from another hobby legend, Mr. Burdick.

Attachment 332196

Attachment 332197

Recent pickup. My first and only stamped T206

At the risk of killing this thread (as I sometimes do for some reason :o)…

Let's see some more stamps guys! I know there are a few of you out there that collect them. I'm really enjoying seeing them all.

Val,

Very cool Barker stamp. Here's my favorite Buck Barker stamped card (not mine) on a Ty Cobb Star Player Candy. Check list one out...


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Russell W. Seawall reporting for duty. I might add that the Boston collection which came came up here a few years ago pretty much all had a square backstamp. I think I have a couple in my set.

One of my bigger smaller victories was finding one of the purple numbers of Cobb Spiked Me at the Moeller show a few years back. Like they say in High School Musical, we're all in this together.

Todd, I swear I either have a Russell Sewall stamp or I have an image of one somewhere, but can't find it. :p

Here's an image of a bunch of the purple number stamps from my website. I like seeing them all together.


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Back stamps
 

Really like your site Andy. Very cool database you've compiled. Do you have any special info on the F Scott backstamps? I've read the posts on this site, just wondering if there's any more info out there. I really like those.

That IS cool seeing them together like that. As for stamps, sometimes they bug me a little and sometimes they don't. I think on a lower end card they don't bug me as much as a higher end one. No rhyme or reason though. Here is a well known name to PCL collectors on the back of this rare type 2 (also the plate examples for Lew's Encyclopedia). I had to have them back in my collection after sold the first time.... I am sure I overpaid the second time but didn't care. So, not really a back stamp but a well known name....

http://luckeycards.com/pe100comparison.jpg

Attachment 332305

I'm always looking to purchase any F.F.Baker back stamps, any condition.
If you see them in an E-bay auction or for sale p.m. me or
twodueces22@yahoo.com

Thanks, Joe

...... and the Toy Town Post Office ....... :)

Attachment 332312

Kids got to play Post Master, and many cards of the era got stamped.

Not a back stamp, but I've been searching for these with writing on the back. Must be from the same collection - the original owner would put the date and position with periods. I own these three, and Net54ers have shown me 3 additional. Let me know if you see any more.

Signed T206 Backs
 

Since we're dipping our toes into writings on the back of T206 cards...

<img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1952/43737354910_d4c6c839cf_b.jpg" width="1024" height="348" alt="T206BackSigs"></a>

LOL, nice Paul, way to charge through that opening! (Great cards too!)

Here's a pointing finger, along with some random letters stamped on the back of an M116 Speaker

https://auctions.sacoriverauction.ne...10a_1p_lg.jpeghttps://auctions.sacoriverauction.ne...10a_2p_lg.jpeg

Love seeing those CSM! There was a thread about Sewall in the dark ages of Net54. Apparently he was a fairly prominent attorney in Oregon in the 1940s. Figuring out stuff like that is what make it fun.

I've never discovered anything concrete regarding the F Scott stamps. Everything I've read is all theories and maybes. I like to believe they are his stamps just based on the long standing rumor in the hobby. I really like these stamps as well.

Everyone, thank you so much for your responses, images and kind words about my project. You guys are awesome.

AndyH

Just wanted to post the image of the clown that was mentioned earlier. I'm leaning towards it being a transfer as opposed to a stamp, but it's just too damn cool not to include on my site.


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[ATTACH]Attachment 332353[/ATTACH]

Here is a little bit of the back story of my collection.

F.F. Baker was born Fredrick Frank Baker on January 25th, 1903 and died November 1973 in Richmond, Virginia. He lived in the Richmond area his entire life. He and his family lived at 1318 Mosby. His father owned grocery store at the same location and there is a residence above the store. My theory is that F.F. had easy access to the cards from customers or dad saved them either from smoking or customers. Most stamps are Piedmont but I have backs from Old Mill, American Beauty and a few others. My collection stands at 40+ and always looking to add. If you Google Earth you can see the old building still stands on the corner of Mosby.

Thanks for sharing the info on F.F. Baker Joe. I think it's cool when
people collect a particular stamp and it's even cooler when they
find out who the original owner was.

Here are a few I have.

Attachment 332355Attachment 332356

Attachment 332357Attachment 332358

Attachment 332359Attachment 332360

Attachment 332361

Since the thread has turned to the topic of provenance, after I purchased this card on eBay, I reached out to the seller about the back. I asked her if by chance she knew who Gordon Soutter was. She laughed and added that she was Mrs. Soutter and that Gordon was her husband. She then told me that her husband and Nelson Tisdel’s son traded baseball cards in the early 1940s and that he had kept the collection intact since then.

Naturally I then asked if there were other similar backs in the collection. She said there were. I tried to make an offer to buy the entire collection, to which she replied, “We only sell on eBay.”

To which I replied, ”Expletive deleted” :mad:

Back stamp
 

My only back stamped card.

Hey Pat, I have a "Smith" stamp just like the one you posted. Can I add yours to my website?

Sure Andy. If you need a bigger scan than the one I posted I can send
you one.

You have one of Kafka's card collection? That beats the pants off of F. Scott Fitzgerald!

According to my spreadsheet, I have 34 stamped t206. Most aren't individually scanned. Some date stamps, some star stamps, some name stamps (Milton Fuegy, Edward Bookalew, Georg R. Granger, Nelson Tisdel, G Dunford, Sewell, George Smith, Ernst Born, Lloyd Bolton, Joseph Forest Mullin, William Born, Baker, Howard W. Dubree).



https://i.imgur.com/BeQF7C6.jpg?2

https://i.imgur.com/CJrQnBr.jpg?3

That clown is not only cool, it’s creepy (maybe that’s why it’s so cool). Have you ever seen another?