How many cards in the T206 set?
 

I'm not a T206 collector so forgive me if this has been discussed in other threads. I thought 524 was the accepted number of cards for the T206 set. However, reading an article about the T206 Wagner currently being auctioned by Goldin, it says that there is some controversy about the total number for the set and that Ken Goldin puts it at 523 (link below but article is probably paywalled). Here's the quote - "The T206 set gets its name, which denotes it is tobacco card set No. 206, from Jefferson Burdick’s 1939 book “The American Card Catalog.” It has 523 or 524 subjects (a topic of some controversy, though Goldin says the number is 523)."

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/638...serId=15608260


There is also a link in the article to an article on prewarcards.com that lists possibilities for 525, 524 and 522 for the total number of cards in the set. 523 is not listed as an option.

https://prewarcards.com/2018/10/24/t...tobacco-cards/

So what is considered to be the accepted number of cards in the T206 set? Is it 524? If it's 523, what one card is not included?

If I remember it right, the Doyle was only publicized sort of recently. 1980's?
So the number was probably 523 until then.

For most of us, 520 is as likely a number as we might be able to get to. Adding any of the top 4 is a matter of budget.

There are "other" numbers too.
The way Burdick grouped them made sense at the time. I don't recall the exact time period, but other than the southern leaguers it might have been possible to find each card with each brand.
We know better now with access to info about thousands of cards and a number of people tracking what card had what back.

It's possible to view each back as its own set. And for Soverign, a color difference (and maybe for Piedmont, especially 350-460)

Still not generally accepted - up to three different printings for the 150 and 350 series, possibly more.

It's complicated enough

I'm still hoping someone with deep enough pockets does the Honus Wagner back run.

I have a plan for exactly that -

Powerball is up to 200 Million for tomorrow and I have 5 tickets on it.

This annoys me for sure....524 is the generally accepted size of the set. I have no idea which card Goldin doesn't think counts, but maybe it is the Doyle NY Nat'l. If you look at heritage auctions or goldin auctions they list the complete sets at 525! They add the ty cobb red portrait with ty cobb back as the 525th card. This is interesting because some people think its a one-off and not part of the t206 at all! others that think it is, would just consider the ty cobb back as just another back variation. I won't relitigate it here, but some of the 15-20 known copies of the red cobb / cobb back have a glossy front, so it does create a compelling argument that this card is different than all other t206s.

I believe most t206 collectors assume 524, and live with only getting to 518 or 520. demmitt and ohara St. louis variations are the 519/520 for most. then magie, plank wagner and doyle ny natl, in order of rarity (if not value).

fyi, its not the 206th set....its "t2" prefix because its a 20th century tobacco set...as opposed to "N1" prefix for ninetheenth century tobacoo. Its more accurately the 6th set...but why its not 5th or 7th might just be random luck to jeff burdick's mindset.

one other interesting fact that i gleaned from reading leon's republishing of old burdick books pre-acc: The t206 set was originally known as the white border set, or set 521...which was just a coincidence that it was nearly the same number as the known size.

also, at one time sweeney with no "B" on the front was thought of as a legit subject..but now it is just considered (i think properly) a print variation (no red ink)....

I don't believe the numbering worked in strict chronological order. The T205 set was released after the T206 set. So yes, according to Burdick, T206 was the 6th set. How he came up with the order might be documented somewhere; however, I don't know the reasoning. A long time ago, I used to think it had something to do with set names. Gold Border comes before White Border and such. Then I discovered there was a T207 Brown Background.

To me, the complete set number is 524.

The printing variations (Murr'y, nodgrass, Sweeney no "B" and so on) are slightly different, visually speaking. They're not separate cards to me, though.

The Doyle variation seems different. Rather than something being missing, something is there that ordinarily isn't. It's similar to Magie/Magee, etc. It was a purposeful change by the company to print a different card. This wasn't a printing plate issue.