W575-1 or E121-80 Store Display?

[glchen]

I recently picked up what was advertised as a W575-1 partial uncut sheet (and a complete beater at that). I have front and back images below. However, I also saw that Heritage is having a E121-80 uncut sheet/store promo that seems exactly like mine except that it is in pristine condition and is the full sheet: Link. From seeing this, I assume mine is now the bottom half of this sheet.

My question is whether anyone knows how W575-1's were distributed, and if there would be any way to tell the difference between cards that were cut from sheets like this or other W575-1's? Do we know if W575-1's were factory cut or hand cut?

[brianp-beme]

Cool pickup...I would take that partial beater sheet any day. And both this and the other sheet in the Heritage auction could help unravel (or create fresh) mysteries for this set.

A note for Rhett and others: this sheet, and the one in the Heritage Auction, could explain why there are some W575-1 cards that have been found with the different, smaller type for the player's name. In the top row of the partial sheet, both Johnson and Kelly appear to have the reduced font, while they are also apparent in the full sheet along with Dauss and Schang. I know these mysterious small font cards have been previously found for Schang and Kelly, and I believe Dauss. I guess they were cut from sheets like these, which appear to be store displays, and which would explain why this variation is so infrequently seen.

Thanks for sharing!

Brian

[kmac32]

Very cool. Wonder if it is similar to the supposed sheets of Koester bread cards?

[brianp-beme]

I thought I would share a little bit of info I have been working on about this sheet, and the one in the Heritage auction. First of all is a listing of the cards included in the full sheet, and by extension the partial one shown in the original post by Gary:

E121 Series of 80 cards on Store Display Sheet:

Grover Alexander (arm extended)
Jim Bagby
J. Franklin Baker
Dave Bancroft (batting)
Ping Bodie
George Burns (Cleveland)
Geo. J. Burns (New York)
Owen Bush
Max Carey (hands on hips)
Ty Cobb (throwing, face turned)
Eddie Collins
Jake Daubert
George Dauss
Charles Deal (dark uniform)
William Doak
Bill Donovan
Johnny Evers (Manager)
Urban Faber (dark uniform)
Eddie Foster
W.L. Gardner
"Kid" Gleason
Hank Gowdy
John Graney
Tom Griffith
Harry Heilman (running)
Walter Holke (throwing)
Charles Hollacher
Harry Hooper
Rogers Hornsby
Wm. C. Jacobson
Hugh Jennings
Walter Johnson (hasnds at chest)
James Johnston
Joe Judge (with bat)
George Kelly
Dick Kerr
P.J. Kilduff
Bill Killefer (with bat)
John Lavan
"Nemo" Leibold
Duffy Lewis
Al Mamaux
"Rabbit" Maranville
Carl May (large projection)
John McGraw (standing)
Jack McInnis (Boston)
Clyde Milan
Otto Miller
Guy Morton
Eddie Murphy
"Hy" Myers
Steve O'Neill
Roger Peckinbaugh
Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn)
Walter Pipp
E.C. Rice
Eppa Rixey, Jr. (throwing, legs down)
Babe Ruth (throwing)
Ray Schalk (batting)
Walter Schang
Ferd Schupp
Everett Scott (Boston)
Hank Severeid
George Sisler (throwing)
Tris Speaker (large projection)
Milton Stock
Amos Strunk
Chester Thomas
Fred Toney (both feet down)
George Tyler
Jim Vaughn (plain uniform)
Bob Veach (arms folded)
Oscar Vitt
W. Wambsganss
Zach Wheat
George Whitted (Pittsburgh)
Fred Williams
Ivy B. Wingo
Joe Wood
"Pep" Young

All of these cards exist in the E121 Series of 80 checklist, and I believe all of them have been confirmed to exist. As has been discussed in previous threads, the E121 Series of 80 is one complicated mofo of a set. There are numerous back variations, variations of font on the front, unconfirmed cards on the existing checklist, scarce and even scarcer cards, etc. What is great about the emergence of these sheets (thanks again Gary for posting this) is that they seem (at least in my opinion) to indicate that this sheet displays the initial printing run of cards in the E121 Series of 80 set.

My theories assume that this is store display sheet for the E121 set, and not for the W575-1 cards--to me it seems a natural item to promote the sales of a product, and not a promotional item for strips of cards. Also there are 80 cards on the sheet. A coincidence...I think not. With this in mind here are some thoughts:


Many of the cards on the sheet have other variations that are part of the series of 80 set. For example, George Sisler is seen in a throwing pose on the sheet and is part of the E121 series of 80 checklist, but a Sisler batting pose also exists as a Series of 80 card. Most of these variations are the result of different poses being issues in later printings. The key variation on these sheets, however, is the Jeff Pfeffer Brooklyn variation. A Jeff Pfeffer with an updated St. Louis designation on the front also exists.

Why is this team change variation relevant? Because Jeff Pfeffer was traded to St. Louis on June 18th of 1921. This would seem to indicate that these sheets, with their inclusion of the Pfeffer Brooklyn card, were perhaps the initial printing of the E121 Series of 80 set. It makes logical sense that these sheets were printed to promote the early distribution of these cards...hey, you got to get the word out. And if this is the case, then the cards included on these sheets could be seen as the original 80 of the Series of 80. Subsequent printing runs substituted out certain cards, thus accounting for all the variations.

It is interesting to note that a decent portion of the cards on these sheets are tougher to come by compared to other Series of 80 cards, as evidenced by collector wantlists. Without having thoroughly investigated each case, the players on the sheet that have variations within the Series of 80 set seem to be more difficult to locate, thus indicating a more limited run of the initial printing. For example, the Urban Faber dark uniform to me definitely seems tougher to come by than the Urban Faber light uniform variation. I also believe that some players were substituted with others later on, thus also accounting for scarcity. It is interesting to note that a couple of extra rare cards, Alexander Gaston and Tom Rogers, are not on these sheets.

Here is the listing of CONFIRMED E121 Series of 80 cards NOT on sheet:

Frank Baker
Max Carey (batting)
Cecil Causey
"Rip" Collins
Charles Deal (light uniform)
"Phil" Douglas
Johnny Evers (Mgr.)
Urban Faber (light uniform)
Wm. Fewster
Frank Frisch
Alexander Gaston
"Mike" Gonzalez
Heinie Groh (Cincinatti)
Harry Harper
Walter Holke (portrait)
Waite Hoyt
Miller Huggins
Walter Johnson (throwing)
Bill Killifer (batting)
M.J. McNally
Emil Meusel
R. Meusel
Elmer Miller
Arthur Nehf
Roger Peckinpaugh
Jeff Pfeffer (St. Louis)
Jack Quinn
John Rawlings
Tom Rogers
Robert Roth
Ed Roush
George Ruth (throwing)
"Babe" Ruth (throwing)
"Bill" Ryan
"Slim" Sallee (throwing w/ball)
Robert Shawkey
"Pat" Shea
George Sisler (batting)
Earl Smith
Frank Snyder
Zeb Terry
Fred Toney (foot raised)
Jim Vaughn (striped uniform)
Bob Veach (arm raised)
Aaron Ward

A good chunk of these are cards that only appear with the first line on back ends in 'Eighty' back variation, which are very tough to come by. So far the majority of the cards that are known to exist are New York players, so they might have been a limited printing run of these to highlight this team.

Another thing that I noted...all the reversed back cards that I possess (and perhaps this could be confirmed by other collectors...where are you Rhett?), are seen on this sheet, such as the Heilman running, Jennings, Milan, Otto Miller, Eddie Murphy and Fred Williams.

Brian

[old-baseball]

I have twelve cards with reversed backs. All are on the full sheet in the Heritage Auction. If someone is keeping a master list of reversed backs I have Bancroft (Batting), Bush, Carey (Hands at Hips), May, O'Neill, Murphy, Pfeffer (Brooklyn), Pipp, Toney (No Trees), Veach (Arms Folded), Wingo and Wood.

[brianp-beme]

Thanks Kevin for your reversed back input. There are a least a handful of folks on this board that are interested in this warped E121 series of 80 set...perhaps another three can chime in as well about this set and the theories I have shared about it.

Brian