T206 Collecting in 1909

[rootsearcher60]

I've been trolling newspaper digital archives and found this interesting story about kids collecting cigarette cards. It's from the August 9, 1909 Charlotte News.

Michael

[HOF Auto Rookies]

This is absolutely amazing. What a read! Thank you for sharing.

[packs]

Interesting that Cobb was at first scarce and then widely available. Makes you wonder if there would have been a flux of Wagners if not for its removal.

[maniac_73]

Wow what a great find! Thanks for sharinf

[Jersey City Giants]

now that was cool

[brianp-beme]

Cool article, and it provides a good account of the flipping/gambling aspect that helped damage our T206 cards.

With the kids reselling the 5 cent pack of Piedmont cigarettes for between 1 and 2.5 cents apiece without the cards, I guess that effectively made the market value of the T206 cards on the street to be around 2 to 4 cents apiece.

Brian

[One 'ol Cat]

This really must be the birth of our hobby. I mean think about it. The T206 Wagner mystique most assuredly has its genesis with these boys in 1909.
How many of these young collectors, in the next generation, were responsible, as adults, for the marketing of candy, bubble gum, or even in vending machines?
Perhaps the mania, and the ensuing search of the elusive card led to the missing Lajoie card in the 1933 Goudey set, or the skip numbers of the 1948 Leaf set.
Yeah, I know that baseball cards started in the 1880's, but an argument could be made that the hobby, as we know it, started in 1909.

[Ricky]

Originally Posted by One 'ol Cat

This really must be the birth of our hobby. I mean think about it. The T206 Wagner mystique most assuredly has its genesis with these boys in 1909.
How many of these young collectors, in the next generation, were responsible, as adults, for the marketing of candy, bubble gum, or even in vending machines?
Perhaps the mania, and the ensuing search of the elusive card led to the missing Lajoie card in the 1933 Goudey set, or the skip numbers of the 1948 Leaf set.
Yeah, I know that baseball cards started in the 1880's, but an argument could be made that the hobby, as we know it, started in 1909.

Stories like this have also been shared about kids pursuing Old Judge cards in the late 1880s.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by rootsearcher60

I've been trolling newspaper digital archives and found this interesting story about kids collecting cigarette cards. It's from the August 9, 1909 Charlotte News.

Michael

That's awesome. Thanks for sharing...