Were T215 Pirates distributed?

[ctownboy]

Steve,

Good idea but, in my opionion, probably wouldn't find very many cards, if any.

My reasons why;

1) If the cards were printed in England and given to US soldiers who went to the Philippines and then the cards were left there you have to wonder how well known baseball was in the Philippines 100 years ago. Even if well known, you have to wonder how many people would have actively collected the cards there.

2) Even if there were some people who collected the cards, after 100 years in a place that is hot, humid and prone to typhoons and floods, how many of the limited supply of cards would remain?

Think about Coupon cigarette cards here in the US. Many, if not most, were printed here in the US and distributed around the Louisiana area. Now think about how many of those that remain.

It is probable that many multiples of those were printed, compared to Pirate cigarettes, and distributed here, where baseball was well known, popular and the cards were collected. Yet because of the humidity and the weather, Coupon cards are harder to find than T206's.

Any way, just my thoughts, I could be very wrong. There could be a guy in the Philippines who has thousands of Pirate cigarette baseball cards squirreled away.....

David