The first vintage baseball card collector?

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Posted By: Jeff Obermeyer

The letter/number designations which we are all familiar with did not come into existance until the 1946 American Card Catalog. The T206 set is set number 521 in the US Card Collectors Catalog. It is described as follows:

521 - Baseball Series - white borders, Sm.

Sweet Cap., Soverign, Piedmont, Cycle, El Principe de Gales, Tolstoi, Lenox, Polar Bear, Hindu, Old Mill, Hustler, Drums (sic), American Beauty, Broadleaf.

Variously inscribed as Series of 150, 350, 460 or assorted. (521 known).

There was a discussion on the old Full Count board a while back about the mysterious "Hustler" backs, which obviously don't exist for this set. However, the back does appear in the 1939 catalog.

Singles are priced at 2 cents each, and there is no mention of the Wagner or other rarities. There is also no mention of the Ty Cobb back...

Jeff Obermeyer