T202 popularity questions

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

I don't know of anyone who collects one of each--I don't even know if there ARE one of each?

There are so many things that can go wrong with a T202--and therefore, also right--that they tend to grade low, and a really pristine one commands a high premium. There's 1) centering 2) trimming (of a 5 1/4x 2 1/4 inch card! 3)- registration (focus) and color of end panels. 4) clarity and contrast of photo 5) cleanliness of folds in back 6) black printers' lines which temd to go from top to bottom on some cards 7) paper loss ANYWHERE
8) scrapbook, stamp hinge, glue or other residue on back 9) creases 10) card mold, which the thinnness of the cards seems to render them particularly susceptible to 11) general wear, dents and dings--the top of the folds are particularly susceptible to wear ...I'm sure there're a lot more!

A Pristine T202 commands a large premium; if you hold one so the light glances off the end panel, you can see the separate layers of lithography. It's my personal opinion, though, that the new price guide has a near mint (7 or 84) common card priced too high--500.00. Scarcities are mainly the Too Late for Devlin and Devlin Gerts his Man which picture Devlin with the RUSTLERS, rather than the Giants....though the Giants ones are somewhat scarce. The new guide has a couple of common cards at greatly increased priuces--don't know what thaqt's all about...

There are 10 Chief Meyers end panels, and 2 Wood (Smokey Joe). I mention this because there are more Meyers than anyone, and Wood is a hard card to find in any set.

The set came out in 1912, and celebrates the World Serties between the As and the Giants. There are 8 Mattys, 6 Cobbs, 4 Speakers, 2 Johnsons, 1 Wheat, I Walsh, 2 Griffiths, 2 Marquards, 1 Bender, 4 Bakers, 4 Collinses, 3 Breshnahans, 2 McGraws (unless you count the ten center panels on the "Just before the Battle": cards--which you should NOT. HOFers who ONLY appear on center panels command no premium---there arwe two with Lajoie), 1 Young, 2 Tinkers, 1 Brown, too many Everses, Chances and Chases to count.

"Just Before ther Battle" (meaning the World Serises) is the name of a Civil War song, which--I won't subject you to, but I learned both the tune and the words from my grandmother, who wasn't born till the end of the 19th century, so it must have been very popular, and is very corny.

The write-ups on the back of the player lithographs at each end describe the player's record and reputation in prose, and is the same each time the player appears. The write-ups on the backs of the center photographic panel describes the action, and says a couple of things about the players involved.