My T206 Plank theory....New Follow-up info

[tedzan]

1st....thank you for correcting me regarding Lafean's first name, it is indeed Daniel.

2nd....for those not familiar with my T206 Plank theory that I posted 3 years ago, I will reiterate it here.


I'll reprise my theory..it conjectures that the scarcity of the T206 Plank card can be explained by the American
Caramel Co. (ACC) forcing the American Tobacco Co. (ATC) to stop issuing their Plank card.....ACC having first
acquired the exclusive rights to Plank by virtue of the fact that ACC first portrayed him in their BB card sets.

Here are the series of events.....

Eddie Plank went to Gettysburg (his hometown) College. The Director of this College back then was Daniel
Franklin Lafean.

Milton Hershey started the Lancaster Caramel Co. in 1896 and sold it to Lafean in the early 1900's. Lafean then
established the ACC in Philadelphia in 1905.

During this period, Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's were winning pennants with a formidable team of players. Over
20,000 A's fans filled the stands on Opening Day in April 1909 at the new Shibe Park. Most outstanding, and the
"hometown" favorite was Eddie Plank. A very deliberate and very effective southpaw pitcher.

Connie Mack and Lafean were very close friends. Lafean being a sharp businessman, capitalized on this "A's fever",
by enhancing the marketing of his Candy product with BB card premiums. First, the E91 series issued in 1908, then
followed up by the E90-1 cards (1st series issued in late 1908).

Lafean was also a shrewd politician (in his later life he became a US Congressman). Therefore, it is very likely that
Lafean enforced his exclusive rights to his "guy", Eddie Plank, forcing ATC to remove their Plank from the market.
Furthermore, you will find it very interesting that the T206 set's 1st series (150 Subjects) is devoid of A's players
(except for Bender). Is this merely a coincidence ? I don't think so.

An alternate scenario here....is that Connie Mack's favorite guy was Eddie Plank, and perhaps Mack told Lafean to
force ATC to "yank" Plank from their T206 set.

Final proof of this theory requires actual documentation, which I'll try to find, next time I'm in the Philadelphia Library.
Till then, this circumstantial evidence that I've presented, is quite plausible; and, certainly very thought-provoking.

Gentleman......a very similar scenario occurred in 1954, when Sy Berger of Topps (an avid Ted Williams fan) forced
the Bowman Gum Co. to cease and desist from issuing their Ted Williams card (#66).

I am very grateful to Frank Wakefield for all the research he presented in support of this theory in my first Thread
on this subject.

OK....I am open to any and all questions regarding this subject....so, shoot away ?

TED Z