T201 Mecca - Master Set/New Discovery/New Theory

[Fred]

Cliff,

Nice thread.

Now, if you really wanted to take on a T201 project regarding the different Factory Numbers then you could track ebay (there's always a lot of T201s for sale) and come up with a distribution of the different Factory Numbers.

What would you say the distribution is? Are there (5) Factory 649 for every Factory 30 back?

How many people went to ebay after reading this thread to see how many Factory 30 backs there were and how many looked for a Kling/Cole Factory 30 T201?

I've always liked the T201 set because it provides a beginning collector with a realistic chance of completing a "T" card set.

[drmondobueno]

Originally Posted by Fred

Cliff,

Nice thread.

Now, if you really wanted to take on a T201 project regarding the different Factory Numbers then you could track ebay (there's always a lot of T201s for sale) and come up with a distribution of the different Factory Numbers.

What would you say the distribution is? Are there (5) Factory 649 for every Factory 30 back?

How many people went to ebay after reading this thread to see how many Factory 30 backs there were and how many looked for a Kling/Cole Factory 30 T201?

I've always liked the T201 set because it provides a beginning collector with a realistic chance of completing a "T" card set.

Good questions. Unfortunately any survey will be skewed by the number of cards represented outside of eBay. Did a quick review of the cards I hold, around 62 purchased irregardless of backs , or factory number. Ten cards are F30, so around six to one?

You gotta start somewhere...

Keith

[mattsey9]

I just checked the 40 cards I have from this set. Of the 40, all purchased with no knowledge of the factory designation, six of them are from Factory 30. Sadly, neither of them are my Cole/Kling or Lord/Daugherty.

Nice find!

[kamikidEFFL]

I myself never collected the t201 set but actually am going to start it this upcoming year. I go to local shows often so I will def keep my eyes peeled. I agree with a lot of people on here that this set doesn't get the respect that's due. Hopefully one day it will.

[jbsports33]

I always enjoy having cards from this set

jimmy

[ethicsprof]

great story about the grandpap and your love for this great set.
also pleased to see the shoutout to Z. Wheat, a prince of a fellow, with a
groundbreaking article in OC.

all the best,
barry

[Zach Wheat]

Barry,

Thanks you are too kind.

Sorry for responding to the thread so late, but have been traveling quite a bit. Cliff, here is a Kling Cole Factory 30 back. Factory 30 backs account for about 17% of the cards printed. I think Cliff brings out several interesting points. I think the set is not well understood and am glad to see some discussion.

In the original article, I had to cut out almost 75% of the material as the article was just too long. However, I have always thought that there were other short prints that weren't recognized and the set was printed over a number of years with a regional bias towards NY teams. Factory 649 was in Rochester (home of the Eastern Association Broncho's) and 4 of the 6 EA teams were represented in the T201. The NY area accounted for a significant & disproportionate percentage of the cigarette market in the 1910's. In addition, I believe Factory 30 was relocating - but am unsure - into what became the House of Mecca in or near Brooklyn. I got this information from The American Tobacco Companies own "biography" detailing their cigarettes, brands & production.

This would help explain some of the anomalies

I own about 300 T201's and reviewed many thousand more. I knew most of the stars were printed 4,5 & 6 times relative to certain other cards but could never firmly establish how many cards of each were printed relative to the other cards. T201's were notoriously miscut. I compared the miscut edges of cards and you can tell the relative location on a sheet of cards from one card over the other, etc.

I found a number of odd things about the miscut cards and what it implied about production quantity of each card. Need to run now, but will try to chime in later.

Cliff you are on the right track.

Z Wheat