T206 Collecting in 1909

[bbcard1]

In the early 80s, I got to meet a very old man who had collected T206s as a boy. He had a nice stash of a few hundred, no interest in parting with anything but his story, which I gladly accepted. He told of hanging out outside of duckpin bowling alleys and the men would toss their packs into the gutters by the street which is where he came by them. He told me everyone was looking for a Wagner, who was famous even in Roanoke, Va. He eventually found a picture in a magazine of Wagner, carefully cut it out, pasted it to a T206 back and traded it to one of his buddies for 20 or 30 cards. Years later, I bought a collection out of a town about 50 miles away. In it, there was a picture of Wagner pasted to a Piedmont back. I stiill have it. I imagine it working its way from boy to boy across the 50 miles. I'll alwasy wonder if it was the same one.

[rootsearcher60]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

In the early 80s, I got to meet a very old man who had collected T206s as a boy. He had a nice stash of a few hundred, no interest in parting with anything but his story, which I gladly accepted. He told of hanging out outside of duckpin bowling alleys and the men would toss their packs into the gutters by the street which is where he came by them. He told me everyone was looking for a Wagner, who was famous even in Roanoke, Va. He eventually found a picture in a magazine of Wagner, carefully cut it out, pasted it to a T206 back and traded it to one of his buddies for 20 or 30 cards. Years later, I bought a collection out of a town about 50 miles away. In it, there was a picture of Wagner pasted to a Piedmont back. I stiill have it. I imagine it working its way from boy to boy across the 50 miles. I'll alwasy wonder if it was the same one.

Now that’s a great story!

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by rootsearcher60

Now that’s a great story!

+1, and now let's see that T206 Wagner!

Brian

[Andrew1975]

So cool, thanks for posting.

[FrankWakefield]

Those old collectors... they sorted their cards by team first, and then alphabetically. I find it interesting sorting the cards that way. The you can lay out cards by name and by series, and see the progression of how the fronts changed as the series changed.

I like those old ways... but I stop at putting pins in the top margin to pin the cards to a wall.

[NiceDocter]

Case break at Wilsons Drug Store on East Trade Street!

[BabyRuth]

This story made my day!!! Got these at the Buford Hotel cigar stand!

[Bos8]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

In the early 80s, I got to meet a very old man who had collected T206s as a boy. He had a nice stash of a few hundred, no interest in parting with anything but his story, which I gladly accepted. He told of hanging out outside of duckpin bowling alleys and the men would toss their packs into the gutters by the street which is where he came by them. He told me everyone was looking for a Wagner, who was famous even in Roanoke, Va. He eventually found a picture in a magazine of Wagner, carefully cut it out, pasted it to a T206 back and traded it to one of his buddies for 20 or 30 cards. Years later, I bought a collection out of a town about 50 miles away. In it, there was a picture of Wagner pasted to a Piedmont back. I stiill have it. I imagine it working its way from boy to boy across the 50 miles. I'll alwasy wonder if it was the same one.

Often read, but rarely post, but I wanted to share what a great story this is!