1916-1920 Date for "Big Head" Strip Cards

[Clutch-Hitter]

Wow, now that you mention it, the guy on the T3 did look a little less athletic (no pun intended) than Baker, should've looked at my own T200!


Here's two questions:
Are there other 20’s strip card sets that are as scarce as the Big Heads?
Are the 10’s strip card sets as scarce as the Big Heads?

[bcbgcbrcb]

Greg:

The W590's are one of the toughest strip card sets of the 1920's and also one of the most popular.

[Clutch-Hitter]

[Clutch-Hitter]

Wally Schang was a switch-hitting, right hand throwing catcher/outfielder

[Clutch-Hitter]

Their heads are magnified as if to be seen better
The more we look at 'em, the more one face appears to belong on a different body......

Is it possible this was some sort of game in which the object was to identify the correct player.....? Anything similar to that back then?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Clutch-Hitter

Wow, now that you mention it, the guy on the T3 did look a little less athletic (no pun intended) than Baker, should've looked at my own T200!


Here's two questions:
Are there other 20’s strip card sets that are as scarce as the Big Heads?
Are the 10’s strip card sets as scarce as the Big Heads?

I would venture to guess the 1921 self developing cards (Johnston (sic) shown) are more scarce, depending on if if we call them strips, I do. And of course my new faves, the 1915 W-Uncs. Although many don't feel they are W cards they are still classified that way today. Strip cards are neat to collect and still an area where we learn new things quite often.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Thanks Leon. Very cool cards. It seems the artist on the Gehrig card attempted to accurately depict him in a comedic, yet adoring fashion.

I find it hard to believe that a set of baseball cards was produced with no purpose, and I find it hard to believe that the "artist" failed to attempt an accurate depiction of the players. I also find it hard to believe that this set originated in a child's playroom. The origination is anonymous, yet aren't we to assume a company of sorts issued the cards? And if so, would the unknown company hire a ten year old to complete the sketch composites?

Edited to say: One intense face out of the whole bunch was not random; it was intentional....

Here's what I would look for in an attempt to complete a sketch composite that I would like to portray......., things that are striking about a person: chin cleft, ears that stick out, disproportionate features, crooked nose, etc, etc, etc

[birdman42]

Originally Posted by Clutch-Hitter

Edited to say: One intense face out of the whole bunch was not random; it was intentional....

Greg,

So you're saying the Leon Cadore really shows Joe Judge? Crap. Now which one do I go after for my Washington collection?

Can somebody put up a pic of the Judge card? Who's shown on that one?

Bill

[Matt]

This is starting to look like they hired an artist and gave him a list of names and he returned a pile of drawing with no names on them and the person whose job it was to assign the names for printing didn't know anything about baseball (Walter JohnsTon?) and mixed many of them up.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Originally Posted by Matt

This is starting to look like they hired an artist and gave him a list of names and he returned a pile of drawing with no names on them and the person whose job it was to assign the names for printing didn't know anything about baseball (Walter JohnsTon?) and mixed many of them up.

Yeah, I agree, unless it was intentional, but I can't think of why. Remember the W516-?-? in which the images were reversed? When was that allegedly, '20 or '21? Gotta find my catalog...............

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by Clutch-Hitter

Yeah, I agree, unless it was intentional, but I can't think of why. Remember the W516-?-? in which the images were reversed? When was that allegedly, '20 or '21? Gotta find my catalog...............

W516-2-1 1920 and W516-2-2 1921

[Clutch-Hitter]

Bill, here are the cards magnified. It'll take a couple posts to get 'em all in...




Does anybody know off the top of your head if the strip card sets comprised complete teams in the sets (the sets that had 10,20,30 cards) or were they random with the possibility of multiple people at one position, etc?

The position post from before did not have Burns (the second post), and some of the players could perform at multiple positions, especially the infielders. The cards in this set could be arranged to form two teams, or it could be one team with a back-up at each position.

[Clutch-Hitter]

Definite Inconsistencies, assuming the players on the cards are the same as the person noted by name:

• Sisler is throwing with his right hand
• Doyle has his glove on his right hand
• Schang has his mitt on his right hand
• Konetchy is batting LH
• *At first, I thought Ruth was in follow-through, but it is apparent IMO that he is awaiting pitch as a right hand hitter. In all batting poses the hands are on the bat with conventional grips. Therefore, Ruth's other hand should be in view. In fact, his stance and hand position on the bat matches that of Bancroft.

Interesting stuff:

• The only player posing as a base runner is Cobb
• The only player not posing as hitting, throwing, or base running is Baker. He is neutral, just standing there.
• Carl Mays is pitching, in fact, he's in the middle of a wind up and looking toward second as if he is checking a runner.
• Milan looks like he is up to something, as if he is concealing a spitball or something
• It seems all the pitchers in the set were at the very least decent hitters. Johnson and Mays could hit well, bagby hit well in the '20 world series, and cadore had decent hitting stats in '20, was also in the world series.

Cadore is the only pitcher posing with a bat, and IMO he is not depicted on the card; Joe Judge is. And if Judge is on cadore's card, he is holding the bat as a RH hitter when he should be holding the bat as a lefty.