1921-30 m.l. die cuts question.

[martyp]

I have a complete game. The game has 16 bags of players and each team has 14 players. So for your #14, it could be one of 16 players from any of several different years. The pieces remained the same and the labels changed.

The 2003 SCD lists players by teams. The problem is that they do not have all teams for each year, so the list is incomplete. It has 1921 Heilmann as #6, 1924 as #7 and 1926 as #5.

My game has Cobb with the A's so it is a 1927 or 28 game. There are no teams listed in 1928 and only the Phillies in 27.

[novakjr]

Thanks Marty. Do you have any photo's? Any chance I could get a list of the numbers with corresponding players in your game? I wouldn't mind putting together some sort of confirmed checklist with the sticker numbers.

Also is there any chance that the 2003 SCD was arbitrarily numbering them alphabetically, rather than the corresponding number on the sticker. I only say this because I've never seen anything other than a pitcher 1-5(keep in mind, this is only from what little I've been able to find).

[Section103]

One other comment I can add since I sold it to David, the Heilmann sticker was affixed to the back. It is a peculiar issue, but I think David made a very nice pick up, especially for the price. Anyway, let me know if you're not happy for any reason. I have the package in my bag ready to be dropped off at the post office.

[novakjr]

Awesome Rich. Thanks, I had no idea that the sticker was on the back. I knew you had Heilmann listed on the auction, so I figured that you probably did the same research I did, and came to that same conclusion.

Anyways, I really would like to put together some sort of checklist for these by team. So if anyone has any scans, or at least can confirm a name/team/position/corresponding number for any ones that they have had, or seen, it would be greatly appreciated.

[FirstYearCards]

Just checking to see if anyone could provide any more info on this subject. Thanks, Bill.

[nolemmings]

Alot remains to be learned about these. I can tell you it appears that in 1921, the first sets of these were issued in sheets--14 players to a sheet in two rows of 7, with pitchers and catchers on top. Each designated position looks the same for each team. Here's a partial White Sox sheet:


As you can see, unlike later years when the player info was typed or printed onto a label, my Chisox sheet has the info printed right on the base--note how the shoes on some players run onto the base. Also note how the '21s do not tell you which way the player batted, and thus there is a gap and one less line of text. Finally, unlike subsequent years, the '21s do not have the bottom number corresponding to a pre-printed base. Compare to this White Sox catcher, probably from 1923:


I believe that sometime after 1921 the company provided the sheets with numbered-only bases and then stickers/labels for each team. I don't know if they switched to this format right away in 1922 or some time later-- if later there should be sheets with the "info base" reflecting subsequent rosters. I assume if you already had a board and the die cuts you could simply order the labels for subsequent seasons, but wondered if a consumer had the option of buying the sheets with pre-printed info on it after 1922 or instead was simply stuck with the numbered bases and a bunch of labels.

The post-1921 players are found with different fonts on the labels, and some look to have been generated by a typewriter. Some of the labels appear to show a more perforated edge than others also, as maybe this aspect changed over the years as well. Later years also abbreviated the two league designations.

In watching these from time to time on ebay, I do not see that the team uniforms changed at all over the years-- a 1921 Browns player will look like a 1930 Browns player. Finally, I note that my die-cut players are cut real close--the image actually goes outside the jigsaw line on occasion, whereas the players from later seasons seem to have a little more white background surrounding the player's body. Could just be my sheet, as there is such a small sample size that I can't make assumptions, but it's something to think about--i.e. that they re-cut the players (or reduced the size of the images slightly) later in production.

[kdixon]

I dont know much about these but I have been collecting Wheat for about 30 years and never had a chance to buy one till earlier this year. They are very hard to come by.

[novakjr]

Todd, that sheet is awesome....

So far the ONLY 2 of these I've added to my collection, are the Helimann(that started this thread), and a Bill Dickey. Dickey is the 2nd sticker that was affixed to this piece. I have no clue who's under it, and don't plan on finding out..

As a Rookie collector, there's probably a handful of these that I really wouldn't mind finding..