T202 Collectors

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Posted By: Anonymous

I forgot to post on this thread as well. I also collect T-202s very actively. Lee has done a significant amount of work compiling information about the various backs out there. And as noted above, Geno* is even attempting to assemble set(s) that involve the various backs. I have always been far more interested in the fronts than the backs of T202s (and just about every other set)

I believe that an article that Lee worked on with the Old Cardboard editors (which I helped a bit on) provides a more information about the set.

One of the things I have always been intrigued by is that while the side panels on the T202s are almost entirely confined to subjects** in the T205 set issued the year before, the center photos include great players like Lajoie and Crawford who were not included in the T205 set and consequently are not on any T202 panels. There are no center photos of Honus Wagner or Eddie Plank though. I vaguely recall that one or both of them are in fact mentioned in the text on the back of one of the photos (have to check on that).

It is also interesting that in the case of T205 subjects like Bresnahan, Wallace and Eddie Collins, who all have two very different T205 portraits, both T205 portraits appear on side panels in the T202s. Also there appears to have been some thinking behind the various pairs of panels. For instance, many combos are pitchers along with their catchers. This is why Chief Meyers, the Giants Catcher is the most frequent "panelist." He appears with Matty as well Marquard and some other Giants catchers. A vast majority of the panel combinations are teammates. Some of the other panel combos that are not teammates suggest some knowledge of earlier baseball history such as McGraw/Bresnahan and McGraw/Jennings. That may be it.

I'm sort of "winging it" since I don't have a checklist in front of me. If there are any mistakes or omissions I apologize.
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Notes:
* Geno: I sent out your card a few days ago -- I have no idea how long it takes to get you wherever you are.

An exception is Smokey Joe Wood who is not in the T205 set. On the other hand none of the minor league players or the (then) recently departed Addie Joss are in the T202 set. There are other exceptions but these are the most prominent.

These are two of my favorite combinations and center photos: