T205 Status

[EvilKing00]

I would love to know how many guys here have compleated the T205 set and how long it took them, as well as how far others are who are working on it are.

I dont have many yet but heres what i have - I have 23 cards so far, 9 backs, including 4 pied 42, 1 AB green, including 2-SP, and 5-ML, 4 scarcer Varation cards & 1 HOF

[familytoad]

Evilking

I "completed" a T205 set a couple years ago.
To me that means I have a base set of all the unique fronts.
As you know, it's when you flip them over when the fun begins!!

The front set took me about 12 years but I am still upgrading, still getting them SGC graded and still gathering rarer backs to some extent...this will probably never end
There are tough variations and back types out there!

I registered a SGC master set (which will certainly be challenging)and I am considering doing a few player runs with various backs. They are my favorite cards of all, and I will just keep going and going as time and money allows

[HercDriver]

I completed the basic set in the-mid 90's. It probably took about 15 years, that was before the internet and Ebay for the most part...with college mixed in there. Chicks didn't dig cards in college, so either did I!

It's my favorite set, by far...which is why I'm trying to complete a Sovereign-only set. It's 123 cards, with no Cobb and most of my beloved Cubs, so it was an obvious choice!

Good luck!
Geno

[EvilKing00]

Thanks for the info guys so far 2 guys compleated the set, at 12 years and 15 years, wow, it does seem like it may take a while, lol, i guess ill have to shoot for small sub sets as short term goals, like ML, BACKS, SP or teams.

Anyone else??

[Republicaninmass]

I got within about 50 cards of completion over 8 years. I did pick up some of the tougher cariations that are somewhat affordable. I may consider it in the future, but it seems like prices are stronger now than when I started. I am just collecting tougher backs and variations at this point


best of luck on one of my favorites, the T206 never really appealed to me

[Tcards-Please]

I started mine November 2007 with the purchase of a Hughie Jennings. Mine is a lower condition set around the good range. I'm on the final stretch with 12 cards remaining. I'm pretty sure it would have been completed by now had I stayed focused, but other cards came up along the way.

Enjoy the chase.

r/
Frank

[T205 GB]

I have near complete Pied 42, AB, and Cycle subsets. The Sp's in the Cycle group will probably take 20 yrs to complete. Only about 5 away from the AB set and Pied 42.

[WWGjohn]

I'm down to 8 cards on the base set minus some variations. It has taken me about 12 years to get this far with lots of other sets competing for attention.

John

[T205Guy]

Originally Posted by T's please

I started mine November 2007 with the purchase of a Hughie Jennings. Mine is a lower condition set around the good range. I'm on the final stretch with 12 cards remaining. I'm pretty sure it would have been completed by now had I stayed focused, but other cards came up along the way.

Enjoy the chase.

r/
Frank

Frank,

It's a small world - my first T205 was Hughie Jennings also - back in 1989! It took some time but I am only a couple of cards away from completion of the set with variations. I will never be done though because I have started several subsets. Thats what happens when you get the bug for a set!

Ed

[peterb69]

I started collecting T205's around 1985. I went after the complete set (just different fronts) from the many card shows in the late 80's and 90's and from adds in Sports Collector Digest. I probably completed it around 1999.

With all the "crap" card companies started to produce in the late 90's & 2000's, it really turned me off from collecting and I sort of stopped.

Then I found this site about 3 years ago and it really peaked my interest again in tobacco cards. I now started to go after the rare backs I did not own, as well as at least 1 example of every cigarette brand.

I now have at least 1 of every brand back, and have every rare back except the hardest. I still need the Hoblitzell "no stats" and any T205 with a blank back.

About 95% of my cards are raw, and my set probably averages in Good. But I like my set and proud of it. Monies are tight, but someday I'd like to upgrade the condition of many cards.

[Wite3]

I started my first t205 set at the end of 1992, although i did not realize it then. I bought a lot of 6 cards to get the 4 phillies in the lot. The other two cards were just commons. I then won a tinker on a bid board the next month and went from there. I completed a near master set (minus the Hoblitzell no stats) about three years ago with the addition of a drum back. I have also completed the front set a second time. The second front set took about 6 years. The master set, about 16 years. Still hoping to find an off condition Hobby no stats.

Joshua

[EvilKing00]

real cool to rear everyones story! thanks for the info

[Leon]

I have been doing the backs for a while. I always thought the Cobby was one of the best looking cards in the hobby. I looked for this one for years and have shown it many times but man o' man.....to me this is what pre-war cards should look like. This might even be the logo for the next batch of Net54baseball T shirts......I got it at the first Oaks (RIP) show I did.....

[T205 GB]

Originally Posted by Leon

This might even be the logo for the next batch of Net54baseball T shirts

I kid you not Leon that I was just thinking today how neat it would be to change the logo every yr to a different Cobb card and for the T205 to be next. I would buy 1 or 2. Maybe even do some of his PC's and so on. Would the cost stay the same on the shirts?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by T205 GB

I kid you not Leon that I was just thinking today how neat it would be to change the logo every yr to a different Cobb card and for the T205 to be next. I would buy 1 or 2. Maybe even do some of his PC's and so on. Would the cost stay the same on the shirts?

Yes the cost would be the same. When the decision was made this time, It was a toss up for the logo between an E90-1 Boston Young (hi Peter), this T205 Cobby and the logo that was chosen, the D304 Cobb. All 3 were neck and neck. I picked the D304 because it was a bit more obscure and I tend to gravitate away from the middle of the road in my collecting habits.

[EvilKing00]

first off WOW, awesome cob card leon!

second, IMO the T205's are the best looking cards ever made,
any time u can use one esp one like that cobb, should be a no brainer.

Though i have never seen a net54 shirt, would be cool if you had cob in black and white cliding into 2ed base on the back and the T205 in color, on the right sholder, like a patch.

[asoriano]

Our journey started about seven years ago after we purchased approximately 180 of the most ratty T205's you could imagine (corners missing, heavy creases, paperloss, trimmed to the bone, etc.) at a Columbus, OH card show.

The initial plan was to fill in the holes and then get the set graded by SGC. But as time progressed, my Dad and I found ourselves upgrading on a regular basis as 1's became 2's, 2's became 3's, 3's to 4's and so on. We finally settled with the idea of building a T205 master set in all 4's and 5's which we finally completed in Baltimore this past summer (minus Hobby No stats). It took us roughly seven years to finish.

Today's favorites:








Here is some info regarding the T205 set...

Backs that command the highest premiums:

1) Hindu (Always believed that the Hindu was tougher than the Drum)
2) Drum
3) Broad Leaf (Green or Black; about the same in terms of rarity)


Backs that command a very small premium, and in some cases, no premium:

1) American Beauty*
2) Cycle*
3) Piedmont 42 (Much, much easier to find than a T206 Piedmont 350-460 42)

*Prices have been catching on lately


Backs that command no premium:

1) Hassan
2) Honest
3) Piedmont 25
4) Polar Bear
5) Sovereign
6) Sweet Caporal


Also, here is some information relating to the Minor League players...

ML Players found in T205 set

Doc Adkins
Email Batch
Hick Cady
Jimmy Collins*
Jack Dunn
James Frick
Charles Hanford
Wyatt Lee
Sport McAllister
George Merritt
John Nee
James Phelan

* = Toughest Minor Leaguer

Honorable Mentioned: Hick Cady; can be tough to find in higher grade


Lastly, here is a list of all variations listed in the T205 set...

Edward Barger (Full "B" on Cap)
Edward Barger (Partial "B" on Cap)
Roger Bresnahan (Mouth Closed)
Roger Bresnahan (Mouth Open)
Hal Chase (Both Ears Show, Frame Extends Past Shoulders)
Hal Chase (Both Ears Show, Frame Ends at Shoulders)
Hal Chase (Only Left Ear Shows)
Eddie Collins (Mouth Closed)
Eddie Collins (Mouth Open)
Otis Crandall ("t" Crossed in Name)
Otis Crandall ("t" Uncrossed in Name)
Patrick Dougherty (White Sock)
Patrick Dougherty (Red Sock)
Russell Ford (Black Cap)
Russell Ford (White Cap)
George Graham (Rustlers)
George Graham (Cubs)
Dolly Gray (No Stats on Back)
Dolly Gray (Stats on Back)
Robert Harmon (Both Ears Show)
Robert Harmon (Only Left Ear Shows)
Richard Hoblitzell (Cin. after 1908 Stats)
Richard Hoblitzell (Name Incorrect, No Cin. after 1908)
Richard Hoblitzell (Name Correct, No Cin. after 1908)
Richard Hoblitzell (No Stats on Back)
Arlie Latham (A. Latham on Back)
Arlie Latham (W.A. Latham on Back)
Lefty Leifield (A. Leifield on Front)
Lefty Leifield (A.P. Leifield on Front)
Christy Mathewson (37-11 Record)
Christy Mathewson (37-1 Record)
Patrick Moran (No Stray Line of Type)
Patrick Moran (Stray Line of Type)
David Shean (Rustlers)
David Shean (Cubs)
Bobby Wallace (With Cap)
Bobby Wallace (No Cap, One Line of 1910 Stats)
Bobby Wallace (Two Lines of 1910 Stats)
Irvin Wilhelm ("suffe ed" in 18th Line of Bio)
Irvin Wilhelm ("suffered" in 18th Line of Bio)
George Wiltse (Both Ears Show)
George Wiltse (Only Right Ear Shows)

The five examples that appear in bold are what I would consider the toughest variations to find.

Always happy to answer any T205 questions.

__________________

[RCMcKenzie]

t205bridwellbl.jpgt205bridwellblb.jpg


this just in from ebay

[peterb69]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Attachment 85186Attachment 85187


this just in from ebay

I'm glad you got this. I wanted to bid but seller had no ratings and outside continental US. Nice card

[RCMcKenzie]

Peter, thanks. I knew I would get a gambler's discount if I received it.

The guy is in the U.S. Virgin Islands and shipped from within the USPS delivery system. He sent it via USPS priority envelope in a penny sleeve. The card arrived safely, but the next buyers might ask him to add some cardboard to protect their shipment. Looks like he has some T3's up now.

[guy3050]

Bought my first T205 (Cy Young) last month and loved the look of the card so much that I decided to collect all 25 hall of famers,here is what I have so far.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by guy3050

Bought my first T205 (Cy Young) last month and loved the look of the card so much that I decided to collect all 25 hall of famers,here is what I have so far with 5 more incoming....

Really nice looking cards for the grades.....

[EvilKing00]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Attachment 85186Attachment 85187


this just in from ebay

nice one - i almost bid on that - but the seller had a 0 feedback soooo, i held off, nice pick up!

[nebboy]

I have been working ob the t205 set for about 3.5 yrs. I went after the HOFs, SPs, Minor league, and harder to find cards first, and picked up commons when the price was so low I couldn't pass or that's all the fun money I have at the time.
Problem is I have most but not all of the non commons. But am starting to think if I really want to go after the 80 more commons I need or just sell off the commons I have to buy a few last HOFs ect, that I need and move on to other type cards that catch my eye. Picture is a little old I have added 3 new ones (1-hof, 1-Sp, 1-variation).

So should I finish? Would like to hear what have to say.

Need a pep talk either way!!!

[WWGjohn]

I've been working on the set for about 15 years and am down to 4 cards (Cobb, Johnson, Speaker, Wilhelm) to finish the basic set less about 10 front variations. My set is almost all raw and is mostly PR-GD. Given the 4 cards left, I probably will consider this set "complete".

John

[Centauri]

I collected about 20 years ago, and recently went back and looked at what I saved, and it seems the best value is donate to charity!

Well, I always liked the old stuff anyhow, so I decided to sole focus on the T205 when I got one at a local show - George Stovall. 1 down.

I turned to the various lists found around the net to determine what mountain I was planning to climb. After thinking about it, I settled on the 200 different players, and at least 1 of each back name. I am color blind and can't really tell the difference between some of the color variations on the backs, so I am aiming for 1 of each brand. Similar for spelling errors, etc. on the backs, or different portraits of the same player on the front (though I am wavering on those with different teams). I am content with the player. I am currently at 53 players and 9 backs - with 10 HOFers, thanks to some nice eBay finds, and the help of come Net54 guys. Aiming for the 3 range.

I love the blurbs on the backs - some of the lower level guys require some real stretches to find something positive.

[AddieJoss]

It's taken me about 9 years to complete the set, but I continue to upgrade the set. I also have every back.

[Mrc32]

I started it in 2003. I have about 2/3rds or 3/4 of it complete (on vacation and don't know the exact number). I have quite a few variations and even more print errors. I go in spurts with it, HOFers for a while, then print errors.

I could have completed it a long time ago, but for the first 6-7 years I was PSA 4 / SGC 50 VG/EX. I bet half my set is around that grade. I've since gotten more liberal with the grades I buy.

I really enjoy the set.

[sb1]

Had them all except Hoblitzell no stats, Mathewson Cycle and Wilhelm "suffered", later traded Moran Stray line and Graham Cubs. Still looking for a cheap Graham Cubs if anyone has a dupe.

[marcdelpercio]

I completed the set about 3 years ago, with all variations. It took me around 5 years total. I have been upgrading ever since. The Hoblitzell "no stats" is obviously the toughest card in the set, as many have noted. You rarely see those come up for sale, even in many of the major auctions. I'd rank the Wilhelm "suffered" as the second toughest with the Moran "stray line" and Gray "with stats" close behind. Definitely one of my favorite sets, both for the artwork and design which are completely unlike any other set, and for the challenge in collecting, and sometimes even discovering, new variations along the way.

[tedzan]

I completed a 209-card set back in the mid 1990's......it included a Hoblitzell (No Stats) card.

Sold them all to a fellow Net54er.


My four remaining T205 favorites......Eddie Collins (mis-printed back reveals horizontal Double-Print).....Jiggs Donohue.....miscut John Titus / Tony Smith

and,

Jake Daubert is a nearby Pennsylvanian....a .303 career BA (1913 NL leader with .350 BA)....and, the NL's equivalent of Hal Chase. Jake was the Captain
of the 1919 Cinci team that beat the White Sox in the "Black Sox" scandal ridden World Series.

You got to love this T205 pix of Jake.








TED Z