Posted By:
J LevineI agree about the railroads and I considered it but it is still costly to set up two different printing areas. I was also aware of the advertising but if they really wanted to sell the cards, Piedmont advertising would have been rampant. Look at Colgans. They advertised all over with different ads, mags, papers, etc. They were selling cards as much as gum (again my opinion on marketing strategy).
Now consider this...the paper and cardboard were attached first before any printing. Let us say that the cardboard and thin paper were glued together in an industrial setting and then printed later. This makes more sense to me just for the fact that there are ghost prints. The printed sheets most likely were laid on top of each other and some of the printing process transferred to the cardboard backing.
If the fronts were printed first and shipped anywhere you would not have ghost prints on the cardboard backing.
I still feel that T206 sheets were printed in NYC incl. back stamps, and then shipped to the various tobacco factories to be inserted.
As to factory sheets never being found....there are several explanations that could be plausible...the cards were completely distributed. Everything was used (again this is cost effective). Factory fire, aliens, still unfound, who knows.
I will leave t205s for a different discussion. Great topic Ted, love this kind of speculative stuff.
Joshua
PS These are just my opinions.
PPS Who printed the tobacco graphic boxes? Same company?