Monster aficionados, which 5 cards from the set do you find most visually appealing?

[the 'stache]

Picking 5 cards out of a set of 524 is no easy task, I realize. But I would like to know which cards from the T206 set our collectors find the most striking.

Please include pictures, and give credit for any images you do not own.

I'll start the ball rolling. I will say it was quite difficult to narrow down my favorites to only five. As a rule, I prefer portrait cards most of all. But I certainly enjoy all the others. As a group, I love the way these five look together:


(pictures courtesy of t206resource.com)

My favorite five right now (which could change tomorrow):
1. Walter Johnson portrait
2. Ty Cobb bat off shoulder
3. Christy Mathewson dark cap
4. Larry Doyle with bat
5. Willie Keeler portrait

What can I say about the Johnson portrait? If I had to pick my favorite baseball card of all-time, it might very well be this one. A great picture and color scheme. You could frame this card, and put it in the Louvre, and it wouldn't look at all out of place. It could pass as a work of art by one of the Dutch masters. The Cobb bat off shoulder shows the legendary batter's icy gaze and incredible concentration. The Matty dark cap is my favorite of all his white border issues. I would be hard pressed to pick which of his cards I would want first: the T206, his T205 gold border, or any of his T202s. I love the attention to detail shown in the Larry Doyle; it makes this a personal favorite. And the classic pose of the Keeler portrait makes this a must in my top 5.

I had a few others that were very hard to leave off the list: Tris Speaker, Dutch Revelle portrait, Zack Wheat, Mike Donlin with bat, Nap Rucker portrait, Nap Lajoie with bat, Eddie Collins portrait...

Let's see your choices, guys!

[wolf441]

I agree with 3 of the 5 on your list (Johnson, Cobb and Keeler). I'd add in Lajoie with bat and Harry Pattee horizontal (love the colors). Sorry, don't have pictures with me at work!

[3-2-count]

Bill these would be my choices. I'm a huge portrait fan. When color & registration are dead on there is nothing more beautiful! Honorable mention is the Ed Walsh portrait.

[CaramelMan]

i vote for the Johnson portrait...
that card has a 3 dimensional quality that is not found in most of the others...

that card simply POPS and Walter looks like he is in the same room with you...

added: the only thing missing from the doyle is the top part of the bat!!!!

[PolarBear]

Lajoie w/ bat - my favorite card in the set.
Cobb bat off
Anderson
Powers
Pelty horz

[Howe’s Hunter]

Johnson portrait – yeah, what everyone else has said

Cobb green – just the look in the eyes

Niles – always liked the semi-casual "yeah, I play ball for a living" look to his pose.

Konetchy, glove low – not certain, but isn't this the only pose in the set to show a base? You've got multiple poses with buildings in the background, some guys with balls in their hands, some guys with gloves on their hands, several with bats, but only one with a bag that it is his job to defend.

AND TWO MINUTES LATER...

I've already decided to add another:

Dougherty portrait – for me, the purple background really works on this one. Of those I've listed, this is the only one I own, thanks to Paul (T206 Collector). Thanks again, Paul, one of my favs.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by StuckInOmaha

JDougherty portrait – for me, the purple background really works on this one. Of those I've listed, this is the only one I own, thanks to Paul (T206 Collector). Thanks again, Paul, one of my favs.

You're welcome, and I couldn't agree more!